THE KING ROCKER LONDON SCREENING 16^th DEC

A tiny teenage girl Hackney Hipster version of Stewart Lee stands outside the Dalston Rio cinema to declare…

“Our labour of love Nightingales rockumentary King Rocker knocks most rockumentaries into a cocked hat.

“I loved every minute” – Ben Dowell, The Times

**** Financial Times

**** Chortle

“One of the best music documentaries of all time” – The Quietus

“The new gold standard for rockumentaries” – The Scotsman

If you live in London come to the KING ROCKER XMAS FUN NIGHT, a screening at Dalston Rio Cinema on Dec 16^th at 8.45, followed by q&a w me and dir Michael Cumming (Brass Eye, Toast)

https://riocinema.org.uk/RioCinema.dll/WhatsOn?Film=13951901

You can also now watch it, ad-free, on NOW TV if you have that https://www.nowtv.com/watch/king-rocker-2020/A5EK4mHuoHzRk73pZuoRf

THE SOUNDTRACK

KING ROCKER s/t album, w sleeve notes by me, avail Dec 3rd here
https://www.firerecords.com/product/king-rocker-ost/ (also t-shirts etc)

Following King Rocker‘s huge success earlier this year, spotlighting The Nightingales as one of the best band’s in Britain, comes the soundtrack to one of 2021’s break-out films. ‘King Rocker (Soundtrack)’ limited edition red vinyl includes sleeve notes from Stewart Lee, A3 theatrical poster and a lovingly replicated curry menu from Abdul’s in Birmingham.

THE STAND

I am doing some warm up dates for the rebooted SNOWFLAKE/TORNADO tour at THE STAND venues in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle from 12th-14th December.
Seating re-jigs, covid rule shifts, and standing room carve-ups mean there are a few new tickets suddenly available which will go on sale DEC 1^ST at 12 noon.

Edinburgh | Sun 12 Dec | Doors 9.30pm show 10.30pm| 60 mins | Tickets here

Glasgow | Mon 13 Dec | Doors 9pm show 10pm| 60 mins | Tickets here

Newcastle | Tues 14 Dec | Doors 6pm show 7pm| 60 mins | Tickets here

Newcastle | Tues 14 Dec | Doors 9pm show 10pm| 60 mins | Tickets here

THE SEEN

An extremely crisp recording, from 2018 at Café Oto, of THE SEEN’s tribute to the free jazz drummer John Stevens, with me reading the text, is newly available here as a digi-download.
I like to burn them onto discs and make toy cd’s.

https://confrontrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/for-sake-of-joy-live

THE HAT

WOOLY WINTER HAT NOW AVAILABLE

Stew says; “The gifting season is soon upon us. But what to buy for the socially challenged, prematurely middle-aged, pseudo-intellectual man, or woman, in your life?

An enchanting Stewart Lee ‘Snowflake Tornado’ Beanie, fashioned from the highest quality material by non-slaves, makes for the perfect woke Winterval gift!”

“Christmas is coming,
And Stewart Lee is getting fat,
So please spend a penny
On a Stewart Lee hat!”

https://wax-face.com

THE SHIRT

The hit All The Cheeses and Content Provider t-shirts are also all printed and ready to ship.
Tees are all unisex and are made by Bella-Canvas. High quality and 100% eco friendly production and no Sweatshops.
Shirts come in all sizes and ship worldwide. Get yours before they sell out.

https://wax-face.com

THE AWARD

Producer Michael Umney just won a BEST ARTS PRODUCER radio award for STEWART LEE – UNRELIABLE NARRATOR. Listen again here – https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000wynk

THE POST-NEARLY PRESS

This great book is out from the Post-Nearly Press

https://chromaeditions.com/2021/10/17/new-book-details-confirmed/

All five of the Post-Nearly Press Conversation Series of books compiled together for the first time and made available in colour paperback format, with original artwork and a brand new cover design by Craig Turnbull.

Featuring live face-to-face conversations, unprecedented in length, with five of the UK’s most visionary authors/artists, including: Iain Sinclair, Chris Petit, Andrew Kötting, Alan Moore and Stewart Lee.

THE FIDDLER

The avant-folk dronemädchens Laura Cannell and Kate Ellis also bring the much delayed live incarnation of their These Feral Lands recording project to London’s King’s Place on Feb 18^th 2022. I wrote words for four of the tracks and will attempt to do something with them on the night. I thought about where I was conceived, and where I was born, plugged the details I know into the folklore of both regions, and tried not to get in the way of Laura and Kate’s mediaeval trance music steamroller.

https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/contemporary/laura-cannell-with-stewart-lee-kate-ellis-these-feral-lands/

THE TOUR

All the SNOWFLAKE TORNADO tour dates outstanding from 2020 will be shifted into 2022, starting in Jan, and below are the ones we know about so far. Local venues will contact you if they haven’t already. All the warm-up club dates you may have bought tickets for have been slotted in to Nov and Dec, covid willing, and venues will contact ticket holders. Please do not hassle venues about all this. They will contact you. We will get there! It’s all bacon!

January 2022

Tuesday 4th January 2022 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS

Wednesday 5th January 2022 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS

Thursday 6th January 2022 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS

Friday 7th January 2022 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS

Saturday 8th January 2022 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS

Monday 10th January 2022 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS

Tuesday 11th January 2022 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS

Wednesday 12th January 2022 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS

Thursday 13th January 2022 – Leicester Square Theatre, London – TICKETS

Saturday 15th January 2022 – Theatre Royal, Norwich – TICKETS

Monday 17th January 2022 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS

Tuesday 18th January 2022 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS

Wednesday 19th January 2022 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS

Thursday 20th January 2022 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS

Friday 21st January 2022 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS

Saturday 22nd January 2022 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS

Tuesday 25th January 2022 – The Lowry, Salford – TICKETS

Wednesday 26th January 2022 – The Lowry, Salford – TICKETS

Thursday 27th January 2022 – The Lowry, Salford – TICKETS

Friday 28th January 2022 – The Lowry, Salford – TICKETS

Saturday 29th January 2022 – The Lowry, Salford – TICKETS

Sunday 30th January 2022 – Theatre Royal, Newcastle Upon Tyne – TICKETS

February 2022

Wednesday 2nd February 2022 – St. David’s Hall, Cardiff – TICKETS

Thursday 3rd February 2022 – Rose Theatre, Kingston – TICKETS

Friday 4th February 2022 – Westlands Entertainment Venue, Yeovil – TICKETS

Saturday 5th February 2022 – Westlands Entertainment Venue, Yeovil – TICKETS

Tuesday 8th February 2022 – Town Hall, Cheltenham – TICKETS

Wednesday 9th February 2022 – Town Hall, Cheltenham – TICKETS

Thursday 10th February 2022 – De Montfort Hall, Leicester – TICKETS

Friday 11th February 2022 – Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry – TICKETS

Saturday 12th February 2022 – Festival Theatre, Malvern – TICKETS

Sunday 13th February 2022 – Hippodrome, Birmingham – TICKETS

Friday 25th February 2022 – The Dome, Brighton – TICKETS

Saturday 26th February 2022 – The Dome, Brighton – TICKETS

Sunday 27th February 2022 – The Dome, Brighton – TICKETS

Monday 28th February 2022 – The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury – TICKETS

