random acts of senseless beauty

I have three new shows to helm this weekend and it’s keeping me busy ok?
That said, make sure to listen to the brand spanking new show from Adam & Joe, Saturday morning from 9 - 12, and the new-to-me wonders of Jon Holmes, Saturday 2 – 4pm, and the 6 Music Chart, on Sunday from 2 – 3pm.
Of course… you’d never miss Steve Merchant on Sunday from 3 - 5, right?  Right.
All at the award-winning and now more-listened-to BBC 6 Music.
Thankyouverymuch.  (and Happy Birthday Bananie!)

… neglecting my blog
… hanging out with delightful Jess
… being brought to the point of tears in Top Shop over the love of a scarf
… listening to the stunning gorgeousness of Radiohead’s In Rainbows
… unleashing my inner evangelical on a kick-ass course at Christ Church Fulham
… reconnecting with old friends
… letting go
… giving in to [...]

Wednesday is my Monday, workwise.  It’s not, though, everybody else’s Monday so when I get in I have 2 days’ worth of emails and post to get through.
Emails need to be done first, so the post doesn’t usually get opened till the afternoon.  About now  – 4.15pm.
There’s my copy of NME, and a load of [...]

Tonight Lawson and I went to the Royal Albert Hall to see Erasure.
They’re a long way from the coolest of people to see, but back in the day – the day being the summer of 1988 – they were the best thing I’d ever heard.
When The Innocents came out I bought it on casette and [...]

A public service announcement followed me home the other day.
I paid it nevermind. Go Away.
Shit so thick you could stir it with a stick-free Teflon whitewashed presidency.
We’re sick of being jerked around.
Wear that on your sleeve.
Broadcast me a joyful noise unto the times, lord,
Count your blessings.
We’re sick of being [...]

As it all came to an end I drank beer with an old friend then had Sia wash it all away.

For those who wake
With a blind headache
Who must be still
Who will sit and wait
For Sunday, to be Monday
For those with guilt
For those who wilt
Under pressure
No tears over spilt milk
Sunday
Sunday
Yeah, it will be ok
Do nothing today
Give [...]

I found this through a link my old friend Molly posted on Facebook. It made me laugh out loud. The timing is just so wonderful…

portrait red rose
Originally uploaded by thermospicker.

This is my friend Sarah. You may have heard of her fame?
I picked her up at the airport tonight… and now all is suddenly well.
Go and check out her new stuff: here

I could watch them for hours… They’re beautiful. They sing. They go round and round, again and again, and the breeze catches your hair… everything is peace and light and joy and spinning. Going nowhere. And it’s ok.
I’ve talked before about songs that can’t help but make me smile. Laugh. [...]

I’ve just uploaded 2-and-a-half pages of photos to flickr. Never wanting to be the kind of person to force anyone through a slide-show I’ve popped some of my faves here, but should you like to peruse the rest at your leisure – then go ahead. click on any of the pics to link [...]

It’s 3 a.m.
What a great night
I’m totally in love with Of Montreal, and the new Queens Of Noize night is pretty darn smart too.
Better sleep. All the vague weirdness I was talking about the other week has just got MUCH weirder. And nastier. And 11.15 tomorrow it all gets official too. I’ll be fine… tonight was just what I needed.

Thanks to Mr Gorman for pointing me in the direction of this on YouTube. It’s so amazing it brought a lump to my throat… but the end is slightly disturbing, given the location.
This is for Kristen – who’s birthday may be tomorrow, but rocked a fine version of this very thing at her party [...]

Thanks to Evil Harv for pursuading Big John to get this on You Tube… Still genius/terrifying/hysterical after all these years.
p.s. not drunk any more.

On my LastFM page my by-line is “music is my boyfriend”.  It’s never been so true.   In what is turning out to be a particularly long fallow season I am being amused, delighted, romanced, stirred and invigorated by songs.
Of Montreal’s album Oh Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer is my companion of choice almost every time I open my laptop or [...]

it’s 2.30am. I’ve been up since 6.30 yesterday. It’s been long, weird, and good.
First though, Harv reminded me to mention that we also saw one song from Gareth Gates at the festival on Saturday… I’d blocked it from my mind. Also I can’t believe I forgot to mention that halfway through the [...]

Took Evil ‘+1′ Harv to Hyde Park for some fab music. We got there in time to see about half of Captain (still brill), half of The Feeling (great songs, annoying lead singer), a couple of songs from the ever stunning Jason Mraz (why isn’t he a superstar? he’s chuffing brilliant), and then [...]

Unpacking and washing completed, I’ve managed to stay awake by catching up on emails and feeling massively guilty about how behind I am with festival stuff. I also had a pedicure in a desperately-hanging-on-to-the-end-of-my-holiday move. I have very dark red toenails and lovely soft feet. Hoorah!
It’s already getting going again… GB stuff, [...]

So Sunday was really quite special.
It started with a dash back from Maida Vale to take part, alongside my small but perfectly formed youth group, in something I thought I’d never again find myself doing.  A Drama.
Although I say so myself, it was truly excellent – perhaps more for it’s alluring mixture of incomeptence, unintentional [...]

I was dreading this week.  I knew that my ‘weekend’ of Monday and Tuesday was going to be marvellous, as I went over to Bristol to stay with the lovely J and D and the little J and E. Making the most of the time they have in the country between Sri Lanka and [...]

Shepherd’s Bush Empire.  Duke Special supported by Beth Rowley.  Nando’s with Evil Harv first.  FREE bar afterwards (with the music industry as it stands I genuinely don’t remember the last free bar at an aftershow).  Amazing people.  A lift home.  And the music…
The music was something else.  I had more ’moments’ than I thought possible.  At one point I manouvered myself into the front row to get [...]