ugh, rolled in around 6 this morning after a terrifying drive through the suffolk and essex countryside in thick fog, desperately searching for a petrol station and feverishly flitting between squinting at the pea soup covered open road and the final bar on my petrol gauge.

it's been a week of insomnia induced delirium; I managed almost 3 days on the trot with little more than what Eddy Temple Morris described as a disco nap. Caught the plane to Ibiza at 4am Wednesday morning after barely any sleep the previous night, why there were so many holiday makers at Stansted at such an ungodly hour I have no idea but the flight did offer this fittingly Balearic image before i descended into intermittent dozing over my magazine and instantly waking up repeatedly for the next couple of hours.



Completely forgot to take any more pics but rest assured the day was filled with the usual aimless wandering along beaches strewn with leather skinned villains sunbathing with their trophy wives and mistresses, bright pink skinned scumbags and guys selling the ever bizzare combination of non UV friendly sunglasses and "coke speed hashish", wishing i could find an eatery which wasn't kfc, burger king, or a "good british feed". The night on the other hand made it all worth it as I joined the afore mentioned Mr Temple Morris and the legendary Utah Saints who had to fly back the next day for a PTA meeting - clearly putting the rogue back into the club night, not to mention playing a perfect set and generally being two of the nicest guys in showbiz.

Nipped out for a cheeky junior spesh on the beach where we witnessed a girl blag some free chicken by pressing her naked breasts against the window of the now closed KFC, fittingly served through the back door after her mate followed suit lifting her skirt for the now startled young Spaniard on the other side of the glass. I opted for staying up til my flight, with only two hours to kill following Es Paradis' 6am kick out, i feared i'd be out for the count while my easyjet escape left without me and somehow didn't get to bed til late that night.

Awaking Leonard Lowe style 13 hours later i was rested enough to fit in a flat warming party followed by a trip to the country side to join the nice people at Festinho for a second year running. Obviously there's still a few months to go but it's gonna be hard to top this as my gig of the year. Playing in the disco shed which had been erected in a small clearing out in the woods where teething problems with the generator had caused a few tech issues with the lights leaving us lit only by a spotlight on a disco ball spinning high up in the leaves above, rendering the scene much like a Paris Is Burning style Ball being held in the Ewok's Village.



I often worry that I might clear the floor not being much of a genre dj and pulling out pretty much whatever i fancy playing but this lot summed up my idea of the perfect audience not even swayed by my choice to end things with one of my Roots Manuva reworkings leaving Mix Master Morris to mellow things out and put these sterling shedonists to bed.

Speaking Of Roots Manuva the time is finally upon us as his new album drops tomorrow morning with my Slime & Version mini LP gracing the ltd edition CD, it's in all good shops no doubt, obviously i'd recommend my good friends at Banquet Records though I'm not going to lie, i have seen it going for exceptionally cheap at some of your more corporate outlets - the simple fact is you should just buy it by any means necessary, so stop staring out of those net curtains and go get slimy...

Just wanted to say sorry to anyone who was planning on catching me at beachdown over the weekend. Unfortunately i never received any info from the organizers after being booked which was a shame as it looked like it would have been a fun weekend.

anyway i'm definitely going to be at es paradis in Ibiza tomorrow night, just packing my records now and getting ready for a stupidly early flight in the morning. i'll also be dropping in on the disco shed crew at Festinho on saturday night if anyone's around for that

and don't forget to pick up the Roots Manuva dubs on monday

You know how it goes, you're swanning around Portobello Road with a motley crew of reggae legends looking for a nice spot for a photo shoot when Gaz Mayall strolls up and offers out the pork scratchings. Dennis Alcapone slopes off and returns a few minutes later with some groceries, while Lynval Golding and Michie One peruse the jewelery in a local boutique window. In the midst of all this Bill Nighy crops up in a slick 3 button suit and... actually he wasn't involved but the rest of them aside Gaz were in town for a photo shoot with The Pama Intl boys, something which had slipped my mind as i was leaving YoYo's earlier that morning escorting home a member of the losing team from the evening's street fighter competition.