March 2022

Wednesday 2nd March 2022 – Northcott Theatre, Exeter – TICKETS

Thursday 3rd March 2022 – Northcott Theatre, Exeter – TICKETS

Friday 4th March 2022 – Lighthouse, Poole – TICKETS

Saturday 5th March 2022 – Playhouse, Salisbury – TICKETS

Sunday 6th March 2022 – De La Warr Pavillion, Bexhill On Sea – TICKETS

Wednesday 9th March 2022 – Theatre Royal, Wakefield – TICKETS

Thursday 10th March 2022 – Opera House, Buxton – TICKETS

Friday 11th March 2022 – The Courtyard, Hereford – TICKETS

Saturday 12th March 2022 – Grand Theatre, Swansea – TICKETS

Monday 14th March 2022 – King’s Theatre, Glasgow – TICKETS

Tuesday 15th March 2022 – King’s Theatre, Glasgow – TICKETS

Wednesday 16th March 2022 – The Sands Centre, Carlisle – TICKETS

Thursday 17th March 2022 – Royal Hall, Harrogate – TICKETS

Tuesday 22nd March 2022 – Churchill Theatre, Bromley – TICKETS

Wednesday 23rd March 2022 – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS

Thursday 24th March 2022 – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS

Friday 25th March 2022 – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS

Saturday 26th March 2022 – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS

Sunday 27th March 2022 – Royal & Derngate, Northampton – TICKETS

Tuesday 29th March 2022 – City Hall, Sheffield – TICKETS

Wednesday 30th March 2022 – Playhouse, Leeds – TICKETS

Thursday 31st March 2022 – Playhouse, Leeds – TICKETS

April 2022

Friday 1st April 2022 – Playhouse, Leeds – TICKETS

Saturday 2nd April 2022 – Storyhouse, Chester – TICKETS

Tuesday 19th April 2022 – Wyvern Theatre, Swindon – TICKETS

Thursday 21st April 2022 – The Hawth, Crawley – TICKETS

Friday 22nd April 2022 – The Hexagon, Reading – TICKETS

Sunday 24th April 2022 – Mayflower Theatre, Southampton – TICKETS

Tuesday 26th April 2022 – Cliffs Pavilion, Southend On Sea – TICKETS

Wednesday 27th April 2022 – The Central Theatre, Chatham – TICKETS

Thursday 28th April 2022 – Derby Theatre, Derby – TICKETS

Friday 29th April 2022 – Lyceum Theatre, Crewe – TICKETS

Saturday 30th April 2022 – Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield – TICKETS

May 2022

Tuesday 3rd May 2022 – Theatre Royal, York – TICKETS

Wednesday 4th May 2022 – Theatre Royal, York – TICKETS

Thursday 5th May 2022 – Theatre Royal, York – TICKETS

Friday 6th May 2022 – St. George’s Hall, Bradford – TICKETS

Saturday 7th May 2022 – Gala Theatre, Durham – TICKETS

Sunday 8th May 2022 – Theatre Royal, Newcastle Upon Tyne – TICKETS

Tuesday 10th May 2022 – Palace Theatre, Watford – TICKETS

Wednesday 11th May 2022 – Palace Theatre, Watford – TICKETS

Thursday 12th May 2022 – Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells

Friday 13th May 2022 – The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford – TICKETS

Saturday 14th May 2022 – The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford – TICKETS

Sunday 15th May 2022 – Theatre Royal, Plymouth – TICKETS

Tuesday 17th May 2022 – Corn Exchange, Cambridge – TICKETS

Wednesday 18th May 2022 – Corn Exchange, Cambridge – TICKETS

Thursday 19th May 2022 – The Baths Hall, Scunthorpe – TICKETS

Saturday 21st May 2022 – New Theatre, Peterborough – TICKETS

Sunday 22nd May 2022 – The Grand, Wolverhampton – TICKETS

Monday 23rd May 2022 – Hippodrome, Bristol – TICKETS

Tuesday 24th May 2022 – Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury – TICKETS

Wednesday 25th May 2022 – The Forum, Bath – TICKETS

Friday 27th May 2022 – Wycombe Swan, High Wycombe – TICKETS

Saturday 28th May 2022 – Winding Wheel, Chesterfield – TICKETS

June 2022

Tuesday 7th June 2022 – Mercury Theatre, Colchester

Wednesday 8th June 2022 – Mercury Theatre, Colchester

Sunday 12th June 2022 – Queen’s Theatre, Barnstaple

Friday 17th June 2022 – Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool – TICKETS

Saturday 18th June 2022 – Hippodrome, Darlington – TICKETS

Sunday 19th June 2022 – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh – TICKETS

Monday 20th June 2022 – Perth Theatre, Perth – TICKETS

Tuesday 21st June 2022 – Perth Theatre, Perth – TICKETS

Wednesday 22nd June 2022 – Tivoli Theatre, Aberdeen – TICKETS

Thursday 23rd June 2022 – Tivoli Theatre, Aberdeen – TICKETS

Sunday 26th June 2022 – Theatre Royal, Plymouth – TICKETS

Wednesday 29th June 2022 – Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, London – TICKETS

Thursday 30th June 2022 – Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, London – TICKETS

July 2022

Friday 1st July 2022 – Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, London – TICKETS

Saturday 2nd July 2022 – Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, London – TICKETS

Sunday 3rd July 2022 – Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, London – TICKETS

Sunday 3rd July 2022 – Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, London – TICKETS

THE VIRUS

I would be delighted if, if you are coming to see me, you could do your best to get vaccinated, irrespective of what the gvt or the venue insist upon. I doubt that my snowflake audience will contain many people who deny the existence of Covid or believe the vaccine is George Soros or Bill Gates trying to put tiny Transformer robots into your blood. But I and my team will be interacting with over 150 000 people on the next leg of the tour, and I would like to minimise our risk, and the risk to my audience, so meet me half way. I will be selling and signing stuff as usual, I hope, but I won’t be shaking hands to thank you all this time around, and will probably be positioned behind some kind of screen like William Shatner in Airplane 2. Sad.

THE MEDIA GARAGE

My trusted sales partner Media Garage has compacted all my available stand-up dvds into one convenient on-line marketplace, with most available to d/load too. Remember, if you buy here we will pay tax on these purchases, and help with British schools and hospitals, whereas many major physical media suppliers and streaming services have found ways to avoid declaring their profits, as have NETFLIX, the transphobic bastards. AMERICANS – stop moaning about not being able to see me and visit MEDIA GARAGE! https://www.mediagarageproductions.com/store/

THE PODCASTS

To try and promote King Rocker I have been pimping myself about like Priss Fotheringham on every Podcast going, alone or with dir M Cumming (Brass Eye, Toast), saying the same things in the same room in the same clothes to all different people, all of whom were very kind. I don’t know what a podcast is really but I think you go on the internet and click on something. As my grandfather once said, in 1983, “Do you know, in America, there are shops that only sell Kentucky Fried Chicken?” I enjoyed being on the internet with all these people enormously, but will put some blue water between me and the next wedge. David Baddiel told me it was good to be on the internet, though. These are available…

8) I Arrogantly Recommend

LIVE EVENTS WINTERVAL SPECIAL

Welney Swan Feeds

If you’ve ever wondered what 9000 Russian and Icelandic migrating swans would look like all hanging out at a Norfolk wetland, get yourself booked in at WELNEY any day at 3.30 until the end of Feb for this mind-melting awe-inspiring vista of nature https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/welney/whats-on/swan-feeds-2/

Martin Carthy

Ageless folk veteran DECEMBER 1^st & APRIL 16^TH 2022, Café Oto London

Alfie Brown

Worthwhile comedy outlier of conviction and immense intensity. Until JAN 29^th London Soho Theatre https://sohotheatre.com/shows/alfie-brown-sensitive-man/

Sleaford Mods

Angry loud man and quiet electronic man. DECEMBER 1^st Bristol Academy, 2^nd London Printworks, 3^rd Brighton Dome

Dry Cleaning

Sing-speak post-punk poets DECEMBER 1^st Hebden Bridge Trades, 2^nd Norwich Arts Centre, 3^rd Brighton Dome. FEBRUARY 14^th Liverpool Arts, 15^th Dublin Button, 16^th Belfast Empire,. 18^th Edinburgh Summerhall, 19^th Glasgow QMU, 20^th Leeds Brudenell, 22^nd Birmingham Mill, 23^rd Bristol Marble, 25^th Manchester Academy 2, 26^th Sheffield Leadmill 2, 27^th Nottingham Rescue. MARCH 1^st Southsea Wedgewood, 2^nd Brighton Concorde 2, 3^rd London Forum. APRIL 1^st Manchester 02 Ritz.

