Gig Reviews: Your Mum Will Be Very Proud of You

I know, it’s been a while. Life got hectic and then I collapsed. I slept for sixteen hours on Sunday night. Divine. I’ve been ignoring a stalker-like virus for weeks. Fair play, it put up a long hard fight, followed me everywhere and deserved to win. I surrendered. All hail the virus.

Stanley Brinks, The Hope, 30th November, 2008

Fujiya & Miyagi, Pavilion Theatre, 3rd December, 2008

I sniffed through Stanley Brinks, spent two bleary - but lovely days - in Norfolk and then sneezed a thousand times to the fine tunes of Fujiya & Miyagi. Ask the band, I was down the front. The ceaseless sternutation was striking. Someone near me was crawling with dust mites and I was fucked. It’s been a while since I sneezed so much. I curse the allergy that haunts me. The musical geeks had me bopping all the same. I can’t remember the details, but through an allergic haze and a cold infested head it tasted sweet and bouncy.

The night before, Stanley Brinks had been disappointing. He played a short set sandwiched between the ‘shit rock’ support act that was Ish Marquez. I didn’t take to Ish Marquez. It was painful. I'm sorry Ish, but that's the way it is.

I try to accentuate the positive on these pages, but I was there for as much Stanley Brinks as the man could give and I felt robbed. For such a prolific and wonderful musician, the set was stunted. It left me wanting more in the worst kind of way. I wasn’t there to watch the headliner play bass in a second rate support band, before and after his short serenade. I was there with a longing to be whisked away by the sweet, sensitive lyrics of a bearded genius. He should have played more of his own. André left me hanging.

This wonderful opening track from 'Dank U' was notably absent:

Download MP3: Stanley Brinks - Stanley Brinks (courtesy of musiclikedirt.com)



Let’s hope that the Herman Dune set is better. Nine days and counting...

Two more nights out and the end credits scrolled. GAME OVER. No Club Wotever for me. Being out eight nights in a row, and eleven out of fourteen was enough. I challenge anyone ten years my junior to compete mid-winter, and to hold down a job. Yes, the sniffles are part of the package. And yes, as well as being an employee, I am also self-employed. I’m busy in every direction. I also love sleep. I really love to sleep.

All the same, I have been listening, reading and filling my brain with nuggets to share.

The following is a series of 999 call recordings, as included in The Guardian on 29th November. I would have shared them earlier, but I could only listen to one at a time. They all made me cry. I felt the love, the fear and the bravery. I recommend listening to one a day, and no more.

The epileptic fit (courtesy of guardian.co.uk)




The birth (courtesy of guardian.co.uk)




The fire (courtesy of guardian.co.uk)




The cardiac arrest (courtesy of guardian.co.uk)




The Heimlich manoeuvre (courtesy of guardian.co.uk)




Fabpants Recommends: This is late in coming, but - without much fanfare - Bonnie "Prince" Billy, slipped another album through this year.

‘Lie Down in the Light’ is a soft and beautiful album. It’s not Bonnie "Prince" Billy at his best, but it's close. An enchanting echo of his finest work resounds. Try these out for size.

Download MP3: Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Easy Does It (courtesy of thelookback.com)




Download MP3: Bonnie "Prince" Billy - You Remind Me of Something (The Glory Goes) (courtesy of earitnow.com)