So why am i telling you all this? Can't you see i just want everyone to know about my zany life? or maybe i'm just peppering up another blog with a brief anecdote before doing a bit of self publicity?

so anyway, Roots Manuva Meets Wrongtom "Slime & Version" will be in the shops on Sep 1st as part of the special ltd edition version of his new album, you can hear the teaser at my Stoneleigh Mountain Rockers page. As for the photo shoot there'll be more dub stylings later this autumn with my Pama Intl Meets Wrongtom LP featuring 10 reworked version of their previous Love Filled Dub Band album. I've also been on the phone to NYC for a chat with the guys at Easy Star so hopefully there will be even more to share in the coming months but anyway i'm off for lunch with Agyness Deyn and Albert Hammond Jr to talk about the soundtrack to a new Ron Howard masterpiece so turrah for now

For those of you still waiting for the next Cassetiquette here's a little something to wet your appetite. I've taken a shelf-load of J Saul Kane productions and chopped, re-edited and dubbed out in the usual incorrect fashion.

Those of you already familiar with Mr Kane's output will no doubt recognize a handful of the records which lie within covering the first 6 years of Depth Charge, Eon, Octagon Man and T.E.T releases and even a pinch of early Cash Crew for good measure. Those of you who don't know what I'm on about have been missing out for the past 2 decades and should get downloading soon as and click here for further info on him and his record label.

Kanetiquette was made in 3 sections ranging from low slung dusty old beats to John Carpenteresque electro and some good old fashioned rave action. In keeping with the original Cassetiquette, Emma Ferguson is on board once again with some hand stitched artwork which you can also download for your ipods or whatever you wish to do with it.

This is for everyone who's stayed up late watching badly dubbed Kung Fu flicks, splatter movies and unconvincing aliens. It's dirty, it's messy and it might harm your ear canals but just keep telling yourself - It's only a mixtape.

Dj Wrongtom "Kanetiquette"

1. J.Runken Masters
2. A Carnival Of Saul's
3. It Kane From Outerspace

Download Kanetiquette

Dowload Artwork

(as always with shitty myspace they take objection to zshare links but u can click on the link inside the first warning)



Oh and here's the full tracklist

J.Runken Masters...

Depth Charge "Depth Charge Vs Silver Fox"
Depth Charge "Silver Dub"
Depth Charge "Death Is Ma Name"
Cash Crew "You Can't Stop This (Jumpapella)"
Depth Charge "The Bit In The Middle"
Depth Charge "Goal - 1st Half"
Depth Charge "Goal - 2nd Half"
Depth Charge "Shaolin Buddha Finger"
Eon "Electromagnetic Waves"

A Carnival Of Saul's...

Depth Charge "Drum Death Version"
Depth Charge "Bass It"
Depth Charge "Dead By Dub"
Depth Charge "Daughters Of Darkness"
Depth Charge "Hubba Hubba (What's In The Bag Man)"
Depth Charge "Searching For Records With Bonus Beats"

It Kane From Outerspace...

Depth Charge "Under The Eye Of The Electric Storm"
Eon "Spice (Original Mix With Notes)"
The Octagon Man "Okugai Eigakan"
The Octagon Man "(something in Japanese which i can't read)"
T.E.T. "Burning Paradise (Space Bug)"
T.E.T. "Burning Paradise (Stick Mix)"
Depth Charge "Space Mutant"



On a side note if you're a jazz fan i've knocked up a sneaky ten minute mix of free jazz noodlings which you can also download below, likewise this is not for the feint hearted or those of you who can't cope without a verse chorus verse chorus middle 8...

