upside downer

Hurry Up Harry - Sham 69

We got there at 2 and there was distancing to start with but it was getting a little lax by the time we left at 5. No checks to get in, masks on when walking around. No limit on numbers as far as I could see.

Saw my mate's band playing in a village pub garden yesterday. Great to have live music back but the place was rammed and due to the lack of staff they had on we didn't enjoy the 75 minute wait to get served a beer thanks to the table service system that's in place. Gasping!

The Battle of Evermore - Led Zeppelin

Same here. A world of sound at your fingertips. Such a great resource for finding music that I'd never have dreamt of going anywhere near back in my younger days. Currently it's Krautrock (is that term still acceptable?), experimental weirdness like Third Ear Band or Moroccan Gnawa. It's a long way from The Ramones but I'm sitting back and enjoying the journey.

The Ballad of Tom Jones - Space ft. Cerys Matthews

Dream Kitchen - Frazier Chorus

Looking forward to tomorrow (30th) when I'm off to see my old drummer's rock covers band play the afternoon away in a village pub garden. Fine ales, decent music, good company. Lovely. It's been way too long. Let's hope this is the start of getting back to what we love doing.

DJ Mark Radcliffe always said there should have been a Shakin' Stevens tribute act called Stationary Stevens.

The Drugs Don't Work - Verve

Ok. Or herself. I was commenting on a three-piece I was in with a guitarist who regularly had his hand in his undercrackers 'rearranging' himself.

With himself.

Snooker Loopy - Matchroom Mob with Chas & Dave

Friday, feelin' fine....

Listen Up! - Gossip

Weekender - Flowered Up

Drink the Elixir - Salad

Heard a lot in the last few days about Bob Dylan turning 80. He's one who I've never properly engaged with, just skimmed the surface.

Loving this.

Not artists as such, but I feel like throwing in the towel when I see some 9 year old 'wunderkind' on Youtube playing with a finesse and effortlessness that I can only dream of. It also makes me feel like giving up watching Youtube, too.

Happy African Liberation Day, composition chums!

Can't Get Out of Bed - Charlatans

Captain Beefheart's Magic Band had some superb nom de plumes. John French - Drumbo Jeff Cotton - Antennae Jimmy Semens Bill Harkleroad - Zoot Horn Rollo Mark Boston - Rockette Morton Victor Hayden - The Mascara Snake Art Tripp - Ed Marimba Elliot Ingber - Winged Eel Fingerling And the good Captain started life as Don Van Vliet.

Baby, Come Back - The Equals

Under the House - PiL