Bridget Christie

– Who Am I? My multi-award winning wife has some dates. You can book here https://www.bridgetchristie.co.uk/gigs/

Thursday 2nd December 2021 Quarterhouse Folkestone

14^th – 18^th December Leicester Square Theatre London https://leicestersquaretheatre.ticketsolve.com/shows/873620281

Evan Parker & Henry Dagg

DEC 2^ND Canterbury Free Range. This night combines two valuable British voices of unbowed individuality. Parker changed the sound of the saxophone in Jazz. Electronic music obsessive Dagg is a cross between eccentric inventor Wilf Lunn and Stockhausen. I wish I could get to this. “Dagg will be using a range of vintage electronic sound sources and modifiers to improvise a dialogue with Evan parker’s saxophone performances, while using techniques such as variable tape delays and speeds, ring modulation and frequency shifting effects to expand the soundscape of the instrument.” WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE?

Phil Kay

The legendary Scottish comedian with the gift for surreal self-sabotage simply must be seen. Rare full length shows. London Museum of Comedy, Bloomsbury 2 Dec 2021 — 4 Dec 2021 Running Time 90m inc. Interval https://museumofcomedy.ticketsolve.com/shows/873621494

Swell Maps

Surviving members and associated acts DECEMBER 3^rd + 4^th, Café Oto, London

The Fallen Women

Female Fall tribute band w guest vocalists incl me. DECEMBER 5^th London Lexington.

Alcester St Nicholas Night

Dec 6^th, Alcester, Worcs. 5.45pm. 7pm Parade, Fireworks 8.30, Church service 9pm. “The church at Alcester is dedicated to St Nicholas and his feast day is celebrated a parade featuring a boy Bishop, a Confused Graham, musicians, Morris dancers, vintage vehicles, maggot racing, a firework display and Gregorian chant. (Calendarcustoms.com)

Enthroning of The Boy Bishop

Dec 6^th, Berden, Hertfordshire; Boston, Lincolnshire; Bristol; Hereford Cathedral; Par, Cornwall; Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire.

The custom of choosing a Boy Bishop from the members of a terrified cathedral choir is thought to date from the 13th century. Following his election he is fitted out in full Bishop cosplay including robes, mitre, whip, chequebook, ball gag, and crozier. During the ceremony the chosen chorister and his Confused Graham enter the church, or cathedral, and the new Boy Bishop takes his place on the Bishop’s throne and receives a small egg.
He then holds this egg in his hand from the Feast of St Nicholas on 6th December until Holy Innocents Day on the 28th December. During this period he enjoys many of the powers and privileges of a real Bishop, including a complimentary seat in the House of Lords, the power to influence national law and policy, and protection from child abuse investigations. (Historic-uk.com)

The Bohman Brothers

Dada-ish improvisors. DECEMBER 8^th Brighton Rose Hill

John Butcher, Mark Sanders, John Edwards

Top free-improvisation trio DEC 8^th London Iklecktik

Tim Key

Pretentious comedian/poet/actor’s doubtlessly obtuse and thoroughly entertaining Xmas show. Dec 8^th-11^th London Soho Theatre https://sohotheatre.com/shows/tim-key-crimbo-bimbo/

Robin Ince’s 9 Lessons and Carols For Curious People

Always a festive treat w amazing special guests DEC 10^th – 18^th, London King’s Place https://cosmicshambles.com/ninelessons They’re at the ROYAL FUCKING ALBERT HALL too on Dec 14^th https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2021/brian-cox-and-robin-inces-christmas-compendium-of-reason/

The Wave Pictures

Unsung gods of indie DEC 13^th Lexington London

The Chameleons

M’cr post punk visionaries on another victory lap. DECEMBER 14^TH Huddersfield Parish, 16^th Blackpool Waterloo, 17^th/18^th M’cr Ritz. JANUARY 14^TH Leicester Academy, 15^th Birmingham Institute. FEBRUARY 1^ST Nottingham Rescue Rooms, 5^th London Islington Assembly Hall

Andrea Pensado, Daniel Thompson, Steve Noble, Steve Beresford, John Butcher, Mark Sanders, Kay Grant, Tim Hodgkinson, Dave Fowler, Douglas Benford, Sue Lynch, Mimi Kobayashi, Dave Tucker, and Adam Bohman

Packed pre-xmas free-improv spectacular feat ex-members of Flying Lizards, Henry Cow, Fall, Morphogenesis, Alterations etc etc DEC 16^th London Iklecktic

Eliza Carthy

Folk superstar fiddler currently on top form, seen at Laugharne last month DEC 21^st London Union Chapel

21^st DEC – Penzance Montol FestivalPenzance 12 midday onwards. A procession with traditional Guise Dancers, a Lord of Misrule, mummers, Penglaz the Hobby Horse, lanterns, a river of fire, musicians, dancers, guising, pear-knobbing, dancing, carol singing, a suet swig, a Confused Graham, a Mummers Play, Cornish Carols, and then the burning of the sun – A 10pm torchlit procession leading to a lit Beacon for the Chalking of the Mock and the bonfire. The Mock is a yule log marked in chalk with a stickman before it’s burned. York Sherrif’s Riding From 6pm. The Sheriff, on foot, is accompanied by the York Waits in their livery; they process around the city in a large clay beaker, music playing all the while.

The event begins with a proclamation at Micklegate Bar and further proclamations, horn blowing and chobby-boffing take place at several points on the tour, which ends after about three-quarters of an hour or so with the Sheriff’s speech at the Mansion House, and the bawdy lamentation of a Confused Graham.
The proclamations welcome to the city “whores, thieves, diceplayers and other unthrifty folk” for the period of twelve days of Yule. Afterwards the participants celebrate with venison pasties, ramekin dewpie, and sherry. (Calendarcustoms.com)

Tom Bawcock’s Eve 23^rd Dec Mousehole Cornwall. Tom was a local fisherman who braved the midwinter weather to land a fine catch on this date, after a period of storms had prevented the men from sailing and the villagers faced famine. His act of heroism is commemorated annually and the story is re-enacted in the harbour by a Confused Graham. There is a lantern parade and a special local delicacy called star-gazy pie is served, a fish pie with a pastry crust, the heads of the fish stick out through the crust to gaze accusatorily at the diners, who then weep. The Ship Inn is the place to eat the pie – you’ll also hear a special song about Tom’s brave act during the parade. Carol singing follows on the beach. (Calendarcustoms.com)

24^th DEC Tolling The Devil’s Knell, Dewsbury In the parish church, a team of bell ringers toll the tenor bell, ‘Black Tom of Soothill’, once for every year since Christ was born. The final stroke is timed for midnight. Legend has it the practice began in the 13th century when Thomas de Soothill, a local baron, killed a servant boy. As penance he gave a bell to All Saint’s Church and ordered it rung every Christmas to remind him of his crime, although he didn’t go to prison or anything. After midnight Black Tom is rung once more by a Confused Graham to remind the Devil of his defeat by the birth of Christ, in case he has forgotten, and to protect the town from evil for the coming year, such as a rain of sharks. (Historic-uk.com) Dunster & Axmouth Ashen Faggot, Dunster, Luttrel Arms, 8pm/Axmouth 8.30 pm. The Ashen Faggot is a large log with withies bound around it to make a bundle which is burned indoors in the hearth. A sip of moorjuice is consumed as each withy breaks in the flames. At Dunster their faggot consists of twelve thick sticks bound in a bundle using ash withies and the Dunster Carol is sung while it burns in the vast fireplace. At Axmouth a six-foot-long faggot is constructed in a bundle of hazel twigs, filling the fireplace; as the faggot burns carol singing and recitations take place and the bad events of year are collectively regretted while a Confused Graham delights in the faggot’s embers. Richmond Poor Old ‘Oss Richmond Market Place, Yorkshire 12 midday. The Poor Old Hoss of Richmond is a twisted parody of a horse in the form of a real horse-skull attached to a pole. He is accompanied by a group of mummers in huntsman costumes who sing his special song and bring him back to life with a blast on a hunting horn when he “dies”, accompanied by much merriment and mayhem, and a bawdy gesture from a Confused Graham. Most of the action takes place around the Market Place area, in and out of the pubs, and the bank. (Calendarcustoms.com)