In Reference To My Grandfather's Nightmares

Tracklist

The Reggie Workman Ensemble "Ogun's Ardor"
Al Shorter "Disposition part two"
The Jazz Warriors "Many Pauses"
Charles 'Bobo' Shaw & Lester Bowie "Go Bo"
Archie Shepp "Poem For Malcom"
Pharoah Sanders "Black Unity part two"
The Revolutionary Ensemble "Chinese Rock"
Gary Bartz Ntu Troop "The Planets (Outro)"
Anthony Braxton "(840M)/Realize"
Alice Coltrane "The Sun"

Not long back from a sojourn in New York City where i bagged up a stack of tasty wax and Abel Ferrara came knocking on the hotel door asking to film some of his new documentary in our room but enough of the name drops cos really i just wanted to post some pics from my favourite digging spot in Brooklyn, complete with a sneaky jazz mag hiding in amongst a crate of 7"s. There’s some proof of dirt at the end too.

And if you want to hear what i picked up I’ll be playing a few bits on the Mr Trick & Wrongtom show this friday on Resonance 104.fm so tune in at 4pm GMT either on your wireless in London or on the web now we’re living in this here future thing.

I knocked up this mix for my agent as i haven't done a straight club mix in what feels like a lifetime, it's part one of a set of 20 minute mixes to showcase some of my dancefloor styles, as you'll see from the tracklist below it's a quick-mix selection of club bangers and general stupidness so don't think twice, grab it now. I'm on the case with dub-disco, reggae and ska mixes so keep em peeled in the next few weeks and in the meantime...

Club Mix

bonzo dog doo da band "the intro and the outro"
dave nada "kick out the jams"
roisin murphy "overpowered (herve mix)"
dj ayres "move on up"
dj edgar "caracao do funk"
dj blaqstarr "shake it to the ground (a capella)"
uffie "hot chick"
nuyorican soul "it's alright"
xxxchange "the knife edit"
five deez "bmw (a capella)"
poison clan "dance all night"
juiceboxxx and dre skull "sweat"
tittsworth "t's diner"
mc gringo "berimbal"
kid sister "damn girl (a capella)"
daedelus "sundown (diplo mix)"
simian "never be alone (simian mobile disco mix)"
justice vs simian "we are your friends"
busta rhymes "touch it (a capella)"
chemical brothers "electronic battle weapon 9"
scottie b "club medley"
flaming lips "it overtakes me"
flaming lips "i'm afraid of dying... aren't you?"
doug lazy "let it roll (lazypella)"

A long time ago on a laptop far far away I originally knocked up a blog about gigging in Shanghai, then accidentally wiped it before clicking publish. A month later and there's even more stuff to write about though I've got to that point where most of it seems to have slipped my mind.

Shanghai was as much a blur at the time as it is in my memory, what with jet lag, insomnia, that call me Al feeling of not knowing the language and a lack of anything but greens to eat as whatever I ordered seemed to come with pork no matter what it was. Luckily like true brits abroad we quickly found a Costa Coffee and an American diner with It's own 2-Tone throw back looking like Alton Ellis in full on 3 button suit and pork pie.

It's a fun city if ratty old markets, insect fights and knock off goods is your bag, it reminded me a lot of Peckham Rye in the 90's though a few thousand times bigger and decked in neon. I managed to procure a shady looking Louis Vuitton belt for about £3 which didn't fall apart til over a week after i got it home. The ace in the hole would've been an Aquascrotum jacket but alas someone may have tipped them off about the translation.

The gig was one of the more bizarre I've played, with the motley line up of Hard-Fi, Sasha, Tom Middleton and myself playing in a massive warehouse come sculpture space, made even more strange from my point of view as a t-totaler performing for Smirnoff. Sasha believe it or not didn't have any headphones and I'd love to have helped but the rest of us were off to play another set in a club on the other side of town (the last person who asked to borrow mine was Peaches Geldof a year or so back). Anyway here's some pics...































The big news since then is the Stoneleigh Mountain Rockers album is well underway and I'm currently in talks over it's release so more news on that front when it's all confirmed. It's a bit of a sham now though as I'll no longer be producing it aloft the mountain having made the move across the river, though the broadway will remain in my heart however far away. The move will probably stay with me for a little while too with the continuous dull ache from humping thousands of records across town, miraculously only one record got damaged and that was a galliano album so that's ok. Here follows some vinyl porn for those who may be interested...

















