This month’s newsletter starts with lots of politics. The new chancellor’s handling of the financial crisis grabbed all the new budget headlines, but within it were also drastic removals of wildlife and environment protections, in the name of ‘growth’, and also a return to promoting fossil fuels. The following campaigns aim to combat this so please get involved.

1. RSPB

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds have broken with their apolitical stance to STOP THE ATTACK ON NATURE. They say “We are angry. The UK Government has launched an unprecedented attack on nature.
They are threatening to tear up the laws that protect our best wildlife sites, weakening protections for nature in the planning system and may be about to scrap vital proposals that would help farmers help nature. We will not stand by and let this happen.
The RSPB has its roots in campaigning. Our founding mothers, the brave women who started the RSPB over a hundred and thirty years ago, never fought shy of making their voices heard. Because they cared deeply about birds and wildlife. And this is what nature needs right now.

It needs us to once again stand up and show we care. In our millions, up and down the country. And we need your help, right now. The first thing we need to do is make it abundantly clear to our MPs that people want to see nature protected. As they sit in their party conferences, we want them to clearly understand that nature is not a negotiable luxury. We want them to feel the strength of feeling. That nature matters, that it underpins our lives, our economy and our wellbeing. We want YOU to contact your MP today. There’s a specially designed letter that you can send to your MP here, that gives more detail.

But feel free to use your own words. Making these things personal and heartfelt is always best.
Now more than ever, nature needs us.” Go to the website here to help.

2. National Trust

A Far Right organisation called Restore Trust is trying to gerrymander its own candidates onto the board of the National Trust.
One of last year’s preferred candidates was the ‘reverend’ Stephen Green, who closed down Jerry Springer The Opera in the noughties, and is an anti-vaxer who supports the death penalty for homosexuality.
As well as being anti-woke, Restore Trust’s links to the current government mean their people can’t be trusted to manage the land safely.
If you’re not an NT member and can afford to join visit nationaltrust.org.uk and join before Oct 28th in order to vote for the Trust’s preferred candidates in the elections in the AGM in November.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/annual-general-meeting

3. MP Watch

MPWATCH has grown out of High Wycombe’s STEVE BAKER WATCH and aims to monitor serving MP’s links to climate change denial groups. They say “Our MPs claim to work for us, but on the most urgent issue of our times – the climate crisis – they are sitting on their hands. There are policies to address the emergency but they are not being implemented. We need to galvanise them to work on our behalf — as they’re supposed to.

Particularly concerning, is the small group of nineteen MPs – the Net Zero Scrutiny Group – who are actively opposing the climate agenda. These people have links to the Tufton Street think tanks who in turn have been linked to big oil. They are both influential and secretive: a mixture that is toxic for our democracy.
MPWATCH is a grassroots network of constituents, voters, locals, neighbours and friends banding together to wake up our MPs, in particular to the urgent need for action on the climate crisis and to ask they serve the future rather than their careers. THE plan is simple. We want to influence our MPs – people paid to serve us –  to stop denying the science and commit to our legally binding obligations on Net Zero.

If our MPs will not listen and represent our concerns, then we will work to replace them with someone who will. In other words: change your attitude or change your job. This issue is too urgent now to kick down the road; Experts say we are at five past midnight. There will be some losses and trauma ahead because of delays but there is much that can be saved if we act now.” Get involved at ww.mpwatch.org

4. Stonehenge Alliance

Stonehenge is under threat as usual. Stonehenge Alliance say, “ National Highways has commented on UNESCO’s  Advisory Mission’s report following their visit in April.
The Mission advised that a less damaging scheme, such as a southern bypass, should be sought and indicated that, at the very least, any tunnel should be extended to the western WHS boundary. National Highways insists that its current scheme would bring benefits to the WHS and that a longer tunnel would not be worth the expense.

Last week, the new Transport Secretary invited Interested Parties to respond to National Highway’s comments by 28 September. Despite this tight deadline we hope you will be able to send a comment.
The Stonehenge Alliance will send a response to the Secretary of State and share it in due course.  If you wish to respond we have listed some points you might like to make with links here. stonehengealliance.org.uk
As you will have heard in the Chancellor’s Statement, the pressure for road building is high and included the A303 Stonehenge scheme.  Planning for growth should not be at the expenses of a World Heritage Site. Your continued support has been vital and hugely appreciated.
With best wishes, The Stonehenge Alliance”

5. MCSHANE – LEE – THE BALLAD OF TAM LIN

I will be questioning Ian McShane about his role in the newly re-released forgotten folk-horror classic The Ballad Of Tam Lin (Roddy McDowall, 1970) after a screening at the Rio Cinema in Dalston, London on Halloween at 8pm. Tickets here.