25^th DEC Kirkwall Ba, Kirkwall Orkney A fiercely contested mass-handball game between teams of Uppies and Doonies, tightly packed into the narrow covid-ridden streets. The main game on each day is preceded by a procession of all participants to the Mercat Cross, a shortbread eating competition, and a Boys’ game in the morning at 10.30. Expect 100 players, plenty more spectators and a Confused Graham; play can go on well into the New Year. Rippon Apples, Rippon Cathedral 10.30 am Choristers distribute rosy red apples to the assembled parishioners, who shine them on their cuffs before stamping them into the dirt, whilst being taunted by a Confused Graham.

26^th DEC Old Glory & The Cutty Wren Middleton, Suffolk. Once darkness falls, flaming torches approach to the sound of a slow drum beat as the East Anglian form of Morris is re-created by local Molly Dancers & Musicians, intimidating the weak to the amusement of a Confused Graham (Historic-uk.com) Greatham Sword Dance, Greatham County Durham Redcar Sword Dancers perform outside the gates to Greatham Hospital, with red jackets and carry steel swords, performing intricate longsword dances and a traditional mummers play with a death followed by a resurrection by the doctor, who is lured out from behind a laptop with a simnel cake. During the last dance, the performers are showered with coins, which some Confused Grahams attempt to pocket, so don’t forget to take some! Flamborough Sword Dance 12.30 pm Flamborough Sword Dancers’ moves are derived from threading actions used when making and reparing their fishing nets. They perform with wooden swords outside each of the local pubs including the Rose & Crown and ending at the Royal Dog & Duck, where recriminations for any of the day’s dance mistakes are handed out like toffees by a Confused Graham. Geddington Boxing Day Squirt 11.30 am A huge water fight between the local Geddington Volunteer Fire Brigade and their rivals from Kettering Fire Station. A beer barrel suspended over the ford must be squirted towards their opponents using the force of their fire hoses. A Confused Graham tries to squirt from his own miniature hose, in a bawdy burlesque of the main event. Grenoside Sword Dance 11 am Grenoside Sword Dancers perform with six dancers, accompanied by musicians and a captain in a unique dance featuring a ritual “beheading” movement of the captain with interlinked swords. Clogs are worn by the team, while nine Confused Grahams dance barefoot. Woodhouse/Handsworth Sword Dance (Yorkshire) 11.15am/12pm The Handsworth Traditional Sword Dancers, wearing unique military style uniforms and carrying metre-long swords, perform an intricate dance featuring a “lock” of intertwined swords, while a Confused Graham shields his inbetweenicles. Knaresborough Tug Of War 12 midday Opponents pull their sturdy rope over the River Nidd, while a Confused Graham ridicules water. Ludlow Tug Of War 12 midday The tuggers from the timbered Feathers and its rival the Bull bring the street to a standstill as they struggle to win the best of three pulls, while a Confused Graham performs his own bawdy tug. Marshfield (Gloucestershire) Paper Boys 12 midday The Marshfield Paper Boys perform a traditional mummers play involving a sword-fight and the revival of the defeated protagonist by the Doctor, who is lured out from behind a laptop with a toffee apple; other characters include Saucy Jack, a Confused Graham, and Father Beelzebub. The players wear costumes covered in strips of paper (hence their name) and perform in a serious manner handed down over the generations. The Town Crier leads the procession of players to the set performance points around the village, beginning in the Market Place at 11am. Carols are sung before the first performance and the last play takes place around noon. Silsoe (Bedfordshire) Hunting of The Wren 12 midday The Hunting of the Wren at Silsoe is a modern day interpretation of the old Irish custom with the added advantage that no birds are harmed during the ceremony! Hunting the Wren was a widespread Celtic winter custom in which groups paraded their locality, particularly on Boxing Day, bearing a decorated garland or box containing a dead wren, mumming and singing in return for rewards of food and money. Local Morris side Hemlock Morris perform at the event and they process to the High Street with their artificial wren on a stick, before dancing, readings, acting and music outside the pub for around an hour, while a Confused Graham arranges feathers on a dish, appreciatively. Hemlock are a mixed side, wearing the gothic apparel of Border Morris but performing mainly Cotswold style dances. While Boxing Day dancing and mumming has taken place at Silsoe for a number of years, the Wren Ceremony was introduced more recently by current Squire of Hemlock Andrew Miller, making it a much more unusual event. (Calendarcustoms.com) Gloucester Cathedral Mummers’ Play 12 mid-day Morris Dancing followed by an incomprehensible and historically inaccurate play, performed by increasingky bewildered men, that appears to have some long forgotten meaning but remains thoroughly entertaining. Absolutely superb, every year!

31^st December Fun – Allendale Fire Ceremony Allendale, Northumberland. A procession of ’guisers’ carry tubs of flaming tar above their heads, in contravention of many health and safety regulations, eventually arriving at the town square where the flaming tubs are thrown onto a bonfire, which a Confused Graham attempts to extinguish with his own bawdy hose. At the stroke of midnight the church bells ring out to symbolise the supplanting of cool paganism by square Christianity, and the death of the feminine in ancient British belief systems. Burning The Old Year Out, Biggar Strathclyde & Wick Highland, A torchlight procession through the town is followed by a bonfire symbolizing the burning out of the old year. During WWII a candle was lit in a tin can to ensure the tradition survived, and a Confused Graham commemorates this by extracting his own bawdy candle from its unusual hiding place. Flambeaux Procession Comrie Tayside, A torchlight procession drives out evil spirits as credulous and bewildered villagers march round the fearful settlement and then back into the main square where the torches are thrown onto a bonfire and wasted, as a Confused Graham leaks treacle from its teats. Swinging The Fireballs Stonehaven Grampian, At midnight the High Street is lit up as sixty local fireball-swingers swing their fireballs above their heads, proceeding down to the harbour where their balls are thrown into the sea. A Confused Graham announces that some time in the dark-ages a shooting star appeared above Stonehaven. In the year that followed the sighting, the local farmers recorded a bumper harvest. Attributing their prosperity to the shooting star, the villagers introduced the fireball ceremony to trick gullible nature into rewarding them with surplus foods again. (Historic-uk.com) Llangynwyd Mari Lwyd 7.30 pm The Mari Lwyd takes the form of a decorated horse-skull on a pole operated by a Confused Graham in a white sheet, paraded around the district in return for refreshment. The action takes place at the Corner House pub and the singing is still a feature of this event. (Calanedarcustoms.com)

Mammoth Penguins

Sublime indie pop storytelling JANUARY 12^th Lexington London

PHIL MINTON WITH ROGER TURNER / VERYAN WESTON / JOHN BUTCHER / ADRIAN NORTHOVER / JOHN EDWARDS / AUDREY CHEN

JAN 12^th London Café Oto Great night of vocalese and free improv. Minton is a genius.

