Music Stuff and All That

Have a look at the Troy Bar in Hoxton, they're quite famous for their open mic nights (I've not been).

Checking into a hotel in Glasgow for a conference tomorrow. Dude walks past. Looks like Keith Morris from Circle Jerks / Black Flag. Can't be him? Turns out it was. Looks like I'm off to see Descendents / Circle Jerks / Negative Approach tonight.

My bloody valentine are doing 3 dates in November. Pre sale starts early next week. To most of you this will be whatevs. Others will sacrifice their first born to get there.

Whilst listening randomly on my massive Spotify playlist delayed by tornado warnings and take cover notices, The Kinks , “Autumn Almanac”, came on. What a top tune that is.

Love the kinks.

Chicago: Ducking, covering and head nodding.

Sunny Afternoon - the story of The Kinks (that I worked on for TWO FUCKING YEARS) is currently playing the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre until the end of April.
It's not an awful show. I just hated it lasting 2 years.
They don't sing Autumn Almanac.

I have just booked tickets for that next year when its tour comes to Richmond Theatre.

Bar 1 or 2 exceptions (Blood Brothers being one) I'm just not a fan of musicals. I prefer watching people act rather than dance or sing. And taking songs and tacking them to a random narrative (hello Mamma Mia) just doesn't interest me. At least Sunny Afternoon is the story of The Kinks - and there were some songs I'd never heard before. I just cringed at the company vibrato singing of Waterloo Sunset at the end. An object lesson in how to murder a decent song.
Anyhow, I hope you enjoy it!

We go most weeks down to Richmond to see whatever is on. It's rare to get a musical as the stage isn't that big I think,, mostly plays. Wimbledon normally gets the bigger musicals and we sometimes go there (I think Blood Brothers might be there later this year which I've never seen so might check that out).

Sunny Afternoon had a huge thrust (oo-er) into the auditorium at The Pinter (and does from the Chicago pics I've seen). Surely they can't replicate that at Richmond?
I've only been to Richmond once, to see Tim Vine (cue someone telling me the thing I like is shit). I've only been to Wimbledon once - to see the ex Mrs Rave Flemish Ballerina dancing for Debbie McGee's company. I found myself sat behind June Whitfield. I also went to see the show in Cambridge and met Paul Daniels. I have to say he was very charming.

England has produced some of the greatest songwriters in history. Ray Davies sits atop them all.

Edit: Elvis Costello has a shout.

I'd be very surprised, I've never seen any adaptation of the stage/seating there yet.

My first girlfriend looked a bit like Ray Davies.

Was she called Julie and did you meet her at Warerloo Staion

Ev-ery Friday night?

Or was she called Lola and you kept having to spell it for her?