For those who have tuned in previously, or maybe meant to but simply forgot, or even those who didn't even know they could, Mr Trick's gone and seperated the shows we've been doing together on Resonance FM and you can podcast them now so what are you waiting for? Go direct to itunes and type in Mr Trick & Wrongtom or go straight to Mr Trick & Wrongtom on your radio if you're that way inclined. Also there's a facebook group for you to join if you're on there... facebook yuhgetmay

I've also joined a new band called Coco Beware as percussionist so if you have a moment check em out.

Anyway I'm sure there was a load of other stuff i was gonna bang on about, you know, rubbing shoulders with the stars, rare art I've purchased etc but Electric Dreams is on the telly so I must bid you farewell.

I just stumbled upon this questionaire i answered a while back for a book which was being put together by Dj Kovas but never saw the light of day.

It covers the less glamorous side of the dj lifestyle and gigging, and figured someone might wanna have a read if they've got a couple of minutes spare so here ya go...



BACKGROUND

0. What was it about DJ'ing that first captured your attention? Where were the first decks you ever played on? What sort of music did you play? How did you feel when nailed your first mix?

This'll probably sound like how most kids started smoking but all my mates were doing it. I had quite a few records and spent an unhealthy amount of time at clubs and gigs so it just kinda happened. It was the mid 90's so I guess you could call it the early days of big beat, I played wall of sound, ninja and mo wax stuff plus a bit of hip hop and funk here n there. My mate used to live with a garage dj called Donna Dee, we'd use her decks when she wasn't about and I think the first thing I ever beat mixed successfully was Sam Sever "What's That Sound?" into an Earthling track. I must've been pretty excited cos I did it over and over for about 20 minutes before everyone got the hump and kicked me off.


TRAVELLING WOES

1. Tell me about your nightmare travel stories... eg; walking for half an hour in the rain, has a punter who just cheered you inside the venue nicked your taxi outside the club?

I've never had many travel problems as I'm t-total and drive to most gigs but I did get stranded after a gig at Notting Hill Carnival once. Normally I wouldn't have an issue but I was carrying a massive record bag and had just finished a 4 hour set at a carnival after party. I figured I'd just crash at my mate's flat in Shepherds Bush but on the way I bumped into the girl I'd gone up with earlier that morning who'd stumbled out of some coke head party on Portobello completely shit-faced and needed to get back to Surrey. It's a fair old trek from the venue in Queens Park to Holland road and not one I'd recommend at midnight after Carnival with a bag brimming over with records and an inebriated school teacher on your arm particularly when you turn a corner and walk straight into the line of fire of some local yuppies being pelted with coke cans by some local ne'er do-wells and have to use your records to deflect them.

2. How many records do you take with you? Tell me about how difficult it is to transport your records / equipment from place to place

I normally fill up a box that takes about 80ish and a 7's box. It's a killer on the back after a few nights in a row.


3. Have you ever gone to a venue and thought "shit. They are not going to like what ive got planned? Did it work out?

Frequently, I don't really have one style and due to the Hard-Fi connection I get booked for a few indie nights here and there even though I play more electro, dancehall and hip-hop related stuff. It can be hit n miss but I'm pretty stubborn and stick to my guns even if people are complaining.

REQUESTS

3. What are your standard responses to get rid of people when they ask you for inappropriate requests?

Unless they get shirty I just apologise and say I can't, unless it's really stupid like getting asked to play The Cult during a ragga set which is when it's time to have a bit of fun at their expense.

4. What is the most ridiculous and / or irritating record anyone has ever asked you for?

One tanerexic girl once came over and said "I don't know what it's called but do you have that one that goes…" and then proceeded to sing the "SEXEEEEE" bit from that liberty x song. At funk nights it's inevitable that someone's gonna ask for "very superstitious" by stevie wonder at some point and not unusual that some poor rock kid who's stumbled into the wrong night will say something like "u don't have any red hot chilli peppers and u call this a funk night?"

