Elvis Juice, it’s been a while.
Medium mug of red, I wish!
No cigarettes, plenty of The Serpent.
Too many yogurts, I’ve lost count.
I’ve finally left isolation, the RMP is in the rear view mirror now as we head back south. It’s OMG early but hey ho, I have a nice coffee in my Starbucks mug so who cares! Staffs, you’ve been a blast. Note to self, don’t ever go back to Swynerton. Ev-er!
So back onto the prison break tunes. Roll it over by Oasis got an add as it’s one of the rarely played hidden gems on Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. What a beautiful album cover btw. Have a listen, you might have forgotten how good it is!
Can I take a time out (like what I’ve done there?) to make an honorary mention to QB Aaron Rodgers, who I think just played his last game for the Green Bay packers last night. He should have been drafted by the 49ers way back when…the one that got away I always think.
Back to the music. Skrillex, Bangarang. What a great tune. I used to play it to Preston my Weimaraner back in the day. Always got a funny look off him, not sure why. Think it was a dog thing?
This Charming Man. The Smiths, you either love ‘em or hate them. Personally I think Morrissey is lyrically an absolute genius. Coupled with Johnny Marr on guitar, what’s there not to like? I think it was my step-bro who got me into The Smiths way back when. Them and Madness. We had many a rumble with each other on the dance floors of the North West of England in the mid 90’s to Baggy Trousers.
Personal Jesus. Depeche Mode. I got the best put down ever in a nightclub in Shrewsbury when I was going through training. The DJ was playing some tosh or other all night with no one on the dance floor when old 2 can Van Pedro walks up and tells him his music is shite and he should put some f*****’ Roses on man. He proceeds to inform me that this is Depech-e, Mod. Pronounced exactly like that! Whatever mate, are you gonna put some Roses on or what? To which he leans forward over his decks and beckons me closer to inform me ‘Listen pal, do I come into Burger King (other fast food franchises are available) and tell you how to flip burgers?’ DJ 1, young pup 0.
Black Star Dancing. NG’s new stuff, I think I like it. Anyone got any thoughts for or against?
And like a bus, 2 come along at once. Walking in my Shoes, live from Berlin no less.
Fact of the day: Depeche Mode very rarely if ever play festivals, dunno why. But after courting them for years, John Giddings who organises the IoW Festival got them to finally agree to play in 2018. Because of their lack of festival experience they didn’t front load their set with the bangers everyone knows and as a result were in danger of letting the Saturday night crowd dwindle off home for an early night. Unlike the Manic Street Preachers who’d played earlier on, kickstarting their set with Motorcycle Emptiness. What. A. Tune!! Luckily, the Mode got away with it and there was still enough people to go crazy, me included, when they started belting out their top drawer hits near the end.
Queens of the Stone Age, The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret. Is there anything Josh Homme can’t do? Great singer, devilishly handsome, and starts a super group with Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones. Back before kids and growing up and all that business I used to own an Audi TT. Yes, I did a side job styling hair I know I know! Anyhoo it had a beautiful sounding stereo with a Bose amp in the boot and a 6-CD changer…God even they sound so dated now. Them Crooked Vultures was first up, and anyone with that setup will know once those chosen 6 CDs are in there, it’s a pain in the arse to switch them out. So in 2010 I was mostly driving around listening to their one and only album to date. Please release another album!!
Charlemagne by Blossoms up next! I was lucky enough to see them live at a Stone Roses gig at the Etihad Stadium a few years back with my mate Skezzer. Great gig, Blossoms were excellent and so were The Roses. I think maybe it’s twice I’ve seen Blossoms, I’m sure they maybe supported Oasis at a gig somewhere, possibly it was at Finsbury Park I’ll have to rack my brain on that one. Spencer from Big Brother was at that Finsbury Park gig, stood in some pseudo VIP section, aka a few seats in the middle of a bunch of fans standing up. Suffice to say he heard it from the crowd!
Hypersonic Missiles by Sam Fender I think is one of Maggie’s favourite songs, mainly I think because I kept playing it over and over in the car late last year. But then again, she did keep asking!! That and singing along to ‘I’ll be riding shotgun, underneath the hot sun’ a few years back by George Ezra on the way to picking Mummy up from the Airport. Also one of her favourites. Mind you, that was back when we could take trips, and back when Mummy was allowed to work! Not long now anyway, Boris has said so…
<I’m not holding my breath on this one>
Kashmir. Led Zeppelin. So, what more is there to say about this song other than it is one of my absolute all time favourites! Listening to it just sends me right there to that magical place Robert Plant so effortlessly describes. My Shangri-la beneath the summer moon, I will return again. I think we could all do with a bit of that to look forward to right now.
Back in 2005 I had the pleasure of flying around up in the Pakistan mountains delivering Earthquake relief in the region, not a million miles away from Kashmir. Truly some of the most beautiful scenery, such a shame a lot of the towns and villages had been devastated by the quake. One day whilst out tasking we shot an approach to a Pak border base high in the mountains when one of the dawgs called “overshoot, that’s an Indian flag on their watchtower!” Luckily, they were pretty pleased to see us and gave us a wave, seemingly not that bothered we’d crossed over the border without realising. I think having a Union Jack painted underneath the aircraft definitely helped and saved us having AK’s waved in our direction!
On one of our very rare down days whilst out there we managed to get a trip out to the British High Commission in Islamabad, not far from where we were based in Rawalpindi. Things I remember about that day, I’ve been on some crazy roads over the years, Marrakesh and Goa some of the more memorable ones, but nothing compared to that drive across the city. Cars 7 abreast at traffic lights on a 2-lane highway, bonkers!
Me and my mate The Roberts needed some cash so we arranged for a taxi to pick us up from the HC to take us to the local bank. All was going well til the way back when the taxi we were in broke down on the long road near the Faisal Mosque, one of the biggest and most beautiful mosques you will ever see. So the taxi driver said he needed a push, and me and The Roberts got out and we’re now pushing a clapped out taxi up the drag to no avail. Our man decides to give it up and says he’s going to cal his Boss to come give us a tow. He then asks us if we want a drink as we’ve got quite the sweat on, and proceeds to cross the road to the local shop and get us some Cokes. Seizing the opportunity to get the foxtrot outta dodge, we hola a passing taxi and jump in and make good our escape. The perfect getaway, until I realise I’ve left my logic 3 (old school) and iPod in the front of his taxi!! How sad did the man look as we pulled up back at his broken down taxi, standing there looking up and down the street with 2 ice cold cans in his hand wondering where we had gone. And how bad did I feel hopping out, grabbing my speakers and thanking him for the cans as I grabbed them too and jumped back in our new chariot!! Back to the High Commission for an afternoon around the pool listening to tunes and sinking a couple of well earned beers with the rest of the guys.
Years later I would blow those Logic 3’s on detachment with my mate MJoS listening to…When Darkness Falls by Netsky!
Looking back through the blog and all I’ve written, I think that’s a fair bit. Like a man stood by a broken down taxi seeing an opportunity to do one, I’m off. Until next time. Thanks again for reading.
Next time. Episode 5: Let’s get onto the joys of that wonderful little App names Shazam with My Shazam Tracks. A must read 🤣
Things to be grateful for: Managed a 5.5mile run 13 days in a row, pretty happy with that. Oh and my rug arrived just in time!
“Oh, let the sun beat down upon my face, and stars fill my dream. I’m a traveler of both time and space, to be where I have been. To sit with elders of the gentle race, this world has seldom seen. They talk of days for which they sit and wait, all will be revealed.”
Bonham, Page & Plant. Kashmir, 1975.
My Life in Music 