The Saturday List #452 - The seven strangest reasons for breaking up!

I was chatting to a customer in the shop earlier in the week. He seemed a bit down, I asked him how things were going. He told me that they were going badly. He explained that his wife had left him. I offered my commiserations. They had been together for decades. When he told me why, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Apparently she'd cooked him Shepherds pie as a treat. He'd put salt and ketchup on it. She had been so affronted that he'd defiled the dish that she proceeded to list all of his failings over 30 years. Not wishing to be outdone, he'd retaliated in kind. She was so upset that she threw him out of the house, got the locks changed and started divorce proceedings.  Apparently this was the first proper row they'd had in their marriage and there was a huge well of resentment on both sides, that a few grains of salt had tipped over the edge. I thought "a bit of salt on a Shepherds pie, strangest reason for splitting up I've ever heard". Then I thought about it. Actually it wasn't. Here are a few of the other reasons I've heard over the years. 

1. The fish slice. I used to work with an Evangelical chap. He was nice enough but a tad strange. To my enormous surprise, he started dating an absolutely beautiful woman. She was funny, bubbly and good fun. The opposite of him. He was smitten. They got engaged and were planning marriage. Then they split up. When he told me the reason, I was gobsmacked. Apparently his mother had come to dinner. His Fiance had made the fatal mistake of serving her a slice of cheese cake with a fish slice. He had realised that she was 'the wrong sort of person for him'.

2. The Buffer of one. I worked with a guy in IT, who was, shall we say, slightly obsessive. He told me that he'd just split up with his partner because she couldn't conform to his system for keeping a spare loo roll in the toilet. He said "if you keep a buffer of one loo rolls, then you will never be caught out". Apparently his girlfriend didn't bring up a new loo roll when the last one was exhasausted and so there wasn't a spare on top of the medicine cabinet. It was too much and she was duly booted out.

3. Furniture polish. An ex boss of mine, who was a wonderful chap, split up with his wife after many years of marriage. He told me that the last straw was that she knew he was allergic to furniture polish. They were having a row and she sprayed him with it, causing him to be covered in the most terrible rashes. 

4. "She was too clean". An ex guitarist in my band was a tad unhygenic. To my surprise, he started going out with  a lovely girl, who may well have been the most fragrant woman I've ever met. For a while, he stopped smelling, had a nice haircut and his teeth became a lighter shade of yellow. Then they split up. The reason? He said she was too clean. He said that not only did she always shower before they made love, she'd have one after as well. This was simply too much for him. Within a week, his normal pong had returned. For me, it was proof that opposites don't always attract.

5. "More than I bargained for". A good mate of mine, sadly long deceased, had a whole string of wives, fiances and girlfriends before setting down. They were invariably real characters. One was a dominatrix. She was a good laugh and very smutty. They seemed really happy. One day, she wasn't around any more. It was clear that he didn't want to discuss it. About six months later, when he'd had a few, the truth came out. For his birthday, she told him that she'd got a special surprise. She trussed him up like an Xmas turkey and blindfolded him, telling him he was in for a big surprise. He wouldn't say what it was, but it was "more than I bargained for" and he said he was "scarred for life". I wasn't sure whether this was mentally or physically. The odd thing was about eighteen months later, they started going out again for a short while. Maybe he enjoyed whatever it was more than he let on! 

6. The murderer. Many years ago, I went out with a lovely girl who lived in Hendon. Her flat mate was a rather large lady, who was going out with acheeky chappie from the East End, who was half her size. This lady was, shall we say, someone who couldn't be satisfied by a single chap. She was rather predatory. As I knew hew boyfriend and he seemed like a nice chap, I was a bit surprised when one morning she brought me a cup of tea after my girlfriend had gone to work, and started trying to seduce me. I said "knock it off, what about your boyfriend?". She said "Oh don't worry about him, we split up". I asked why. She said "He's been arrested for murder!". I made my excuses and left. 

7. "The beast". One of the most hilarious (to me) break ups happened when I was still at school. A girl who I was really good mates with, confided in me that she'd split up with her boyfriend and was very upset. As I always tried to be a good mate, I asked what had happened as they seemed quite happy. She responded "I can't possibly go out with him, he's a beast!". At this I bristled. I have to be honest, I didn't like him at all and I rather liked her. I thought this was a great opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, I could sort this terrible beast out and win her heart! I asked what terrible thing he'd done. Imagine my surprise when she said "He took me to Arsenal. I've never been to a football match before and all he did was shout and swear, I saw a whole new side of him and I simply can't go out with such a beast". I made a mental note never to take a girl on a date to football, especially if she'd never been before.

There are a few other tales, but I can't possibly tell them as the people are still friends and would kill me! Sadly most of my break ups have been stunningly mundane!