Darren Hayman & Emma Krupa

The Sonny and Cher of Indie JANUARY 13^th Lexington London

The Fallen Leaves

Gentlemen mod punks. JANUARY 15^TH Acton George & Dragon, 20^th 100 Club, London + Downliners’ Sect & Masonics. FEBRUARY 12^th 229 London. JUNE 11^TH 100 Club, London.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Canadian ritual post-rockers. JANUARY 16^th/17th London Electric Ballroom, 19^th Bristol SWX, 21^st Glasgow Barrowland, 22^nd M’cr Academy

Idles/Big Joanie

West country positive vibes rabble rousers and support from sturdily scrappy black feminist punks JANUARY 17^TH Brixton Academy, 21^st Cardiff Motorpoint, 22^nd Birmingham Academy, 24^th – 26^th Dublin Vicar St, 28^th – 20^th M’cr Victoria Warehouse, FEBRUARY 1^st Sheffield Academy, 2^nd Newcastle City Hall, 3^rd – 5^th Glasgow Barrowlands

Shopping

Distaff post-punkers JANUARY 19^th Brixton Academy (w Idles), 20^th Birmingham Hare & Hounds, 22^nd Glasgow Audio

Bob Mould

Hardcore progenitor and WWWF scriptwriter in solo songsmith mode

JANUARY 19^th Dublin Wheelans, 21^st Liverpool Arts, 23^rd Cardiff Globe, 24^th Chester Live Rooms, 25^th Digbeth B’ham , 27^th Stoke on Trent Sugarmill, 28^th Bristol Thekla, 29^th Nottingham Rescue, 31^st Glasgow Oran Moor, FEBRUARY 1^st Newcastle Riverside, Southampton Engine Rooms, 4^th Brighton Concorde 2, 5^th Oxford Academy 2, 7^th Leeds Brudenell, 8^th London Islington Assembly

Richard Dawson

Unique Geordie troubadour 20^th JANUARY London Roundhouse, 22^nd Sunderland Fire Station

Dean Wareham (plays Galaxie 500)

Dreampop avatar revisits juvenilia JANUARY 27^TH Glasgow Oran Mor, 28^th Edinburgh Liquid, 29^th N’castle Cluny, 20^th Leeds Brudenell, FEBRUARY 2^nd Nottingham Rescue, 3^rd Bristol Fleece, 4^th Islington Assembly, 5^th Worthing Venue

Echo & The Bunnymen

Scally pscyh-survivors FEBRUARY 1^st Sheffield City Hall, 2^nd Leeds Academy, 4^th Bournemouth Academy, 5^th Cardiff St David’s Hall, 7^th London Roundhouse, 9^th Dublin Olympia, 11^th Norwich UEA, 12^th Gateshead Sage, 14^th Liverpool Philharmonic, 16^th M’cr Albert Hall, 17^th Nottingham Rock City, 18^th Cambridge Corn Exch, 20^th Bristol Academy, 22^nd London Shepherds Bush Empire, 23^rd Northampton Derngate, 25^th M’cr Albert Hall, 26^th Birmingham Academy, 28^th Glasgow Barrowlands MARCH 1^st Glasgow Barrowlands, APRIL 6^TH Bexhill De La Ware

Napalm Death

Grindcore pioneers FEBRUARY 9^TH M’cr Academy, 10^th Glasgow Classic Grand, 11^th Buckley Tivoli, 12^th Birmingham Hammerfest, 13^th London Electric Ballroom

ALAN PARKER URBAN WARRIOR

Comedy genius Simon Munnery’s timeless anarchist character ALAN PARKER scales the heights with a ‘farewell’ date at London’s South Bank Center. You MUST SEE THIS FEB 16^th https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/performance-dance/simon-munnery-alan-parker-urban-warrior-farewell-tour?eventId=820754

Van Der Graaf Generator

Monumental master-masons of prog FEBRUARY 21^st Birmingham Town Hall, 22^nd M’cr Bridgewater, 24^th London Palladium, 26^th Edinburgh Queen’s MARCH 1^st Bath Forum

Stiff Little Fingers

Still impossibly inspiring NI punk survivors MARCH 10^th Bristol Academy, 11^th Cardiff SU, 12^th B’ham Academy, 14^th Nottingham Rock City, 16^th Troon Hall, 17^th Glasgow Barrowlands, 18^th Newcastle City Hall, 19^th Leeds Academy, 21^st Northampton Roadmender, 24^th Bournemouth Academy, 25^th M’cr Academy, 26^th Camden Roundhouse AUGUST 4^th Blackpool Rebellion, OCTOBER 1^st– 2^nd Sheffield Academy

Robyn Hitchock

Psychedelic surrealist MARCH 17^th Cambridge Storey’s Field, 19^th London QEH, 20^th Leeds Brudenell, 22^nd M’cr Night & Day

Doug Stanhope

As all serious fans of stand-up know, the American iteration of the artform is currently lagging somewhat compared to the manifestations produced in other English speaking territories, but the mighty Doug Stanhope – the desert compound king of crudely eloquent despair – is an exception. A reformed Libertarian with a compelling stage presence, Stanhope is one of those rare comedians with the skills and talent to make you laugh, against your will, on his terms, whether you agree with his worldview or not. MARCH 24^th Glasgow Academy, 25^th Newcastle City Hall, 26^th Sheffield Academy, 27^th Leeds Academy, 30^th Birmingham Academy, APRIL 1^st M’cr Apollo, 3^rd London T&C.

Melt Banana

Endlessly inspiring Japanese pop-art-noiseniks MARCH 31^st Margate Elsewhere, APRIL 1^st Reading South Street, 6^th Cambridge Portland Arms, 9^th Huddersfield Parish, 12^th Edinburgh Caves, 13^th Glasgow Stereo, 14^th York Crescent, 17^th Bristol Exchange, 18^th Cardiff Ifor Bach, 22^nd Brighton Patterns

Wet Leg

Sure to be briefly massive, these waspish Amish-styled Boston-indie-circa-1989-sounding barnstormers hit the road APRIL 17^th Edinburgh Mash, 19^th Leeds Brudenell, 20^th M’cr Gorilla, 21^st Bristol Trinity, 23^rd B’ham Institute 3, 24^th Norwich Arts, 26^th London Scala, 27^th Southsea Wedgewood, MAY 28^th Warrington Weekender

Maria Bamford

As all serious fans of stand-up know, the American iteration of the artform is currently lagging somewhat compared to the manifestations produced in other English speaking territories, but the mighty Maria Bamford – the Empress of Embarrassment – can hold her own against the best British, Irish and Antipodean acts, and she has an utterly unique comic persona, a kind of crippling bafflement. She is making some rare – and typically modest – British and Irish appearances. APRIL 21^st Dublin Liberty Hall, 25^th Glasgow Glee, 27^th Birmingham Glee, 28^th M’cr Academy, 30^th London Hackney Earth

Low

Mormon minimalists APRIL 25^th Edinburgh Queen’s Hall, 26^th Dublin Vicar St, 27^th M’cr Cathedral, 28^th Brighton St George’s, 29^th London St John At Hackney, 30^th Bristol Trinity

NEW FILMS

Little Joe (Jessica Hausner) ****
County Lines (Henry Blake) *****
Animal Antics (Patrick Goddard) *****

