Courtney Love - Secret Birthday Gig

Wow, what a month - Glasto, now Miss Courtney Love. Like Marmite, I think you love her or hate her, and I'm sure you can guess which camp I fall into.

I received an email out of the blue regarding this gig, and due to less than a weeks notice, I was unsure whether to go or not. I tracked down some tickets and headed London bound! Later I found out it was the day of her birthday and she was playing to 350 people, in a gorgeous hall with chandeliers and lots of swirls of plaster.

I met some great people before hand, which made the evening all the more fun (including a painter who is currently exhibiting at the Saatchi Gallery). When she arrived we all sang Happy Birthday, and she was rather impressed by the turn out and bon homie.

Some of her fans bought gorgeous bunches of flowers, presents from French patisserie house ‘Laudree’ (colourful expensive macaroons) - which she later gave out to her band, and the audience….and they were delicious. And standing by the side of the stage was my favourite mullet-boy Noel Fielding from the Boosh! I smiled at him, and he smiled back. Well you would….wouldn’t you?

She is one of the last 'rock-stars' of the music scene before it all started to head towards ‘downloads’ and ‘myspace’ and bands could that could headline Glastonbury, but you certainly wouldn’t recognise them if you bumped into them in Asda. She’s old-school, still hard-core, mad, bad and dangerous to encounter, and I’m still pleased she’s still around.

My Glastonbury

Post-Pop-Punk. It’s the Polysics!

On a good friends recommendation I went to see the Polysics. A Japanese band that have been around for 10 years, and obviously have a devoted fan base judging by a few of the fans at the gig – one young lady had the same orange boiler suit as the band, complete with band logos.

They were supported by Munch Munch (who I’m going to skip past, because they were quite dull), and a mad trio called Gay against You. The energy, the white outfits and the leaping through the audience thrusting microphones into audience members armpits. They were insane, extremely energetic but quite endearing. Just what you need in a tiny 150 capacity back room of a pub on a hot and sweaty night, and you left that room with a big smile on your face.

And the night got even better when the Polysics did their thing onstage. Hugely influenced by Devo, with bags of energy, recorder playing madness and pom pom thrusting. And they did a fab version of ‘My Sharona’. Also the bassist was superfab who has to be the inspiration for Noodle from the Gorillaz.

These last two pictures are the support band, Gay against You.

Rufus the Fabulous

Jedi School and Life on Mars

It's not often you get the chance to go to Jedi School to learn the ways of the ‘force’, so I thought, why not, well you would. Wouldn’t you?

It was part of the Star Wars exhibition, and the ‘school’ was held in an old court room at Westminster County Hall (complete with lots of leather and wood upholstery). It was hard to tell who was more excited to be a 'padwan', the parents or the kids. Unfortunately for us original fans, they only picked 6 kids. But it was a lot of fun, and the sight of Darth Vadar looming from the smoke can still put the fear of god into you.

On the same day, while I was trying to get to Liberty in Regent Street, I witnessed some Starsky and Hutch style driving from DCI Gene Hunt from Life in Mars in a Cortina, delivering Graham Norton to the BAFTAS. (please see photo). London’s all go, isn’t it.

I wish this was my job….

We have tickets for Glasto this year, and in my search for something slightly more palatial than a tent, I was looking on the web for ‘Pods’, and I heard Travelodge were doing them. Upon looking on their website I stumbled across this little gem, and my perfect job.

“Wayne Munnelly, Travelodge's Director of Sleep said, "We are always looking at new ways of making budget accommodation more accessible to the public. The Travelpod is a great way of taking our Travelodge room to the customer.”

I could be yours for £10

Loving the Luchies, here's a Lucky Lucha tshirt which you can purchase from me for £10! (Also comes in black).

South Park Self Portrait

Guess who!


Go to http://www.sp-studio.de/ to turn yourself into a South Park character.

Happy pooch

I can’t tell you who happy this dog is! She’s a manic pooch at the best of times, and this electronic beauty sedated her naturally.

It wasn’t even really cold that day. Maybe she was a cat in a previous life.

Bingo Bongo!

The blog’s been a bit quiet of late, partly due to the weather, and lack of ‘will’ to do anything, and partly due to my passion for the bingo!