6.RARE 47 MINUTE EDIT OF THE SNOWFLAKE GERVAIS BIT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phWBodOgWRs

7. TV SNOWFLAKE/TORNADO

Snowflake and Tornado will both be on the BBC iplayer after Tornado is finally screened on Thursday Sept 29th at 11.15pm on BBC2.

8.BASIC LEE

The new stand-up show, BASIC LEE, started to come together in Edinburgh.
The London Autumn 2022 dates are on sale w national 2023. More dates to follow

LEICESTER SQUARE THEATRE

Tues – Sat from Sept 20th to Dec 17th 2022

(EXCEPT Oct 18th – 29th and Nov 11^th)
7pm (4pm performance Saturday 12^th November

TICKETS FOR LEICESTER SQUARE RUN, HERE.

After a decade of ground-breaking high concept shows involving overarched interlinked narratives, massive sets and enormous comedy props, Lee enters the post-pandemic era in streamlined solo stand-up mode. One man, one microphone, and one microphone in the wings in case the one on stage breaks. Pure. Simple. Classic. Basic Lee. “The world’s greatest living stand-up comedian.” The Times

The show will the tour until Spring 2024.
These are the currently confirmed dates. More will be added to the gigs page as they are confirmed.

January 2023

Saturday 21st January 2023 – Festival Theatre, Chichester – TICKETS
Monday 23rd January 2023 – Royal & Derngate, Northampton – TICKETS
Tuesday 24th January 2023 – St. David’s Hall, Cardiff – TICKETS
Wednesday 25th January 2023 – St. David’s Hall, Cardiff – TICKETS
Thursday 26th January 2023 – Symphony Hall, Birmingham – TICKETS
Friday 27th January 2023 – Symphony Hall, Birmingham – TICKETS
Monday 30th January 2023 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Tuesday 31st January 2023 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS

February 2023

Wednesday 1st February 2023 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Thursday 2nd February 2023 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Friday 3rd February 2023 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Saturday 4th February 2023 – Playhouse, Oxford – TICKETS
Monday 6th February 2023 – Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham – TICKETS
Tuesday 7th February 2023 – Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham – TICKETS
Wednesday 8th February 2023 – Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham – TICKETS
Thursday 9th February 2023 – DeMontfort Hall, Leicester – TICKETS
Friday 10th February 2023 – DeMontfort Hall, Leicester – TICKETS
Saturday 11th February 2023 – Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool – TICKETS
Sunday 12th February 2023 – Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton – TICKETS
Wednesday 22nd February 2023 – Belgrade Theatre, Coventry – TICKETS
Thursday 23rd February 2023 – Belgrade Theatre, Coventry – TICKETS
Friday 24th February 2023 – Wycombe Swan, High Wycombe – TICKETS
Saturday 25th February 2023 – Palace Theatre, Southend On Sea – TICKETS
Sunday 26th February 2023 – Palace Theatre, Southend On Sea – TICKETS

March 2023

Wednesday 1st March 2023 – Northcott Theatre, Exeter – TICKETS
Thursday 2nd March 2023 – Northcott Theatre, Exeter – TICKETS
Friday 3rd March 2023 – Theatre Royal, Plymouth – TICKETS
Saturday 4th March 2023 – Theatre Royal, Plymouth – TICKETS
Wednesday 8th March 2023 – Milton Keynes Theatre, Milton Keynes – TICKETS
Thursday 9th March 2023 – Milton Keynes Theatre, Milton Keynes – TICKETS
Friday 10th March 2023 – Opera House, Buxton – TICKETS
Saturday 11th March 2023 – Opera House, Buxton – TICKETS
Monday 27th March 2023 – The Lowry, Salford Quays – TICKETS
Tuesday 28th March 2023 – The Lowry, Salford Quays – TICKETS
Wednesday 29th March 2023 – The Lowry, Salford Quays – TICKETS
Thursday 30th March 2023 – The Lowry, Salford Quays – TICKETS
Friday 31st March 2023 – The Lowry, Salford Quays – TICKETS