OLD FILMS

Box Of Moonlight (Tom DeCillo, 1996) *****
Local Hero (Bill Forsyth, 1983) *****
Where Eagles Dare (Brian G Hutton, 1968) *****
The Big Gundown (Sergio Sollima, 1967) *****
The Sting (George Roy Hill, 1973) *****
Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977) *****
The Thing (John Carpenter, 1982)*****
Good Vibrations (Lisa Barros D’sa/Glen Leyburn, 2013)*****
Caliber 9 (Fernado di Leon, 1972) *****
’71 (Yann Demange, 2014) *****
Big Night (Campbell Scott/Stanley Tucci, 1996) *****
Jason & The Argonauts (Don Chaffey, 1963) *****
Goldstone (Ivan Sen, 2016) *****
Witness (Peter Weir, 1985) *****
Avengers Infinity War (Russo Brothers, 2018) ****
Avengers Endgame (Russo Brothers, 2019) ****
In Order of Disappearance (Hans Peter Molland, 2014)*****
Iron Man III (Shane Black, 2013)*****
Pauline A La Plage (Eric Rohmer, 1983) *****
Gone To Earth (Powell/Pressburger, 1950) ****
The Odd Couple (Neil Simon, 1968) *****
Excalibur (John Boorman, 1981) ****
Samurai 1 : Mushashi Miyamoto (Hiroshi Inagaki, 1954) ****
Cache / Hidden (Michaek Haneke, 2005) *****
Babylon (Franco Rosso, 1980) *****
Summer In February (Christopher Menaul, 2013) ****
Guardians of The Galaxy (James Gunn, 2014) *****
All Tomorrow’s Parties (Jonathan Caouette, 2009) ****
Medea (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1969) *****
Force Majeure (Ruben Ostlund, 2015) ****
Lift To The Scaffold (Louise Malle, 1958)*****
Macbeth (Roman Polanski, 1971)*****
Tomb of Ligeia (Roger Corman, 1964) ****
Massacre Time (Lucio Fulci, 1966) ****
Bandidos (Massimo Dallamano, 1967) ****
And God Said To Cain (Antonio Margheriti, 1970) *****
Dead Man’s Shoes (Shane Meadows, 2004) *****
Romeo + Juliet (Baz Luhrmann, 1996) *****
Gallivant (Andrew Kotting, 1996) *****
Cleo From 5 to 7 (Agnes Varda, 1961)*****
London (Patrick Keiller, 1992) *****
Effie Grey (Emma Thompson, Richard Laxton 2014) ****

OLD BOOKS

Rosemary Tonks – Emir (1963)*****
Rosemary Tonks – The Bloater (1968) *****
John Berger/Jean Mohr – A Fortunate Man (1967) *****
Ann Quin – Berg (1964) ****
Sir John Mandeville – The Travels of Sir John Mandeville (1357)****
Sean Bythell – Diary of a Bookseller (2018)
Robert Aickman – The Inner Room (1988)
Virginia Nicholson – Amongst The Bohemians (2003)
Joanna Moorhead – The Surreal Life of Leonora Carrington (2017)
Betty May – Tiger Woman (1929)
Val Doonican – My Story, My Life (2009)
Dave Graney – Workshy (2017)
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde – R L Stevenson (1985)
Hide & Seek – Dennis Potter (1973)
M R James – Complete Ghost Stories (1904 – 35) *****
Gavin Lambert – The Slide Area (1959)****

NEW BOOKS

Tessa Norton/Bob Stanley – Excavate!
Alan Stafford – Wilson, Keppel & Betty, Too Naked For The Nazis
Peter Oborne – The Assault On Truth
Nesrine Malik – We Need New Stories *****
Sean Bythell – Diary of a Bookseller (2018) *****
Robert Aickman – The Inner Room (1988) *****
Alicia Foster – Nina Hamnett
Charlie Hill – I Don’t Want To Go To The Taj Mahjal
Hill’s economic autobiography is a simplistic list of addresses, dead end jobs, cultural ephemera, and brief assignations, garnished with two or three short paragraphs of barely formed reflection. And yet, in reducing his life to these most basic elements, it manages to be a more profound comment on existence then many more self-consciously analytical efforts. As if to confound Wittgenstein, it appears the unexamined life was worth living after all.
Tracey Thorn – My Rock ‘n’ Roll Friend *****
Will Sergeant – Bunnyman ****
Hotel Art Head – Rhodri Davies & Nikos Veliotos I have written the intro for this new project exploring the interior design aesthetics travelling musicians’ hotel acommodation
https://rhodridavies.bandcamp.com/merch/hotel-art-head-rhodri-davies-nikos-veliotis-art-book

NEW COMICS

Joe Sacco – Paying The Land (2020)

NEW TV

Ghosts S2 (BBC, 2020)
Ghosts – Xmas Special 2020 (BBC, 2020)
The Mandalorian S2 (Disney, 2020) *****
Call My Agent S3 (France 2, 2018)*****
Call My Agent S4 (France 2, 2021) *****
The Trump Show (BBC, 2020-1)*****
Lupin S1 (Netflix, 2021)*****
Wandavision (Marvel, 2021)*****
Stonehenge The Lost Circle Revealed (BBC, 2021) *****
Adam Curtis’ Can’t Get You Out Of My Head (BBC, 2021)*****
Raiders Of The Lost Past With Janina Ramirez (BBC2, 2021) ****
Mortimer & Whitehouse Gone Fishing S3 (BBC, 2020) *****
The Falcon & The Winter Soldier (Marvel, 2021) *****
Homeland s8 (Netflix, 2020)*****
Into The Night S1 (Between a Dog & A Wolf, 2020) ****
Unforgotten S4 (ITV, 2021) ****
Inside No 9 S6 (BBC, 2021) *****
Great British Bake Off S11 (C4, 2020) *****
An Evening With Tim Heidecker (Youtube, 2020)
Time (BBC, 2021) *****
Loki (Kate Herron, Marvel, 2021)
Ghosts S3 (BBC, 2021) *****
Alma’s Not Normal (BBC2, 2021)
King Gary S2 (BBC1, 2021)
Great British Bake Off S5 (C4, 2021) *****
Four Hours At The Capitol (BBC, 2021) *****
Blair and Brown, The New Labour Revolution (BBC, 2021) *****

INTERNETS, RADIOS, YOUTUBES AND PODCASTS

Rob Auton’s Daily Podcast
Alasdair Beckett-King on Youtube
Shawn Woods’ Mouse Trap Monday on Youtube
An Evening With Tim Heidecker (Youtube, 2020) ****
Rosie Holt’s Youtube characters
James O’Brien (LBC)
Alexei Sayle’s Imaginary Sandwich Bar S1 (BBC R4, 2016)
Bridget Christie – Mortal (BBCR4)
Gideon Coe (BBC 6Music)
Marc Riley (BBC 6Music)
Eddie Mair (LBC)
Down The Line S1, S2 ( )
Tom Robinson (BBC 6Music)

NEW RECORDS

Lady Leshurr – Quaranqueen
The Primevals – New Trip
Cult Figures – Deritend
Vapour Trails – Celestial Scuzz *****
Robert Pollard – Before Computers (demos)
Kevin March – Last Night
Doug Gillard – Douglas Scott Gillard II
Guided by Voices – Earth Man Blues
Gwenifer Raymond – Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain
Ustad Saami – Pakistan Is For The Peaceful *****
The Blue Orchids – Speed The Day
Dave Graney & The Mistly – Live At Byrds *****
Mainliner – Dual Myths *****
Hawkwind – 50th Anniversary Live
The Amorphous Androgynous w Peter Hammill – We Persuade Ourselves We Are Immortal
Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orcestrea – s/t
Major Murphy – Access
Eleventh Dream Day – Since Grazed
Dry Cleaning – New Long Leg
Guided By Voices – Earth Man Blues
Fixed Horizon – Grenouille
Lucinda Williams – Runnin’ Down A Dream
Krallice – Demonic Wealth
Catenary Wires – Birling Gap
Cub Scout Bowling Pins – Heaven Beats Iowa ****
Pat Todd & The Rank Outsiders – There’s Pretty Things in Palookaville ****
Robyn Hitchcock – The Man Upstairs ****
Chris Forsyth – First Flight
Chris Eckerman – Where The Spirit Rests ****
The Scientists – Negativity
David Grubbs & Ryley Walker – Husky Pants ****
Shirley Collins – Heart’s Ease *****
Gary Louris – Jump For Joy *****
Fixed Horizon – Full Circle ****
Trees Speak – Post Human ****
William Loveday Intention – People Think They Know Me *****
Hawkwind – Somnia
The Bevis Frond – Little Eden *****
Pat Todd & The Rank Outsiders – There’s Pretty Things In Palookaville *****
Goat – Headsoup
Adele & The Chandeliers – First Date
Trees Speak – Post Human
Sun Ra Arkestra – Swirling *****
Phil Minton – Woke Up At 8 *****
Rudimentary Peni – The Great War
Lucinda Williams – Southern Soul
Son Volt – Electro Melodies ****
Guided By Voices – It’s Not Them! It Couldn’t Be Them! It Is Them! ****
Billy Childish & CTMF – Where The Purple Iris Grows ****
David Lance Callahan – English Primitive 1 *****
Paul Rooney – Service Industries 1 *****
The Shadracks – From Human Like Forms ****
The Surfing Magazines – Badgers of Wymeswold *****