I have won twice, and my theory is that you win on your first or second time, and then your hooked. My bingo hall is held in an old cinema (as are most of them), and they are wonderful buildings, even if Gala has painted them in their corporate clashing colours of (yellow, orange and blue).

I have mentioned to people passing my bingo passion, and you invariably find out who else is a closet Bingo-file, they always ask ‘which one do you go to’, and will regale you of their passion.

Freaky Deaky

In a Past Life...

You Were: A Redhead Sailor. Where You Lived: Portugal. How You Died: The Plague.

Who Were You In a Past Life?

They know me so well!

Grumpygrl goes to Grumpyman

I’ve been a little grumpier than usual, generally down to the weather and a lack of creativity. So it seemed quite apt to go to Grumpyman at Mr Wolf’s. A little back water eatery that seems to frequent students and emo’s, due to its cheap and cheerful nature and the venue for a Sunday night ‘sway’ and strictly no dancing!

Since Grumpyman started, I’ve wanted to go, as my melancholy side loves all things Tom Waits, Mark Lanegan, Velvet Underground. Geoff Barrow from Portishead was DJing, and adding his twist of melancholy which spurred us away from our centrally heated dwellings on a Sunday night.

Around 9.30 Geoff left his decks and joined Adrian Utley on stage with guitars and (jokingly) asked if anyone could sing. Beth Gibbons appeared and they very quietly started to play ‘Wandering Star’. The next (and last) song they played was from their new album. And then it was all over, leaving us wanting more. And as if the night was exciting enough, I was stood next to the beloved Liz Fraser from Cocteau Twins.

I may venture out into the cold more often, for evenings such as these. Leaving us a little less grumpy.

Isobel, Mark Lanegan, William, and a Good Bad Queen

I was so thrilled when I saw this gig listed at St Georges. It’s one of my favourite venues (even thought the security are rather overzealous about taking pix), and the Isobel and Mark album was No 4 in my fav CDs of last year. I’ve seen Mark Lanegan a hole bunch of times since 1992 and his voice never fails to leave me in awe. He does the aloof singer to a ‘t’.

William Elliott Whitmore (what a name!) was the support act, and he has a old US style charming, covered in prison tattoos and had the voice of Tom Waits son. A joy to watch. I love a bit of Blue Grass style banjo and guitar, he diddled those strings very well indeed.

Observation of the evening, can you tell if a person whistling is male or female. Therefore whistling is not gender specific. Ponder me thinks.

Apologies for the blurredness of the pix, this was down to the heavy security at St Georges, as I'm sure they were afraid the masses would mob the stage, and god forbid, take photos.

Peyton & Byrne - Ymmm - Cakes

I'm in love! Look at these beau---ti---ful cakes.

No-one understands me, they don't share my love of the simplicity of this little design/food haven.

I made a pilgrimage to the Peyton & Bryne cake mecca at Tottenham Court Road, in the Heals store. It's quite small and understated - but perfectly formed little shop.




If I had all the time in the world, I think I would create a 'beautiful cakes I have seen' blog. I sometimes I think I have cotton wool for brains ...

Top 10 albums and eateries - the most important things in life

My fellow blogger Tom, has inspired me to do a top 10 of my fav albums of the year. A couple of retro acts (Scritti and Madonna!) and loads of yeehaw country and western vibe. Checked shirts are a go-go, also hoping to see Miss Dolly Parton in Cardiff next year!. I personally think this year has produced such interesting and creative music, it definitely has restored my faith in new music.

Top 10 Albums of the Year
1. Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldier
2. Easy Star All-Stars - Radiodread (I just can’t stop playing it)
3. Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins – Rabbit Fur Coat (Definitely a country thing going on here)
4. Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan – Ballad of the Broken Seas
5. Madonna – (it’s a real grower, especially when you see it in context with her live show - discotastique)
6. Gnarls Barkley – St Elsewhere
7. Hot Chip – The Warning
8. Richard Hawley – Coles Corner
9. Scritti Politti – Black Beer White Bread
10. The Gossip – Standing in the Way of Control

Top Six Eateries
1. Cafe Maitreya - Easton (most amazing food and lovely venue, and it's vegetarian)
2. Pieminister – Stokes Croft (still loving the pie boys and their mash an gravy)
3. Teohs – Bedminster, North St (cheap and yummy - especially their yakisoba)
4. Quba Ice – Bedminster, North St (Bedminster is doing great guns in the fab food stakes)
5. Spyglass – Centre (pity they're not around in the winter too)
6. Savanas – Bedminster, North St (vege breakfast-tastic)

Don't eat chocolates on a public conveyance!