April 2023

Saturday 1st April 2023 – The Lowry, Salford Quays – TICKETS
Thursday 13th April 2023 – Theatre Royal, Newcastle Upon Tyne – TICKETS
Friday 14th April 2023 – Theatre Royal, Newcastle Upon Tyne – TICKETS
Saturday 15th April 2023 – Theatre Royal, Newcastle Upon Tyne – TICKETS
Tuesday 18th April 2023 – Forum Theatre, Malvern – TICKETS
Wednesday 19th April 2023 – Forum Theatre, Malvern – TICKETS
Thursday 20th April 2023 – Westlands, Yeovil – TICKETS
Wednesday 26th April 2023 – Brighton Dome, Brighton – TICKETS
Thursday 27th April 2023 – Brighton Dome, Brighton – TICKETS
Friday 28th April 2023 – Brighton Dome, Brighton – TICKETS
Saturday 29th April 2023 – Brighton Dome, Brighton – TICKETS
Sunday 30th April 2023 – Brighton Dome, Brighton – TICKETS

May 2023

Tuesday 2nd May 2023 – Mercury Theatre, Colchester – TICKETS
Wednesday 3rd May 2023 – Mercury Theatre, Colchester – TICKETS
Thursday 4th May 2023 – Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford – TICKETS
Friday 5th May 2023 – Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford – TICKETS
Saturday 6th May 2023 – Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford – TICKETS
Friday 26th May 2023 – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS
Saturday 27th May 2023 – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS
Saturday 27th May 2023 – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS
Sunday 28th May 2023 – Playhouse, Nottingham – TICKETS

9. I ARROGANTLY RECOMMEND SOME 2022 HAPPENINGS/THINGS

DAVID LANCE CALLAHAN – The Wolfhounds frontman has taken a side-step into a hallucinatory acoustic state that uses American primitive fingerpicking styles to paint a portrait of Britain in turmoil.
OCT 1st Lewes Con Club,
12th Glasgow Hug and Pint,
20th London Grace,
28th Bristol Crofters,
29th Tenterden Ellen Terry Theatre

HARRY HILL Big collared loon, and one of thee great live comics, makes a rare excursion beyond his badger-filled bathroom.

SEPTEMBER
20^th-24^th London Wilton’s,
28^th Maidstone Hazlitt,
28^th-29^th Maidenhead Norden Farm,
30^th Norwich Playhouse,

OCTOBER 1st –Eastleigh The Point (Preview),
2nd – Oxford Playhouse (Preview),
3rd – Bristol Redgrave Theatre (Preview),
5th – Camberley Theatre (Preview),
6th – Guildford G Live,
7th – Bexhill De La Warr Pavilion,
8th – Dudley Town Hall,
9th – Edinburgh Festival Theatre,
10th – Aberdeen Tivoli,
12th – Dunfermline Alhambra,
13th – Glasgow Pavilion,
14th – Newcastle Tyne Theatre,
15th – Blackpool Grand Theatre,
16th – Nottingham Theatre Royal,
19th – Buxton Opera House,
20th – Leeds City Varieties,
21st – Leicester De Montfort Hall,
22nd – Tunbridge Wells Assembly Theatre, 23rd – Salford The Lowry,
26th – Wolverhampton Grand,
27th – Lincoln Engine Shed,
28th – Crewe Lyceum,
29th – Stockton Globe,
30th – Milton Keynes Theatre,

NOVEMBER
2nd – York Grand Opera House,
3rd – Wakefield Theatre Royal,
4th – Canterbury Marlowe,
5th – Ipswich Regent Theatre,
6th – Birmingham Alexandra,
9th – Port Talbot Princess Royal Theatre,
10th – Cardiff New Theatre,
11th – Torquay Princess,
12th – Portsmouth King’s Theatre,
13th – Eastbourne Devonshire Park Theatre,
15th – Cheltenham Everyman Theatre,
16th – Chatham Central Theatre,
17th – Cheltenham Everyman Theatre,
18th – Northampton Derngate,
19th – Southend Cliffs Pavilion,
20th – Surrey Richmond Theatre,
24th – Dorking Halls,
25th – Tunbridge Wells Assembly Theatre,
26th – Shepherd’s Bush O2 Empire,
27th – Brighton Theatre Royal,

JANUARY 2023
23rd – Liverpool Philharmonic,
24th – Guildford GLive,
25th – Bournemouth Pavilion,
27th – Cork Opera House,
28th – Belfast Waterfront,
29th – Dublin Vicar Street

The Medway Music Festival returns to The Royal Function Rooms in Rochester on Friday 7th and Saturday 8th October 2022
Wild Billy Childish & CTMF return to The Royal Function Rooms in Rochester on Friday 7th October 2022 with support from The Shadracks. This will be CTMF’s first show in Rochester since The last Medway Music Festival in October 2019 and THE SENIOR SERVICE (featuring Graham Day) are playing on the Saturday night along with The Chesterfields, Queen Phosphene, Upcdownc, The Pastel Waves and more!