5. Do you ever play a request against your better judgement? If so what were the consequences did it work? or did it clear the floor?

Nope, never.

6. How much preparation to you make before you play? Can you switch up your set to incorporate a request?

Very little unless I'm doing a four deck routine.

MOVING UP THE LADDER

7. Tell me about the first time you ever felt the hairs on the back of your neck stand up when you dropped a particular tune... How did that make you feel?

Probably the first time I finished off a night and got the cheer as I dropped the final track. Can't remember what the track was though.

8. Where's the strangest place you've ever DJed?

I played an after party for Starsailor I think at Rouge which used to be next to centre point on Charing Cross Road. An odd one cos we didn't realise the dance floor was in the next room til I went for a piss half way through the night. Either side of the decks were a couple of poles and we wound up insisting that people pole dance for us to play their requests.


Tell me about the first time you were billed. Did it go well? Was it a disaster?

I'm pretty sure it was at Mas-Y-Mas bar in Kingston for a Christmas bash, I was billed as Tiny Tom as they had a Scrooge theme going on. It didn't go well for me at all as I got a nasty bout of flu that day and got my old mate Meat Katie to play instead.

9. Tell me about the first time you were asked for your rider. How did you feel? What did you ask for?

I think I just asked for some cokes and bottles of water – I'm pretty dull like that. The first time I had my own dressing room was at a Hard-Fi gig in Wolverhampton, I had a bigger room than the band with a tasteful leather sofa, I took a look in the fridge to find all I had on my rider was a small bottle of water and about 24 cans of red stripe. I later found the tour manager out cold on the couch so wound up using the band's room anyway.

ABOUT THE REALLY EARLY DAYS

10. How did you go about getting your first gig?

My mate put on a night and got pretty much all his mates who fancied themselves as dj's to have a go.

11. Where was it?

The Blue Note which used to be on Hoxton Square, back in December 1995.

12. Tell me about a really bad place you played in… How did the management and staff treat you? How did you feel you should have been treated? Did you think you were "something special" What were the "perks"

I once got booked to play at a night billed as a funk/hiphop/reggae party in Clapham. I got there to find a Phoenix Nightsesque venue with similar regulars. The manager was a small old dear who looked and talked like she was hard as nails and asked me if we were gonna play "this orrible fuckin shit all night?" It filled up with townies and rugby boys who of course hated everything we played and I wound up having to brandish a broom handle to get one massive guy to stop hassling us. Christ knows what the promoter was thinking. Thinking back i played there more than once!


13. Have you ever played a set to a completely empty room?

Yeah, only the other night I travelled up to Liverpool to play to my mate, a bouncer and the girl checking coats. Apparently Peaches Geldof who was on after me didn't do much better.

14. Losing the room.. Have you ever had that feeling you're losing the dance floor? That you just don't have the records in your bag to keep these people happy. Tell me your experiences of this? What did you do? How did you feel when you slowly saw the dance floor empty?

I rarely do a gig these days unless it's booked on the strength of what I play out so if it's not working there's not really much I can do though obviously I might pull out a few sure-fire floor fillers just in case.

15. Have you ever completely cleared a dance floor? With one track or over a course of a set? How did you feel?

Yeah loads in the early days, it's never the best feeling but I think if you're gonna try and be a creative dj you have to expect it now and then.

MISTAKES

16. What was the worst DJing blunder you ever made?

Aside showing up to that one in Clapham it has to be the time I was only minutes into a 4 deck set at the Electric Ballroom when I ejected the CD I'd just mixed in. There was a brief silence followed by hundreds of people shouting wanker and booing while I waited for the CDJ to start up again.

17. How do you feel when you completely cock up a mix?

It's not really a problem as long as it happened pretty fast, I don't think most people dancing could care less.

THE GOOD TIMES

22 .When did you first really feel you had "made it?"

The first time someone came up and said I'd inspired them to take up djing, a pretty weird but cool feeling. Maybe that's a bit too worthy though, how about the 3 sisters that said they'd rape me if I didn't agree to come home with them?