-----

I love reminiscence and old stories. I use a lot of these in my music. If you've not heard the band, we are a bit of a mash up of Madness and Iand Dury. We are releasing an album in November, here is a sneal preview. This song is Sunday in the 70's and features footage of me as a six year old in a Heinz Baked Beans commercial!

How did Fridays become so boring?

It's Friday. There was a time when Friday was my favourite day of the week, I'm not so sure now.  Maybe I'm just sulking as I have to work today, I normally get Fridays off. I was thinking about when I was a  teenager. Unless there was a mega gig on, we'd only ever plan for Fridays. We'd meet up with a group of friends, and then let the wind take us where it wanted. Often, I'd leave work on a Friday and not get home until midnight on Sunday. Often, we'd start the weekend at the Moonlight Club in West Hampstead with a gig. We'd then go back to someone's house for a bit of a party. Saturdays would sometimes be interrupted by football, but generally in August, we'd end up somewhere, grab a few hours sleep in the late hours of the morning, hit the cafe, maybe go to a pub, club or another party and then catch a beer in the pub, before it shut at 2pm. Sometimes I'd head home then, sometimes, we'd go round to a friends, listen to some music and then head back to the pub. It wasn't a particularly healthy lifestyle, but it was fun. Often, the biggest challenge was getting up on Monday for work. 

I recall, at one point, going out, for a short period, with a lovely hippy girl. She didn't approve of boozing, so we did other things that were slightly healthier. I can recall the novel feeling of going to work on a Monday and feeling wonderful. It felt totally alien. Sadly the relationship didn't last. After a couple of weeks, I was enticed into the pub after work for one on a Friday. The inevitable happened.

 When I didn't show up, she assumed I was with someone else and didn't speak to me again. In truth, I wasn't ready for such sensible shenanigans, with such a lovely girl. You may wonder why I'm writing about this? Well this week, in the studio, we had a band called Creation Rebel. They are a heavy dub Reggae band, one that I listened to a lot in the gaps between pubs and clubs, at peoples flats in this period. It is probably forty years since I last listened to them, but I've had them on non stop since they turned up and their music sounds great. They will have a date announced shortly at The Jazz Cafe in Camden and I will be the first in line to see them. 

 

 Therir music took me back to smokey squats in Maida Vale, to our band of friends playing football at 2am under the motorway lights in Mill Hill, to waking up on trains in sidings in Bedford, to persuading a lovely girl at The Bull and Bush to invite us back to her family's mansion, as they were on holiday and drinking half of her Dad's vintage wine collection. Apparently he wasn't amused when he returned, but we had a great time. Often The False Dots had gigs on a Friday night (we weren't quite good enough for the plum Saturday slots). We'd get shuttled around by our mate Dermot, in another mate Emil's camper van. The gig would just be the start of the party. Dermo once told me the partys and shenanigans after the gigs was far more fun than the performance, and that was why he stuck with us. I was annoyed at the time, but I now get what he meant. I can recall the last time I went out on a Friday night and came home on Sunday morning. It was in July 1984, when I was 22.  I met a random mate on the way home from work, went for a quick beer and things quickly escalated. My then girlfriend, who I was living with,  was not impressed, launched an alarm clock at me, requiring 17 stitches. We split up shortly afterwards. I didn't blame her. We didn't have a phone and there were no mobiles, so I had no means to tell her and after the eigth pint non longer was too bothered (shame on me). As I rather liked her, it made me realise that when you are in a relationship, going walkabout is not condusive to a stress free life. 

Forty years on, it is hard to believe that we had such stamina. If I have a wild Friday night (ie four or five pints and a curry) I am too knackered to do very much at all on Saturday. If we are up past midnight, it is a rare night. The band no longer have parties after gigs. We have a couple of beers and go home. How did it all become so boring? Sadly, the truth is we all got a bit old. Perhaps the song that best sums up how I recall it was Friday night and Saturday Morningby The Specials.

As you get older, you start to find things that used to be easy, a bit harder, playing football, running, remembering to put the milk in the fridge. For me, the first of my superpowers to go was the ability to stay up for 48 hours with no sleep. I am still catching it up!

The ten fatal mistakes that have doomed Manchester United

I wrote the following blog ten years ago exactly - barneteye.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-saturday-list-67-ten-fatal-mistakes.html - Change a few names and is all current (any new text is in bold). 

The crisis has been building up for several years. Here are the fatal mistakes that United have made.

1. Underinvestment in the squad under Sir Alex Ferguson. Fergie worked a miracle winning the league two years ago, but he did it with a threadbare squad. Bringing in Van Persie was the catalyst that allowed the feat to be pulled off, but it was clear to everyone that United had an ageing defence and midfield. With Scholes, Giggs, Evra, Ferdinand and Vidic getting long in the tooth, all should have been replaced by then, or at least have credible replacements lined up. Take that out of the League winning team and you don't have a team.

