Mar 31, 2014

Mad March


It has been an extraordinary month that has derailed my blogging into a happy, exhausted but ultimately wordless ravine.

Last month, I was revealed as the new co-host of Bad Language, a leading night of live literature in Manchester. A few days ago, I hosted my first one. The quality of the open mic acts and the headliner, Stephen May, left me somewhat staggered. I performed in a ridiculous hat given to me by this man.

I also got to host a proper discussion with proper writers. I invented this event for Manchester Histories Festival, and the quality of readers and the turnout re-staggered my mental innards all over again. I topped it off with a radio show yesterday alongside my writing cohort David Hartley.

In the spare time I have had, I saw a great show by Jackie Hagan, I've been listening to old techno, I visited Crosby beach to see the strange iron blokes and I bought a bagel on Brick Lane.

Look to the horizon. You can see the smoke rising from the wreckage in the ravine. Look again. It is a smoke signal. It says "blog more".

Shut up, smoke.

Mar 30, 2014

British Summer Time is here: let's all listen to John Wizards



It's British Summer Time. Time to crack out the Wizards.

John Wizards is a glorious band from South Africa who have a style like no other. Muizenberg is from their debut eponymous album. Little fact: lead Wizard John Withers makes jingles. Try saying that six times fast.

This video is by cartoonist Sebastian Borckenhagen.

Mar 6, 2014

Ten Bleep years bleeping


I'm running from pillar to post at the moment, except the pillar's a shark-infested pool and the post is a really angry post that pokes me with a pointy stick.

So I'm just popping by to send you over to Bleep10, a celebration of 10 years of my favourite online music shop Bleep.com. They're putting on some celebratory live dates, but also releasing a Bleep10 album of exclusive and never-before-heard bleepy goodness.

The album has Autechre, Machinedrum, Lone, Mu-ziq and more. There's even a teaser video here.

In other decennial internet birthday news, this blog is also ten years old in 2014. You're getting none of my cake, you bleepy gits. I'm saving it for the sharks. NOT YOU, POST.