The Calling, then Puressence.

[zotz]

It's been a moderately quiet couple of days at work. Da boss (not da old boss, da new boss) asked if I could keep the list of projects topped up and available. Truly she is a master of delegation. Still, she seems to be finding actual useful stuff to do with the minutes saved, so I don't suppose anyone'll complain.

Tuesday night was the Calling. I was tired and knew that Wednesday was going to be a long day, so I tried to get an hour's sleep beforehand - and failed totally. At the venue, I went on first and almost totally failed to get anybody dancing - by the end of my set it had turned into one of those totally ridicukous "I don't care any more" moments with Leechwoman and Foetus and the Birthday Party and My Bloody Valentine.

Tristan danced to these, but no other fucker did. Setlist in full here.

Wednesday I knocked off about half an hour early to pick up grahamb and eviltwinemma and trundle over to Northampton to see Puressence again. The support turned out to be Echoboy, of whom I have heard. They were good, although they did get a bit overblown and flatulent towards the last couple of songs. I wouldn't mind seeing them again at some point, though. The venue was a little (and fairly new) place called the Soundhaus (cue lots of unfunny "Bauhaus and Greenhaus at the Soundhaus" jokes) which was a bit over half-full. This was a shame. The audience were a bit too laid-back, as well. A little enthusiasm would have gone down well. It was odd, because I was at the Roadmender just down the road twice a few months ago and people were well into it.

Puressence were good, though. The set was Walking Dead / I Suppose / How Does It Feel / Analgesic Love Song / Make Time / Comfort / Standing In Your Shadow / She's Gotten Over You (which is turning into my favourite off the new album, I think) / Mosside (?) / This Feeling / Sharpen Up The Knives // Mr Brown / India . And yes, I did nick a setlist again, although I didn't get it signed. Unfortunately the London one's sold out, or I'd go see them again.

This evening I have mostly been reading the paper, starting the new Christopher Brookmyre (I haven't spotted a Zevon reference yet, unless it turns out to involve a character called Angelique and "Angel dressed in black") and catching up on a couple of hours of the sleep I've missed.

Also, on Monday it seems I have some longstanding and dear friends dropping by, so i have to make the place look a little less of a bombsite. Safe and sanitary, at least.

I would rather rub the hair of a bear in her lair,
in the opposite direction,
I would rather put the make on a rattlesnake
than be losing your affection

Hmmm. Good to see Mr Merritt hasn't started to write ordinary lyrics.

Comments

Brookmyre then Puressence

[buca.livejournal.com]

whats the title of the new one then ?

its really bad/good when he mentions whole context refs like blokes in corners on the phone asking for Lawyers Guns and Money etc etc. Oddly was listening to Mr Bad Example earlier on today

On a vaguely related note. have now discovered mates going on a Rebus Pub Crawl. any excuse eh?

have got tix for Puressence on the 30th so shall see how it goes. Darkstones is also in attendance.

np: The Damage Manual - Bagman Damage

Re: Brookmyre then Puressence

[zotz]

whats the title of the new one then ?

The Sacred Art of Stealing. Apparently it's a ref to a song by Billy Franks (who he?) called The Sacred Art Of Leaving.

its really bad/good when he mentions whole context refs like blokes in corners on the phone asking for Lawyers Guns and Money etc etc.

Excellent. Which one's that from? I'm trying to make a list of Zevon references in Brookmyre.

On a vaguely related note. have now discovered mates going on a Rebus Pub Crawl. any excuse eh?

For a drink, or for some Rankining? Both sound good to me, actually.

have got tix for Puressence on the 30th so shall see how it goes. Darkstones is also in attendance.

Excellent. Let me know.

Re: Brookmyre then Puressence

[buca.livejournal.com]

> Excellent. Which one's that from? I'm trying
> to make a list of Zevon references in Brookmyre.

I do hope you jest.. ;-)

IIRC its a tad like one of Martin Amis' self refs - the main character goes into a bar and notices an incidental character on the phone calling for lawyers and money. I think it might be in One Fine Day but am unsure. Either that or I imagined it all which now makes me concerned for any book I read. Erse. Guess whats being added to the 'to read again' pile. I'm pretty sure its Brookmyre. Damn.

[reddragdiva]

"by the end of my set it had turned into one of those totally ridicukous "I don't care any more" moments with Leechwoman and Foetus and the Birthday Party and My Bloody Valentine."