23. What are some of the nicest things people have said to you after you have played?

The other night someone told me I'd changed their whole perception of djing which was nice if a little over the top. Someone once told me my set made her want to play with herself.

24. Payment: How many gigs have you done for free? What are some of the more unusual things you have been paid in?

I don't think I've done that many for free unless I've put them on and spent more than I made on the night. I got paid in rucksacks and shoes once.

25. What's the best ever rider you've had?

I'm pretty spoiled for that kind of thing being on the road with a pop band. We get all sorts of nice stuff which sadly gets wasted like trays of cold meats and cheeses. We always have a lot of miso soup and for some reason there was a melon and a 9 volt battery supplied at most gigs.


What is your fondest memory of DJ'ing?

It's got to be mixing Wham's Last Christmas with some Frankie Bones at the Astoria last year. 2000 or so people went crazy, girls cheering and guys booing as I emerged from behind the decks wearing a santa hat.

26. Would you recommend the lifestyle?

Probably not, I don't even think I live it being sober all the time but looking at Brandon Block I doubt it's good for you.


Finally, if there is anything I have missed…or any funny story you want to tell.. please do so now………….

This has pretty much covered it but I think the acid house generation proved that just cos you cleared a room doesn't mean that the stuff you're playing is shit, unless of course it is then maybe it's time to concentrate on the day job.

As 2007 is poised to draw it's curtains and take a final bow i thought I'd pour some hot water on another tea bag and have a dig through 12 new moon's worth of records for my perennial roundup.

It's been an interesting year with it's fair share of blood (well i think i cut my finger whilst djing at least), sweat (lots of sweat) and tears, actually I just picked up a couple of BS&T bargains only yesterday but there's been plenty of smiles too with a plethora of my own releases including various remixes, a uk number 1 LP and of course my Cassetiquette CD which didn't do half bad even with the minimum of press and the current shambolic state of the music industry.

Playing Wembley Arena only last week was both a high and low point as mentioned in my last blog though i think Keep Up! at the White Horse in Brixton still remains my favourite gig of the year with a headline slot at the Big Chill coming in but a nose behind in 2nd place. That's not to say various others haven't been good, what with a couple of sets with DJ Derek, various Skylarkin shenanigans including Notting Hill & Cowley Road Carnival and a hand full of international gigs where I've made friends as far flung as Sweden, Slovenia and all the way back to the good old fashioned tax haven of Jersey.

Resonance FM have let me loose on air repeatedly alongside Mr Trick and hopefully our brand of idle chit chat and lesser played records will continue into 2008. Anyway I'm guessing if you've read this far you may already know all this stuff so here's my favourite releases of 2007...

Santogold "L.E.S. Artistes"
Starting with the most recent, Santogold's been ultrahyped this year with "Creator" which was big enough to secure her a deal with Warner but it's the Lauper-esque L.E.S Artistes which i haven't been able to stop playing since i opened my post one morning about a month ago. Luckily there's a pella in the package so i might knock up a cheeky Rockers rerub if i get a moment.

Prinzhorn Dance School "You Are The Space Invader (Optimo Espacio Remix)"
For my tastes i couldn't think of anything more perfect than a band which sounds like DNA from the English Riviera in remix form coming off like you're a prospective aids victim on a badly lit dance floor somewhere in downtown NYC in about 1984. DFA haven't failed to impress this year which conveniently leads me to...

LCD Soundsystem "Freak Out/Starry Eyes"
Releasing 2 nice LP's in one year still can't overshadow this B-Side of Moroder style dub disco into crunchy italo hotness. It cropped up at the perfect time as i was locked away working on...

Hard-Fi "Suburban Knights (Dj Wrongtom's Delight)"
My own tribute to the dubbed out disco-tech, maybe i shouldn't put my own stuff in these lists but I've played this out loads everywhere from scorching afternoons outdoors in Ibiza to graveyard sessions back in dreary London with a dancefloor of the undead.