CTMF / SHADRACKS tickets here.
CHESTERFIELDS / SENIOR SERVICE tickets here.

BLUE ORCHIDS Half a dozen dates from M’cr’s bad acid post-punks.
OCTOBER 8th Stourbridge Claptrap, 20th Exeter Cavern, 21st Bristol Thunderbolt, 22nd London Hope n Anchor, 23rd Brighton Prince Albert

THURSTON MOORE – American guitar guru Powerhaus, Dingwalls, Camden, London Fri Oct 7th

ACID MOTHERS’ TEMPLE Japanese acid all-fathers
OCTOBER 9^th Birmingham Norton’s, 10^th York Crescent, 11^th Glasgow Hug & Pint, 12^th Newcastle Star and Shadow, 13^th Salford White Hotel, 16^th Preston Continental, 19^th Bristol Lanes, 20^th Brighton Komedia, 21^st London Studio 9294

DINOSAUR JR A post-hardcore Crazy Horse OCTOBER 10^th Dublin Vicar St, 11^th Glasgow QMU, 13^th Hull Asylum, 14^th M’cr 02 Ritz, 16^th London Forum

PAVEMENT Pension plan payouts for the Gen X Fall-copyists. OCTOBER 17^th Leeds Academy, 18^th Glasgow Barrowlands, 19^th Edinburgh Usher, 20^th M’cr Apollo, 22^nd – 25^th London Roundhouse

COME ‘90s blues-wracked slow-core survivors COME play one British date at London’s Café Oto on OCTOBER 17th.

DREAM SYNDICATE Blue collar paisley underground psychedelic explorers in imperial career phase. OCTOBER 18^TH London Lafayette

HOWE GELB The Giant Sand frontman appears to have one strange show in Bangor, County Down, NI at The Court House on Oct 24th, w Irish alt country type Mark McCausland

YEAH YEAH NOH 2 dates from Leicester’s C86 era psychedelic satirists OCTOBER 26^th Leciester Y, 29^th London Oslo

THE DAMNED An authentic line-up celebrate their survival. OCTOBER 28^TH-29^TH London Apollo, NOVEMBER 3^rd M’cr Apollo, 4^th Glasgow Academy, 5^th Birmingham Academy

FOSSIL FOOLS Original and best XTC tribute band OCTOBER 29^th London Water Rats

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM Black metal eco-terrorists from the Pacific Northwest NOVEMBER 5^th M’cr Damnation, 6^th London Heaven

THE NIGHTINGALES W TERRY EDWARDS Post-punk KING ROCKER types w top trumpet geezer NOVEMBER 12^TH London Dome, 13^th B’ham Castle & Falcon

THE BEVIS FROND One off from Hendrix fronts Hawkwind combo NOVEMBER 13^th London Lexington

AND ALSO THE TREES Big In Europe literary-styled goth veterans from ‘80s Birmingham play one date in their homeland at London’s Lexington on Nov 19th

COWBOY JUNKIES Somnambulant Americana shoegazers NOVEMBER 20^th Edinburgh Assembly, 27^th London RFH

STEREOLAB Krautrockin’ cocktail-drinkers hit the autobahns once more NOVEMBER 24^th Brighton Concord, 26^th Leeds Stylus, 27^th M’cr New Century Hall, 28^th Edinburgh Liquid Room, 29^th Glasgow TV Studio, DECEMBER 2^nd-3^rd London Earth

ELIZA CARTHY English folk godhead back in active service NOV 28TH Birmingham Glee, 30th Cardiff Glee. DEC 5th Cambridge Junction