Especially if you're female!

On a list of old laws that are still legal (as printed in The Guardian) - my favourite was -
"It is illegal for a lady to eat chocolates on a public conveyance".

JRT Updates - Here's Daisy after a funtime in our local park, which is rather waterlogged at the moment, so the pooches come back covered in mud.
















I'm shy!

Love - Banksy - Love

We love Banksy in the pooch household - I have a little photocopy of one of his posters from his first Bristol exhibitions with the HMV dog holding a grenade launcher. It's my favourite. Especially as it looks like Dexter, and if you knew Dexter, and if he had a poseable thumb, I think he would use one on the first cat he saw.

Watching Banksy's work sky-rocket into the thousands of pounds bracket, you can only ponder the strangeness of media, the art world and the fact Banksy is laughing all the way to the bank(sy).

A postcard he did to promote his last London exhibition, with Kate Moss as Warhol's Marilyn is selling for £22 on ebay regularly. I picked several up at the time of the exhibition, and now can't find them.

Early interesting article and interview with him. http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,999712,00.html#article_continue

Rather apt for the coming season.

Toast Face

Tis the season to be ill. There’s a been a few strange illnesses floating about the Pooch household, me and my dodgy inner ear, and pooches with lumps (Dxtr got bitten, and had a nasty reaction). So we’ve spent a lot of time on the bed sympathising with each other.

One of my favourite coping strategies is eating toast and coffee on my bed, and to get a feel of what happens I took this picture for you (sorry it’s a little blurred).

Russell Brand is citing and barrassing

I bought tickets for Russell Brand at the Hippodrome, when all Russell was famous for was shouting ‘Hare Krishna’ on ‘Big Brothers Big Mouth’. Therefore I ended up with front and centre row tickets. The fear of being picked on by him, was overwhelming.

He is a very interesting looking man. A modern goth fop is a reasonable description, with unfeasibly tight 80’s black trousers. I remember wearing those trousers, and back-coming my hair just like his (and I wince with embarrassment - or barrassment, as he says, when I remember the amount of effort, pain and hair spray it all took).

He has armies of girls who’d love to be his conquests. And I believe, this perception is pushed forward by his constant comments about his previous activities and the invitation at the end of the gig to ‘meet him at the stage door’. I saw Bill Hicks 6 months before he died at the Victoria Rooms, and he said the exact same thing – so it’s a little unnerving that he died shortly after.

Our little party of 3 recommended him thoroughly, catch him while you can!

Ahh The Raconteurs……

Ahh The Raconteurs……Jack White…….Brendon….. the geeky looking bassist who looks like Joey Ramone. Its’ so nice to be watching accomplished, passionate musicians who love all things, guitar, Nashville and 70’s rock, even down to their embroidered cowboy shirts and slack pants. There was a lot of brown clothing going down. And Jack was sporting a strange cravat beard. In the photo you think it's a shadow, ohh no, it's facial fuzz - yeuck.

The support band were a three piece from Norway called BigBang. And they totally back up my theory (have I not bored you with this yet!), that a) 3 is a magic number and b) 3-piece bands are the best. Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Jam (I will think of others). But anyway, their sound was magic. Great harmonies, very tight. I’m sure they were hand picked by Jack, it was like they had swallowed all the great 70’s rock band (Led Zep, ACDC, The Who etc) and out came this wonderful familiar sound. The downside, they looked very Scandinavian – think Bjorn Borg, and Bjorn from Abba.

The Raconteurs rocked the house. They were so together, it was great. Played a stonking version of Cher’s ‘Bang Bang’ with their brilliant ‘Broken Boy Soldier’ interspersed into the middle of it. Sorry the pix are a bit naff. My camera wasn’t up to the job. But ahhhh Jack White.