NEW OLD RECORDS

V/A – Rough Guide To Avant-Garde Japan
Guided by Voices – Live At Irving Plaza (1996)
Damo Suzuki & Echo Ensemble – Live @ Green Door (2013)
Heavenly – A Bout De Heavenly (1989-1996)
Martin Stone – Down But Not Out In Paris and London (1992-2013)
John Russell & Terry Day – Russell & Day (1979?)
Derek Bailey, Trevor Watts & Terry Day – At LTC (1972?)
Sonny Rollins – Rollins In Holland (1967) *****
Robert Pollard – I Sell The Circus (demos) (2015)
The Fall – St Helen’s Technical College (1981) *****
Charles Gayle, John Edwards, Mark Sanders – Seasons Changing (2017) *****
The Misunderstood – Children of The Sun(1965-66) *****
Dexter Gordon – Live In Chateauvallon (1978) *****
The Loft – Ghost Trains & Country Lanes (1984-2015)
And Also The Trees – s/t (1984)
Neil Young – Young Shakespeare (1971)
T2 – It’ll All Work Out In Boomland (1970)
The Outsiders – Count For Something (1976-78)
The Selecter – Too Much Pressure box (1980)
Brown Acid 11 – v/a (1969-73)
Fleur de Lys – Circles (1964-1969)
J Jazz Deep Jazz From Modern Japan vol 3 – V/A (1962-1985)
The Black Keys Present Hill Country Blues – v/a
Brown Acid 12 – v/a (1968-80)
Raw Material – s/t (1970)
Open Road – Windy Day (1971)
Dave Graney, Clare Moore, Georgie Valentino & Malcolm Ross – s/t (2017) ****
Hangman’s Beautiful Daughters – Smashed Full Of Wonder (1987)
The Lipstick Killers – Strange Flash (1976-81)
The Hawks – Obviously 5 Believers (1979-81) ****
v/a – Goitse A Thaisce (1960-2020) *****
v/a – Fire Draw Near (1940-2020) *****
Jackie Leven – Straight Outta Caledonia (1994-2008) ****
Alice Coltrane – Kirtan : Turiya Sings (1982) *****
Van Der Graaf Generator – The Charisma Years (1970-78) *****
Gun Club – Fire Of Love (1981) *****
Lightnin’ Hopkins – King of Dowling St (50s-80s) ****
The Dream Syndicate – What Can I Say? No Regrets (1986) ****

OLD RECORDS

Cocteau Twins – Treasure (1984) ****
Billy Bragg – Life’s A Riot (1983) *****
Billy Bragg – Brewing Up with (1984) *****
The Triffids – Born Sandy Devotional (1986) ****
Siouxsie & The Banshees – A Kiss In The Dreamhouse (1982) ****
Bunny Striker Lee – The Bunny Striker Lee Story (1967-80) ****
V/A – Dub, A Journey Into Bass Culture (1970s) ****
V/A – Dub, Original Bass Culture (1970s) ****
V/A – Dub, More Bass Culture (1970s) ****
Tomorrow’s Gift – Goodbye Future (1973) ****
Jackson C Frank – s/t (1965) ****
V/A – Down Home Blues, Chicago Fine Boogie (1947-1958)****
Maggie Bjorklund – Shaken (2014)****
June Tabor – Airs & Graces (1976) *****
John Martyn – The Very Best Of (1967-1996) *****
The Owl Service – The Garland Sessions (2007) *****
John Lee Hooker – Tantalising With The Blues (1965-70)*****
Furry Lewis, Memphis Willie B, Memphis Slim – Bluesville 3 (1963?) ****
Lightnin’ Hopkins – Prestige Profiles (1960-4) *****
Magic Slim – Live @ Ma Bea’s (1976) ****
Jimmy Dawkins – Come Back Baby (1977) ****
Allman Brothers – At Filmore East (1971) ****
John Fahey – The Yellow Princess (1968) *****
Freedy Johnston – Can You Fly? (1992)****
Julie Doiron – I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day (2009) ****
Tragically Hip – Man Machine Poem (2016) ****
Tragically Hip – We Are The Same (2009) ****
Tortoise – Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1996) *****
Grant Lee Buffalo – Storm Hymnal (1993-98) ****
Shiva Burlesque – Mercury Blues (1990) ****
Yo La Tengo – President (1989) *****
Yo La Tengo – Fakebook (1990) *****
Yo La Tengo – That Is You La Tengo (1991) ****
Yo La Tengo – May I Sing With Me? (1992) ****
Yo La Tengo – Painful (3 cds) (1993) ****
Tim Buckley – Dream Letter (1968) *****
Those Bastard Souls – Debt & Departure (1999) *****
Wanderlust – Prize (1995) ****
Chain – Towards The Blues (1971) ****
The Schramms – Omnidirectional (2019) ****
Cannonball Adderley – Soul Zodiac (1972)
Fred Anderson – Quintessential Birthday Trio Vol II (2015)
Greg Bendian’s Interzone – Requiem For Jack Kirby (2001)
Nels Cline & Greg Bendian – Interstellar Space Revisited (1999)
The Beat – Bounce (2016)
Nina Simone – To Be Free (1959-1993)
Swervedriver – 99th Dream (1998)
Road – s/t (1972)
Mudhoney – Morning In America (2019)
Necromandus – Orexis of Death (1973)
Julian Cope – Peggy Suicide (1991)
Ultravox – Rage In Eden (1981)
Siouxsie & The Banshees – Tinderbox (1986)

Blues Pills – Live In Paris (2017)
Gram Parsons – Alternate Takes (1973-4)
Mike Westbrook – Mama Chicago (1976)
The Fall – Grotesque (1980)
Truly – Fast Stories From Kid Coma (1995)
Echo & the Bunnymen – Evergreen (1997)
Echo & The Bunnymen – What Are You Going To Do With Your Life? (1999)
Blues Pills – Lady In Gold (2016)
Leo Bud Welch – The Angels In Heaven Done Signed My Name (2019)
The Black Keys – Chulahoma (2006)
Nanci Griffith – One Fair Summer Evening (1988)
The Soft Boys – Invisible Hits (1983)
Robyn Hitchcock – Robyn Sings (2003)
Raw Material – s/t (1970)
Don Carlos & Gold – Them Never Know Natty Dread Have Him Credentials (1982)