THE CHAMELEONS Most convincing line-up for years of the always emotionally edifying Big Music should-have-beens. DECEMBER 7^th Coventry HMV Empire, 8^th Liverpool Cavern, 9^th Leeds Brudenell, 10^th Stoke On Trent Sugarmill, 11^th Gloucester Guildhall, 12^th Oxford 02, 13^th B’ham 02, 14^th Cottingham Civic Hall, 16^th Huddersfield Parish, 17^th M’cr Academy, 18^th Blackpool Waterloo

5.IN OUR COVID ERA LAMENTATIONS 2022

Sydney Poitier – woke actor (1927)
Magwa – woke Cambodian landmine hunting rat (2013)
Burke Shelley – bass Budgie (1950)
Ronnie Spector – woke Ronette (1943)
Rachel Nagy – Detroit Cobra (1975)
Robin Le Mesurier – Womble (1954)
Andy Ross – Disco Zombie/nice man of Britpop (1956)
Barry Cryer – King Of Comedy (1935)
Norma Waterson – Mighty Folk Matriarch (1939)
John Nolan – man Behind The Magnolia Curtain (1966)
Betty Davis – She Might Get Picked Up! (1944)
Ivan Reitman – He was not afraid of no ghost! (1946)
Mark Lanegan – Screaming Tree rehabilitee (1964)
Bruce Anderson – MX-80 man (1950)
Anna Karen – ‘70s public transport icon (1936)
Sam Lay – Howlin’ Wolf/Paul Butterfield/Dylan drums (1935)
Mikey Chung – Reggae session regular (1950)
Fred Van Hove – Belgian free-jazz stringbender (1937)
Ian McDonald – Crimson saxophonist King (1949)
Gary Brooker – Synesthesiac Hackney musician (1945)
Nicky Tesco – Suburban soundman/comedy fan (1956)
Dallas Good – Sadies guitar slinger (1974)
Philip Jeck – Art Noiseman (1952)
Margaret Curtis – Callanish visionary (1942)
Jordan – punk fashionista (1955)
David McKee – Then the shopkeeper appeared (1935)
Chris Bailey – Lordly protopunk, wit, raconteur (1957)
Gilbert Gottfried – That ‘Too Soon’ guy (1955)
Audrey Henshall – Scottish Neolithic expert (1927)
Eric Chappell – Rising Damp (1933)
Klaus Schultze – Tangerine Joker (1947)
Neal Adams – Woke progressive comics creator (1941)
Judy Henske – Greenwich psych-folkstress (1936)
George Perez – Best Avengers artist ever (1954)
Don Craine – deerstalking Downliner (1945)
Richard Polodor – acid rock engineer (1936)
Gavin Martin – music rag wit (1962)
Fred Ward – Worm Warrior (1942)
Vangelis – Apocalypso-Maestro (1943)
Bob Neuwirth – Gelb/Dylan adjacent beatnik (1939)
Cathal Coughlan – Microdisney Man (1960)
Rick Price – Move bassist (1944)
Ric Parnell – Tap/Rooster drummer & gardener
Alan White – Ono drums (1949)
Ray Liotta – has let himself go (1954)
Ronnie Hawkins – Canadian rock wellspring (1935)
Harrison Birtwistle – When Things Fall Over (1934)
Grachan Moncur – Jazz trombonius (1937)
Ray Hill – anti-Nazi mole (1939)
Paula Rego – pastel radical (1935)
Julee Cruise – Peak voice (1956)
Bruce Kent – God’s peacenik (1929)
Jean-Louis Trintignant – mute spaghetti hero (1930)
James Caan – Rollerballbearing and Elf-father (1940)
Barbara Thompson – saxophonist whose time I wasted (1944)
Chris Broderick – singing loin
George Kinney – Golden Dawn (1946)
Alan Grant – Bat-Scot (1949)
Bernard Cribbins – Who Hole (1928)
David Warner – Your ominous Montreal compatriot (1941)
Nichelle Nicholls – interracial kisser (1932)
Raymond Briggs – hilarious genius of the tragi-comic (1934)
Drummie Zeb – Aswad Vox-pulse (1959)
Nicholas Monro – The great lost pop artist (1936)
Mark Astronaut – resilient Hitchin micro-punk (1954)
Vittorio De Scalzi – New Troll (1949)
Philip Drucker – Savage Republican (1959)
Van Christian – Naked Prey’s desert rock pioneer (1960)
Anton Fier – Feelie Palomino (1956)
Hilary Mantel – Wolf of the Hall (1952)
Pharoah Sanders – cosmic jazzman (1940)