Life's about experiences. These are mine.
A year or so ago I discovered Reading band The Amazons and really loved their music. So when I heard that they were going to be playing a homecoming gig at the Hexagon in Reading I had to go. Tickets went on sale August 2017 and were either seated in the balcony or standing downstairs. …
Continue reading “The Amazons, Reading Hexagon, 10th February 2018 – I’m getting too old for this!”
Some 25 years ago my first son was born to be joined a couple of years later by the second. Who knew that two small people could take up so much space? Despite moving to a larger house to accommodate everyone and everything we quickly ran out of space and realised something had to go. …
In what is now rapidly becoming a tradition I was up at 05:45 and in the centre of Reading by 06:15 to join the back of the queue for Record Store Day 2017. When the list was first published earlier this year I looked down it and found that little on it moved me. I did …
Continue reading “Record Store Day/Are You Listening? Festival 2017”
Thirty four years ago, on 13th March 1982, I went to my first ever gig to see 10cc at the Oxford Apollo. At that point they were really only 5cc and were distinctly past their best but I was hooked. Last week I saw them again. They are now down to 2.5cc but really rather …
So I have been nominated by Dirk Manuel on Facebook for the “7 Days 7 Singles from the ’80s” challenge (you can read his selections here). I wouldn’t normally bother but this has been great fun to both read other’s entries and to sift through my single collection again to select my final 7. I …
Anyone that has been paying attention will have noticed that I am back into vinyl in a big way – mainly because I like having a physical product and also the print on a record sleeve is large enough for me to be able to read without glasses! However, I am trying to be a …
So I have been getting back into vinyl in a big way. No, not like that, but vinyl records of the round black variety. I am trying to limit the amount I spend on records by only purchasing brand new releases and particularly if they are limited releases, special vinyl or signed. This isn’t working …
Although it has been running for four years this is the first time that I have gone to the Are You Listening? festival (AYL) in Reading. AYL is a one day music event that showcases (mainly) local music in bars and event spaces around the town (so no mud and getting wet) in aid of …
Last weekend it was Record Store Day and for the second time I set off early to get to my local store and pick up some limited vinyl. Having already enquired earlier in the week I was pretty certain that what I wanted would be available long after the Saturday but queueing up before the …
Continue reading “Record Store Day 2016 – Not Like a Virgin”
I always laugh when I see on an ad for a film that proudly states “From the producer that brought you xxxx”. From what I can see this is suggesting that I should go and see the film based on the person that managed to raise the money rather than someone that has any artistic …