A happy-go-lucky English rambler dude goes to New Zealand for a year. Here he interfaces with some of those he left behind and details his nefarious activities. Or summat.
Recently clicked on MP3s - 7th June 2005 The Lucksmiths - Warmer Corners
Jens Lekman - When i said i wanted to be your dog
The Trashcan Sinatras - Weightlifting
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The Decemberists - Picaresque
The Eels - Blinking Lights
Wednesday, July 16, 2003
To celebrate fixing the scanner, i thought i'd share my new most prized possession with the world....A signed Kinky Friedman album!
To the Tedster, from the Kinkster! Oooh!!
I went to see my favourite author at 'The Musician' pub a few weeks ago. An author at a pub? Well, if you didn't already know, the Kinkster is an ex-Country and Western singer, who now writes hilarious crime stories set in New York. Oddly enough, based on a character called Kinky Friedman, who is an ex-Country and Western singer. Well, could you think of a better character to base some stories on?!
He did a brief and very entertaining reading from his new book, as well as knocking out a few of his classic songs, such as the feminist anthem, "Get your biscuits in the oven, and your buns in the bed", with his backing band of Little Jewford and Washington Ratso. As with the other gig i went to at the Musician, the crowd seemed a bit quiet (overawed?) at times, and so the atmosphere did get a little awkward for a short while, until the Kinkster's wit won everyone over and sent the crowd home a lot happier than when they arrived.
After the gig, I managed to pluck up the courage to join the queue to have a chat with the man himself. He signed my cd for me, and I blurbled some stuff about his books having picked me up at times when i was really down in the dumps, to which he graciously, and only slightly sarcastically, replied that his life's work had not been in vain. Wow! - I've had the mickey taken out of me - by the Kinkster!!! (As he would say himself, his books have also been, "A financial pleasure for the Kinkster" too)
The Kinkster in his heyday (Not so long ago)
12:32 am Wednesday, July 02, 2003
Nngah! Must. Post. To. Website. More. Often.
Especially as it's mainly been good news lately.
First off, my botty is almost back to optimum performance after it's recent surgery. It's been a long, and frankly un-enjoyable journey back to health, but i'm finally free from the tyranny of ingrowing bottom hairs and i'm now finally able to focus on doing fun things in life again.
As i've not been able to take part in activities that involve too much ass wiggling lately, i've taken the opportunity to catch up on a bit of culture, and surprisingly there's been quite a bit of it about in Leicester lately. In the last few weeks i've been to no less than three gigs, and have got three more lined up in the very near future.
John Hegley played (and recited) at the Phoenix Arts a couple of weeks ago, and was very enjoyable too. If you've not heard of him, he's a poet from Luton, wears glasses and likes Dogs, and who writes excellent poetry about all three of those things. His poems ranged between the serious, the surreal, the sad and the hilarious - all the more so when he got the audience involved (At one point all the glasses wearers in the audience tapped their glasses simultaeneously in a "show of power", aimed at those present with good eyesight).
It was one of the first times i'd left the house after my convalescence, so i particularly enjoyed it, and instantly felt inspired to write some poetry of my own, and happily for you lot, i've decided not include it here. However, here is an excellent John Hegley poem from the book i bought (and got signed!) on the night.
Pancake Man
He's Shrove Tuesday's number one fan.
All those minds
simultaneously mixed up in the flour and batter
making the matter more powerful:
he believes that a
shared experience is greater than
the sum of its ingredients.
The world is his frying pan
and he's a bit of a tosser.
I really enjoy reading his poems, but having heard him reciting them in his abrupt, deadpan style, (and singing them too, whilst playing his Mandolin) you seem to get a better idea of how they "flow". This page on his website has got an mp3 of him reading out quite a cool little poem, based around a sub standard dog.
I would write more about the other two gigs, but it's late and one of them was so life shatteringly important, that i wouldn't be able to do it justice now.
I suppose i could tell you about the other one though. I went to see 'The Thrills' at the Charlotte. They rocked. They had a roadie that looked like a "Pikey" from 'Snatch'. It was hot. They played 'Big Sur' and 'One horse town'. The crowd were suitably pleased by this. The Charlotte is still a crap venue.