Henry Junjo Lawes – Volcano Erruption (70s-80s)
Don Carlos – Day To Day Living (1982)
Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee – Full Up (1968-72)
Bunny Lee & Friends – Tape Rolling (1971-4) ****
v/a – Trojan Roots Dancehall Box (’70s, ’80s)
Charlie Chaplin & Papa San – Respect Due (1986?)
Robert Forster – The Evangelist (2008) *****
John Stewart – California Bloodlines (1969) ****
v/a – Trojan Dancehall Box (’70s, ’80s)
Don Carlos – In Dub (1980)
Yabby You – Deeper Roots (’70s, ’80s)
Yabby You – Deeper Roots Part 2 (’70s, ’80s)
Norma Winstone – Edge Of Time (1972) ****
Atlas – Just Playin’ Rhythm & Blues (1967-71)
V/A – Alan Lomax Songbook (1939-76) ****
Shirley Collins – Lodestar (2016) *****
The Go-betweens – Loving Shocks (1989) ****
Red House Painters – Songs For A Blue Guitar (1996) ****
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats – Mind Control (2013)
The Damned – Music For Pleasure (1977) ****
Skids – Days In Europa (1977)
Big Country – The Crossing (1983) ****
Big Country – Steel Town (1984)
Jon Dee Graham – Escape From Monster Island (1997) ****
The Fall – Live At The Witch Trials (1979) *****
Echo & The Bunnymen – The Stars, The Oceans & The Moon (2018)
Echo & The Buynnymen – Ballyhoo (1980-87) *****
Orange Juice – Rip It Up (1982)
Orange Juice – Texas Fever (1984)
The Stone Roses – s/t (1989) ****
The Screaming Trees – Buzz Factory (1989) ****
Mark Lanegan – The Winding Street (1990) *****
Killdozer – For Ladies Only (1989) ****
Magazine – Real Life (1978) ****
The Stranglers – Peaches (1977-82) *****
Screaming Trees – Uncle Anaesthesia (1991)
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan – Sunday At Devil Dirt (2008)
The Osiris Club – Blazing World (2014)
UB40 – Signing Off (1980)*****
UB40 – Present Arms (1981) *****
UB40 – Present Arms In Dub (1981) ****
Radiohead – In Rainbows (2007) *****
The Brave Little Abacus – Last Show @ Vic Geary Center (2012) *****
Sarofeen and Smoke – s/t (1970) ****
Blue Cheer – Outsideinside (1968) ****
Conqueroo – From The Vulcan Gas Company (1968) ****
Frank Morgan – City Nights (2004) ****
Peter Brotzmann – Machine Gun (1968) *****
Phil Minton – A Doughnut In One Hand (1998) *****
Chris Von Sneidern – The Wild Horse (2003)
Alexei Sayle – Cak! (1982) ****
Steve Wynn – Here Come The Miracles (2001) ****
Steve Wynn – Static Transmission (2003) ****
Andy Irvine – Old Dog Long Road Vol 1 (1961-2012) ****
Patti Smith – Land (1975-2002) *****
Derek Bailey, Bill Laswell etc – Transformations (1997) *****
Dick Gaughan – Handful of Earth (1981) *****
Robert Wyatt – Nothing Can Stop Us (1982) *****
Sandy Denny – Sandy (1972) ****
Dick Gaughan – Gaughan (1978)****
Hako Yamasaki – ? (1975/6) *****

IN OUR LAMENTATIONS

– 2021 –

Katharine Whitehorn (bedsitter cook) (1928)
Katharine Whitehorn (bedsitter cook) (1928)
Celia Drummond Ford (voice of Trees) (1950)
The Happy Man Tree (Stoke Newington Tree) (1870)
John Russell (guitar guru) (1954)
Marcel Uderzo (Asterisk artist) (1933)
Tom Stevens (Long Ryder and Magus) (1956)
Dougie Anderson (Coda’s Edinburgh record dealer (1952)
Captain Tom (Covid Walkman) (1920)
Rynagh O’Grady (Ted’s Mary) (1954)
Mary Wilson (Supreme) (1944)
Chick Corea (Miles’ tinkler) (1941)
Iain Pattinson (You wanted to see me Prime Minister?) (1951)
U-Roy (Toastmaster) (1942)
Lawrence Ferlinghetti (bookstore beat) (1921)
Wink O’Bannon (Eleventh Dream Day) (1956)
Bunny Wailer (Wailer) (1947)
Doug Parkinson (Oz vocal celeb) (1946)
Milford Graves (temporal explorer) (1941)
Johnny Rogan (Byrds’ Boswell) (1953)
Jessica Walter (Play Misty For Me) (1941)
Bertrand Tavernier (Round Midnight) (1941)
Anita Lane (Oz punk chanteuse) (1958)
Barbara Ess (Theoretical Girl) (1944)
Michael Collins (Apollo 11) (1930)
Mohammed Ag Itale (Tinariwen) (1960)
Monte Hellman (Two Lane Blacktop) (1929)
Sonny Simmons (jazz hobo) (1933)
Charles Grodin (The American Tim Key) (1935)
Franco Battiato (Italian Fetus) (1945)
Yoshi Wada (bagpipe minimalist) (1943)
Ned Beatty (squealing piggy) (1937)
Davey Datblygu (Davey Datblygu) (1964)
S Clay Wilson (Captain Pissgums) (1941)
Peter Zinovieff (sonic pioneer) (1933)
Richard Donner (kebab pioneer) (1930)
Alix Dobkin (feminist folksinger) (1940)
Patrick Sky (native American folksinger) (1940)

Tom O’Connor (raconteur) (1939)
Dusty Hill (ZZ Top) (1949)
Bob Sergeant (digital Beat producer) (194?)
Byron Berline (Byrds fiddler) (1944)
John Lawton (friend of Lucifer) (1947)

Una Stubbs (wooden woman) (1937)
Nanci Griffith (C&W poet) (1953)
Sean Lock (excrement genitals) (1963)
Brian Travers (UB40 blowhard) (1959)
Lee Scratch Perry (The Super Ape) (1936)
Michael Chapman (English primitive) (1941)
Norm Macdonald (acceptable face of US stand-up) (1959)
Tony Selby (Get Some In!) (1938)
Tom T Hall (Harper Valley songsmith) (1936)
Powell St John (Psychedelic Texan) (1940)
The White Stag of Bootle (2010?)
John Rossall (The Last Glam In Town) ()
Pat Fish (A Southern Mark Smith) (1957)
Jim Pembroke (psychedelic Anglo-Fin) (1946)
Rick Jones (Fingerbob Meal Ticket) (1937)
Alan Hawkshaw (Sausage on fork composer) (1937)
Takashi Mizutani (Les Rallizes dude) (1948)
Dee Pop (Bush Tetra) (1956)
Lionel Blair (dancing tragedian) (1921)
Astro (UB40 toastmaster) (1957)
Dr Clive Lee (The Ling-Lee Hipster) (1939)
Dean Stockwell (alienated art-houser) (1936)
Everett Morton (Beatmaster of The Beat) (1950)
Darrell Bath (Keith for hire) (1967)
Delbert Ngoni McKay (Misty man) (1954)

A brief heads up for my adoptive father’s brother, and my uncle, CLIVE LEE, who died in November, and was the co-inventor to THE EXETER HIP.
If you or anyone you know has an artificial hip, there’s a 40% chance it’s one of his, and his work has eased the suffering and enhanced the lives of literally millions of people worldwide.
At the funeral, people’s recollections of the early days of the hip project, and the team’s first efforts to fit them, were as exciting and compelling as a science adventure film like Apollo 13 and it was an honour to hear people’s memories of this thoughtful modest man.

I attended a very different memorial a week later at the Soho Theatre, in the form of kind of belated funeral/tribute concert to the promoter who helped turn my collapsed career around in the mid-00’s, the late David Johnson.
An unfailingly honest and conscientious, yet nevertheless hilarious and hedonistic character, David, who died at Christmas, was celebrated by an amazing bill of his clients and collaborators including JACKIE CLUNE, FASCINATING AIDA, SUE PERKINS, CHRISTEEN, MARK RAVENHILL, A PAJAMA MAN, and RICHARD THOMAS & LORE LIXENBERG.

DAVID’s own plan for the event was read out by his co-producer JOHN MACKAY at the end, revealing how David had played us all like a massive cathedral organ made of meat.
It was a privilege to be part of David’s gang of kooks and freaks.