czefski

I saw Esperi in Glasgow on Sunday night, he was very good, well worth seeing.

Any idea of on stage times?

Black Math -The White Stripes

Mission Drive - The Wonderstuff

Somebody To Love - Queen

5 Minutes -The Stranglers

Young Savage - Ultravox

What Difference Does It Make - The Smiths

To Be Someone - The Jam

Oblivious - Aztec Camera

Baba O'Riley - The Who

She Sells Sanctuary - The Cult

Show Of Strength - Echo & The Bunnymen

I was coming out of a hotel in Lodon last summer when a guy with an Italian accent stopped me and said he'd been exhibiting some designer suits at a trade fair and rather than take them back to Rome with him was looking to give them away. He kindly offered to let me get in the back of his blacked out van to try one on.

I'm not sure what the scam was as I'm a bit old for the people traffcking demographic but it didn't strike me that I'd be coming out of the van wearing a new Armani 3 piece suit.

My favourite cover version is I Love You, You Big Dummy by Magazine but that's already been mentioned, so here's 10 that haven't...

Luka - The Lemonheads

Take Me To The River - Talking Heads

Police & Thieves - The Clash

Black Jack Davey - The White Stripes

Reason To Believe - Rod Stewart & The Faces

Papa's Got a Brand New Bag - Georgie Fame

Hold Back The Night - Graham Parker

Devil Went Down To Georgia - The Levellers

Dirty Old Town - The Pogues

16 Tons - The Redskins

I've heard the food in Korova is good. Apparently it's the old Cafe 52 chefs or something like that. Somebody else might know a bit more than me.

I can confirm that the food at Korova is excellent, I had the fish and chips, which were great and the lemon and honeycomb desert was excellent. If you sit downstairs there's no tv's/big screen

I said sign Rocastle, not Roy Castle

According to his wikipedia..:

His Canadian father, Ray Cameron, was the producer, writer and director of The Kenny Everett Television Show and his part-Hungarian mother, Kati, was a dancer. McIntyre's parents divorced when he was seven, after which his father remarried and moved to Los Angeles. His father died of a heart attack when McIntyre was 17.

My apologies to Mr. McIntyre if that's the case, I was told his dad was Phil McIntrye and didn't think to question it. Still don't think he's funny enough to be playing exhibition centre type venues though. Takes all sorts though.

Oh yeah, best comedy night ever was Frankie Howard at some theatre in London, anyone who could have the place rocking with the odd 'no missus don't' and a few, nay, nay and thrice nay, and ye nay again' has to have a considerable talent.

Alan Davies in the early 90's was as good a stand-up as I've ever seen. Saw him supporting Sean Hughes in a pub in Islington around about the time that Hughes had won the Perrier award, Davies stole the show. Saw him the Lemon Tree as well and he and his girlfriend joined us for a few drinks afterwards, a decent guy as well. unless you're a London down & out.

Looking forward to seeing Jerry Sadowitz at the lemon tree, his shows at the fringe the last 2 years have been superb.

I'm also a huge fan of Frank Sinner's stand-up.

I think I'm too old to get Russell Howard and suspect Michael McIntyre's dad being the UK's number 1 comedy promoter is not unrelated to his success.

People, particularly on tv who say.

"the proof is in the pudding" it's not, it's the proof of the pudding that's in the eating

and people who say things 'pretty unique', it's either unique or it's not, there's no half measures with unique.

Hearing that there's a new Royle Family special on this Christmas was the best news of the week. With some comedies you would be a bit trepidatious that they were spinning it out too far, (I give you the last few Only Fools & Horses as an example), but such is the consistant quality of the writing on TRF that I've no doubt at allthat it'll be the highlight of the Christmas schedules.

I remember asking a friend if they'd seen the Royle Family and they said they'd seen it once, "it was the one when they're all sitting on the settee watching tv"

Talking Heads - Capitol 1979 - Couldn't get train back to Arbroath after 10 o'clock

Magazine - Students Union circa 1978 - Was too young to get in

Best news I've had in a long time. I was too young to see them when they played Ruffles so never thought I would have the chance.

Sky have virtually ignored Khan for the past 4 years but as soon as they sign him they make out that he's Sugar Ray Robinson incarnate and charge 15 for the privilege of seeing him gubbed in 54 secs, genius. Unfortunately it wont deter Sky from over-hyping his 'comeback' fight or any other event that they transmit, e.g. the Ryder Cup which they have somehow managed to get people believe is bigger than the Majors.

I forgot about The Right Stuff, the quickes 3 hour + movie ever. They Shoot Horses Don't They is another great film that never gets mentioned in these lists.

I bought Threads a couple of years ago along with When he Wind Blows, totally diferent takes on nuclear holocaust but both excellent in their own way.

.

In no particular order, except for Raging Bull being my favourite film...

Raging Bull

Goodfellas

Godfather 1 & 2

Miller's Crossing

Fargo

Glengarry Glenross

Diner

Reservoir Dogs

Gregory's Girl

Silence of the Lambs

Jean De Florette

Thanks for the Balck & White Session tip, I haven't heard them but have them downloading as I type.

Boxer was afar and Away the best album last year nad the Gig at the ABC the best gig of the year.

The track Black Slate on the Virginia EP is outstanding, get your paws on it if you haven't already.

That is absolutely gutting. I only ever saw them perform 2 songs at the Molia Falls gig and thought they sounded amazing. Always wanted to see them properly but never did.

I like Paul Weller's quote in this months Mojo,

they're nice blokes but why the fuck does it take them 2 years to make an album that sounds exactly like the last one

I disagree, my wife hates the Eels, I mean hates them but she loved the book. I thought it was the best music bio I'd read for years.

I wasn't that fussed on this one...I kind of felt it made Joe Strummer out to be a complete saint...maybe just too reverential?

I take your point, it's often the case when the author is close to the subject, however, I knew very little about Strummer so it's was informative.

One to avoid is Paolo Hewitt's Steve Marriott biog, 'All Too Beautiful'. The grammer was awful, spoiled what should be a great story. In fairness to Paolo, his recent Weller Book was interesting.

A lot of excellent books already listed. I'd also add:

Redemption Song - The definitive biography of Joe Strummer

No Black, No Dogs, No Irish - John Lydon

Nowhere To Run: The History of Soul Music - Hirshey Gerri

All The Rage - Ian McLagen

Diary of a Rock and Roll star - Ian Hunter

on films:

The Day the Laughter Stopped: The True Story of Fatty Arbuckle - David Yallop

Evil Spirits The Life of Oliver Reed - Cliff Goodwin

Stranger Than Fiction (Maverick film makers in recent American Cinema) - Geoff Andrew

Rat Pack Confidential - Shawn Levy

Crying With Laughter - Bob Monkhouse

When are we going to be told the tracklisting?

I met Tilda Swinton in Heathrow yesterday, on her way back from winning an Oscar. Possibly the strangest looking woman I have ever seen, friendly enough though.