It is so past time to get you a radio show.

[zoo-music-girl.livejournal.com]

Now *that* is an excellent idea.

Graham as the successor to John Peel?

[swisstone.livejournal.com]

He's certainly got the lugubrious tones and the baggy t-shirts down pat ...

(Sorry, Graham, but you know it had to be said. And I'd listen.)

[zotz]

And I've even got a dressing-gown and slippers. If I could do it at home I could recreate the ambience perfectly by popping out during songs to make toast and cocoa.

I'm not sure about the live Extreme Noise Terror sessions, though. The neighbours might complain.

[swisstone.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but you could have HMHB round without causing a fuss.

[zotz]

Except among my friends, of course.

[reddragdiva]

Pyro and I were discussing this at B-Movie. See, in Australia, there's commercial stations, there's ABC stations, and there's an entire third tier of community radio stations - typically run by universities, some entirely independent non-profit operations run on a shoestring, etc. They're basically how Australian youth get corrupted :-) Anyway, Britain is way overdue to get a network of these. And we need to give zotz and sexbat and you and me and so on shows on these.

[zoo-music-girl.livejournal.com]

And we need to give zotz and sexbat and you and me and so on shows on these.

Do you mean me? I couldn't do a radio show. My taste may be impeccable (feel free to agree with me there) but my collection isn't really up to it. Small but perfectly formed if you like...

I'll leave radio shows and djing to you lot.

[swisstone.livejournal.com]

You could be Jo Whiley to zotz's Steve Lamacq. Except without being so mind-numbingly vacuous, of course.

[zotz]

There was a suggestion a couple of years ago that Mark & Lard might compile an album of their Singles Of The Week - in particular, the ones that were released in a pressing of 17 on a label run from someone's potting shed in South Shields (of which there are quite a few). As Jo Whiley had recently had a compilation out called "The Amazing Sound of Jo Whiley", it was suggested that M&L's one could be called "The Amazing Smell of Mark & Lard".

It didn't happen, unfortunately.

[zoo-music-girl.livejournal.com]

I never listened to them so I'm not sure what to make of that. I appreciate the qualification there nonetheless.

[swisstone.livejournal.com]

It was largely just the concept of the male + female DJ/presenter team, and implied nothing more.

(And you should consider yourself lucky - the first example I thought of was Jono and Emma.)

[zoo-music-girl.livejournal.com]

Isn't Jono that pratt on Virgin Radio? Who's Emma...?

[swisstone.livejournal.com]

They do the morning show on Heart 106.3. I have to listen to them whenever I go to the Greenford office, as the person who give me a lift in has them on in the car. Rest happy in your ignorance, believe me ...

[zotz]

http://www.commedia.org.uk/. Probably worth supporting. Apparently among other things they're lobbying for support for community broadcasting in an upcoming telecomms bill.

[ex-wendles389.livejournal.com]

you may have found your next vocation in life ;)

on a related note, don't student campuses have radio stations anymore?

[zoo-music-girl.livejournal.com]

I haven't spotted a Zevon reference yet, unless it turns out to involve a character called Angelique and "Angel dressed in black"

Do you want me to tell you if you're right or not or would you rather find out for yourself?

[zotz]

I'm nearly halfway through. Give me another day or so, and them drop it on me if I seem to be slacking.

[ex-wendles389.livejournal.com]

I begin to wonder if I am the only person who
a) hasn't seen Puressence, and
b) has (to my knowledge) not heard any Puressence

[ex-wendles389.livejournal.com]

(any illogical reasoning in this statement is due to paint fumes)

[zoo-music-girl.livejournal.com]

Nope, me neither!

[zotz]

The world is absolutely full of people who know little of Puressence and care less. Many reviewers have listened, and then damned them with extremely faint praise. I like them, though.

I think I heard one of their songs on Radio 1 once. About three or four years ago.

[zoo-music-girl.livejournal.com]

The Rattler saw them recently and was very disappointed. I always think of The Chameleons when someone mentions them and I don't know why.

[zotz]

Scathe doesn't think they're anything like as good as they were - but I'd never come across them then. I can see his point, but they've played Sharpen Up the Knives both times I've seen them, so I'm happy.

[zoo-music-girl.livejournal.com]

Scathe goes on about Chameleons doesn't he, so that could be where I've made the connection.