Sunday, October 29, 2006

21st December 2002

I will start this edition with a mention of a meeting with Marky Mark. Not
the geezer who was in Boogie Nights but nevertheless a geezer who can
boogie. Mark used to play for our footy team and I occassionally get
together for a quick scoop or two and talk about the latest music etc. He
was raving about a new band called Audioslave who have come from the
remnants of Rage Against The Machine and Soundgarden. I downloaded a few
tracks from their album and I know why he likes it so. I was telling him
that I was going to take my wife to see Taboo, the play in the West End
about Boy George, and he kindly arranged some free tickets for me so I am
off to see that on Monday and will let you know my thoughts over the
holiday period. I had a nice few beers with Mark and it is always good to
talk to people who are really enthusiastic about their music and I hope we
will be meeting up again in the not too distant future. We touched on our
respective football teams and considering my team's current form this is
the only mention of football in this edition.
Went out for a family meal to celebrate my eldest daughter's birthday. She
chose to go to my favourite Indian restuarant near my studio which was a
result and a decision that was taken under no duress from myself. It's
nice to know that she enjoys the culinary delights from around the world
rather than heading straight for the golden arches for a Big Mac. All my
kids dig Indian food and it makes me think about what sort of food I used
to eat when I was a kid and we had no McD's and Pizza Hut. My mum was a
good cook but nevertheless I used to think getting savoury rice was well
fucking exotic. God knows what I would have thought about eating sushi
(raw fish...............??????? raw.................????
fish..........????) and onion bhajies when I was 12 (not on the same plate
of course). While we are on food I have to tell you about a large trout
that I was given by my neighbour Mary which I cooked for dinner last
night. The same kids who will delve into the exotic were initially very
disgusted at this dead fish with the head still on but after a little
cajoling and me cahsing them around the kitchen with it they each picked
it up and were less grossed-out but still not convinced. It was very nice,
nuff said.
Me and Stevie B went to see Michael Moore's movie "Bowling For Columbine".
It was on in a mutliplex cinema that has a load of really small theatres
and we were sitting in the dark with about 40 other co-conspirators. It
was a great movie and something that everyone should try and see. I won't
go into depth because I don't think this place is suitable for political
rantings but his analysis of the US media makes me question everything I
see on TV and everything I hear on the radio. I started thinking about
this and realised that "my media" (talking to mates, like-minded
individuals, conspiracy theorists, liberals and radicals) is just as valid
as the stuff I see and hear everyday in "their media". In future I will
try and disseminate the information and remember that the news is just the
stuff they want us to know. I think that if you get a book voucher for
Xmas then you should go and buy "Stupid White Men" and it may make you
look at things a little differently.
Nature Call: Every now and again we have a little nature story in these
pages and we have our own version of Animal Rescue this week. Last week I
was pottering about the house and heard the door go. I answered it to be
confronted by my neighbour's little boy, 9 year old Ben, who was a little
distressed and was trying to tell me that a Starling had flown into his
football net and got tangled up and his Mum could not hold it and try to
free it at the same time. I went over and held the bird whilst Ben's mum,
Gina, cut the net from his legs. Ben's concern for the trapped bird was
diluted a little when he saw his Mum snipping away at his footy net.The
little fella was well tangled up (the bird, not Ben) and after a few
minutes the bird was free. I tentatively opened the gloves and was pleased
to see the bird fly away instantly. Hurrah, smiles all round.
I have hit a real hot streak in the songwriting stakes. I have knocked out
about five songs since the last edition and I put it down to changing my
guitar tuning. I won't bore you with the details but I have been playing
in DADGAD tuning and experimenting a little. It is kinda like learning to
play again and it takes a while to work out which chord shapes and
fingering produce the best results (oh matron!) but I am getting into it
and picking up a guitar everyday which can't be a bad thing. New titles
include "Had" and "4th July Everday" and I have been doing a couple of
rough demos. My studio pc has been freaking and has an error on the hard
drive so I forsee some pc expenditure in the coming months. I know that
the computers we use are hardly military spec but it freaks me out a
little knowing that we are all totally dependent on these fucking things
in one way or another. Can you imagine the chaos if every pc in the world
crashed at once. It makes me think that the whole scare about the Milenium
Bug would have been a lot worse if the threat would have been that real.
No TV, no radio, no bank accounts, no cctv, no traffic lights!?!?! It
doesn't bear thinking about.
Moving on to the fella above whose birthday piss up I attended last week.
Oh...... the youth of today?? Where do you begin??? I witnessed "hair
fluffing" of Olympic proportions from Sweeney The Younger. Put the world
to rights with Sweeney The Elder and joined our picture boy for a few
beers. Another late night, good fun at the time but not much fun getting
out of bed in four time to get the kids up but if I'm too old to rock 'n'
roll then I should retire. Continued my socialising with a ticket for one
to see Lord Of The Rings Pt 2. I would not normally do the cinema solo but
I had to see this film before the end of term and the cinemas are filled
with kids. Nice movie, a little less stunning than the first one but only
because all of the "tricks" are as good as the first movie so that level
of computer trickery is maintained and pushed a bit further with the
charachter Gollum. Weird shit, mad eyes but not real, I would love to know
how that shit was done. Went into town to meet Grant and attend the Book
Club with a colourful cast of characters who distribute much wit and
jollification to all in earshot and an arms length.
Anyway enough of me what about the geezer upstairs, not God, Mr Noel
Martin.
Date of birth: 13th December 1976
First started playing bass : I started playing guitar when I was 11 but I
wanted to be a rock star from the age of 7.
First record bought: FLM by Mel & Kim.
Desert Island Disc: Led Zeppelin 2
If you weren't a musician what would you be: I would be achef like Jamie
Oliver because I love cooking.
Which musician, alive or dead, would you most like to meet: Jimi Hendrix,
Jim Morrison and Jimmy Page. (The Three Jimmies)
A big hand for Noel for admitting that his first record purchase was FLM.
I think that is enough to give someone some serious musical scarring. Ta
Noel.
I wish everyone a Happy Xmas and a New year that brings us tolerance and
World Peace, not much fucking chance of that!!

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