7th April 2002

The above picture is me rocking with my new guitar. I don't really need
any more guitars as I only ever use one or three at the most. I was given
this guitar by my wife's uncle, also named Brian, who has not been playing
it because he has a bit of arthritits in his hands. We went to Liverpool
on Friday to celebrate my ma-in-law's 70th birthday party and Brian told
me he wanted to give me this guitar because he wanted it to go to a good
home. I was very touched by this and shall look after it. It is in need of
a little service and could be great because it has a really nice tone. As
for the rest of he party, I managed to escape with my dignity intact and
only a very mild hangover. I met up with my old mate Rock Steady Eddie (
he was my best man and all round good egg ) and his missus Lynne. We had
not seen eachother for a while so it was nice to catch up. On the way to
the party we had to go past Aintree Race Course which, for those of you
who don't know, was hosting the Grand National meeting and Friday was
Ladies Day. The racing had finished and there were loads of pissed-up,
dressed-up women staggering around trying to hail a cab. You know how
people look when they have been partying all day? Usually it is midnight
when you are that partied-out and you can escape recognition by crawling
home in the dark but at 7.30, when you have been on the Bacardi Breezers
all day, the world can see you in all your pissed-up glory. Women were
asleep in their partners arms at the bus stop, ladies falling into
limousines, lots of women in big fuck-off hats who were nearly outnumbered
by women carrying their shoes?? It was like a fire drill at a really posh
wedding.
I will be putting up an MP3 of "Top Of The Pops Again" in the next day or
two so watch the welcome page for the next week to download this little
peice of ear candy. This is the first single and I am sure you will like
it because it is a pants swinger and anyone who has seen a gig will
testify to this (I think??).
I have been busy buying new gear for my studio which will have to be wired
in next week so expect the next picture to be me with a soldering iron in
my hand. I had a bit of an interesting revelation whilst mixing this album
and I have decided to be a bit more careful in my recording techniques.
When your tracks of audio can be viewed as well as heard then you start
nit picking over all these little blips on the audio wave just because you
know they are there. We had a few squeeky chairs, a few headphones being
dropped etc etc and I was slightly reprimanded by Timbo and told to be a
bit more tidy and less lazy.
Had a funny little experience on the train on the way home from Liverpool.
I had brought a radio with me and was planning on listening to the
afternoon sport, particularly the commentary from the Arsenal game but the
reception on the train was crap. There were two lads who were on the seats
opposite and they had the same idea because one of them was carrying a
radio too. They had no luck with their reception either but I had managed
to get the BBC world service which was carrying the desired commentary.
Arsenal were winning and the recption was terrible but audible. Spurs got
a penalty and I said to these guys "Spurs penalty" and we collectively
held our breath as Teddy slammed it home and I conveyed the outcome with a
clenched fist which they both copied. Minutes later Arsenal got a penalty
and I past the info on and we waited....and waited....an injury....goal.
"They've scored" I said and watched them both deflate. A nice moment of
mankind united in a common goal and on that note I will leave. TTFN.