Pase Rock "So Fucking Disco"
Still on the disco tip, this track was ill, here's hoping someone releases a whole album of Mr Rock's filth.

Hot Chip "Shake A Fist"
Trying not to gush too much more about the DFA camp, Hot Chip offered up another club banger with an excessively nice sleeve and etched 1 sided vinyl. Just when i thought it couldn't get much better it breaks down and they bust out the hoovers - the album should be tasty too.

Nice Up "Old School"
I wasn't feeling the original much - Dizzy has his merits but every so often i feel like my dad when i start thinking 'It's just shouting' here though the nice people at Nice Up have made it into my roundup for a second year running with this mash up of classic breaks making it suddenly appealing to tired old farts and fresh faced upstarts alike.


Gee mom, i could waffle on about records til my fingers bleed but i think I'll leave it at that and just say look out for my Stoneleigh Mountain Rockers LP this year. Turrah x

ps thought i'd list off a few film favourites as I've spent a bit of time in front of the big screen this year rekindling my former love before i foolishly got involved in this evil twisted business...

Darjeeling Limited
Can't get enough of Wes Anderson, and this film (which borrows it's name from the toy train which used to trundle up the mountain to my dad's old homestead) combines my love of ostentatious bollywood vignettes, dysfuctional families and Marc Jacobs luggage. I'm even more excited about his forthcoming version of Fantastic Mr Fox.

The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
I'm really not that fussed about westerns, yes i know i may as well be regarded as a heretic in the Hard-Fi camp for admitting to this fact, maybe more so than when i posted a pic of Rich in his underwear but they really are quite dull. Though obviously, and no doubt predictably seeing as I'm a reggae fan, I love Django but Jesse James was something else entirely. A ridiculously long title for a ridiculously long film featuring ridiculously long shots which were quite beautiful, no good for the knees though so find a comfy seat

Die Hard 4.0
How can you argue with a film featuring a man fighting a plane with a truck?

Hobo With A Shotgun
So what if it's only a trailer? I want to see a full length version.

Transformers (At The Imax)
Utter drivel but deserves a mention just for the wonder of watching a blur of CGI graphics on a massive screen. I Enjoyed watching hairs rolling down the lens in many a scene.

Eastern Promises
I swear I've never met a Russian in London but despite something as misplaced as a Canadian making a film set in london featuring a Frenchman playing a Russian i couldn't fault this. Actually that's a lie but it's still a good watch though if u don't want to see naked balls during bloody fight scenes this may not be for you.

Poltergay
This was shown very briefly at he ICA, i missed it but in my heart i know it's a stunning toure de force.

Rocky Balboa
Did it come out this year? If not who cares, people mocked but come on - "you punch drunk goofy bastard!" Genius.

A lot's gone down since coming back off tour and posting that original blog last week, Santa Clause came to town, Resonance foolishly let me pick out some darker than average xmas records live on air and my dad looked like he was about to pop his clogs which as you can imagine would've put a dampner on the festivities. Fortunately all is ok - dad still in the land of the living, Resonance Xmas special going on line in the new year, and a whole heap of post-yuletide cheer to take me through to 2008 ready to face the cruel world of the freelance music maker/chancer in a seemingly dying industry.

With all that in mind, here's the Tour Blog: Redux, or maybe like Ridley Scott's ultimate edition though rather than extended, revamped or enhanced it's actually been heavily truncated...


I Joined Hard-Fi on tour once more for 10 nights on the road across the UK covering 9 cities and entertaining over 30,000 fans. It all ran pretty smoothly despite an array of unfortunate setbacks along the way which were all dealt with accordingly, the only major one occurring at the final date at Wembley Arena where i was left standing in silence in front of almost 10,000 people with nothing but a spotlight for company. What can I say though - if you're gonna experience just one technical hitch on tour it may as well be in front of the largest crowd you've ever played to at the peak of your set.

So here i sit with my soldering iron heating up next to me ready to perform open heart surgery on one of my bruised and battered decks but before that i thought i better post some low quality and innocuous pictures, so here goes...