2. Bad succession planning in the business. It was clear that Fergie would go at some point. To lose the Chief Exec at the same time was catastrophic. All businesses need  a degree of continuity in their team. United lost the plot, by allowing themselves to get into this situation.

3. Flawed process for appointing a new manager. United are one of the worlds top brands. They could have their pick of managers. It seems the process was that they simply let Fergie pick a name out of the hat. Worse than that, they picked a manager with no trophies and no Champoins league experience.

4. Bad signings. We listed the five key players who were past their sell by date. They replaced none of them, instead indulging Moyes by signing Fellani, a player they didn't need and who doesn't fit in. It was clear what United needed, they left it too late and picked the wrong players.

5. Inept clearout of backroom staff. The first act of Moyes was a clearout of backroom staff such as Mike Phelan. As such he had no one around who could offer any insight into how to get the best out of the players, why things may not be working.

6. Ineptitude in conducting transfer business. The debacle of the attempt to sign Leighton Baines and Fellani showed the world that United were there for the taking. This has resulted in them paying top dollar for all subsequent signings such as Di Maria and Mata signings.

7. Panic buys in the transfer window. When it was clear that it was going wrong under Moyes, United made the classic mistake of a big name panic buy, bring Juan Mata to the club. Whilst it is true that you can't have enough great players, Mata addressed none of Uniteds problems and unsettled the existing attackers.

8. Showing a lack of class in sacking Moyes. United sacked Moyes the day after they technically couldn't qualify for the Champions League. This was done to save the compensation bill. This type of behaviour saves money in the short term, but in the long term sets down a marker which shows the club are more interested in bean counting than running a football club. Ryan Giggs was brought in as a temporary manager to get the club through to the end of the season. Whilst this may have given him a bit of experience and may assist him in his ongoing role at the club, the whole sorry episode tarnished United.

9. Lack of planning for managerial appointment. Whilst Louis Van Gaal is an excellent manager, with a great track record, given the mess United are in, I believe he was the wrong appointment. The reason is simple. United needed a root and branch rebuilding. the timing of the sacking of Moyes showed that they had clearly been planning the change. They chose someone who couldn't come in until almost the end of the Pre Season. With Van Gaal being totally wrapped up in the World Cup, the pre season was wasted. Had they brough a new manager in when Moyes was sacked, they could have gone into the pre season with somone who'd actually seen the players in action. Transfer targets would be identified and the players could be prepared. As it is, Van Gaal turned up and half the squad were missing. I believe his current predicament is caused by the fact that when the real business started, he hadn't got a clue what his squad could actually do. As such, by the time the transfer window reopens and he actually knows what he needs, United may again be out of the chase for a Champions league place.

10. Chosen the wrong man again? It is too early to say, but for me the signs are not good. In the first point, I listed the players United need to replace. You could argue that Di Maria may be a suitable replacement for Ryan Giggs. That still leaves the other four to replace. Not only that, but Van Gaal has tried to implement a 3-4-3 system with players who clearly are not up to it. Watching the first three games, it was clear to me that the players look terrified. Johnny Evans looked particularly uncomfortable against the mighty MK Dons. Van Gaal has a rep as a stern disciplinarian, to me it looked as if the United defence were scared stiff of making mistakes, so were nervous and jumpy. In the opening PL games, on numerous occasions defenders would receive the ball in space and simply look for a quick sideways pass. Under Fergie in their pomp, they would drive forward and create space elsewhere. Another disturbing feature of Van Gaal is the way he publicly attacked Luke Shaw. Shaw is a young player with a lot of expectation. His manager has put the boot in. How will this help build him up. I cannot imagine Ferguson making such a statement ever. I also think that Van Gaals statements about United not being fit for purpose don't help his cause. Other teams are losing their fear of facing United and these sort of statements don't help. It also undermines his existing players. How must they feel?

Of course, I'm a City fan so I find it hilarious, but that is really by the by. I don't think a single thing I've said hasn't been mentioned by friends who are on the dark side of the football divide.

As I watch the Champions Leage draw, I can't help but feel maybe a few Utd Board members should read The Barnet Eye occasionally. If I'd written a blog in 2009 about mismanagement of a football club, it would have been City. Funny how things change

ULEZ One year on for business - All downside, no upside

Our business

 We are coming up to the 1st anniversary of the implementation of ULEZ on the 29th August. At the time I raised many concerns as to it's effect on my business and the sector we work in, the music industry. I wrote a blog giving my thoughts on the matter last July. I also wrote to the Mayor (no reply) and raised concerns with my assembly member Anne Clarke (no reply). In fact, I was indirectly insulted by the Mayor of London, who simply said that anyone complaining didn't care about the lungs of vulnerable children. If I was a millionaire, this may be a fair criticism, as a business owner, struggling to recover from the pandemic and who's cash reserves have been wiped out, it is a bit rich from a man on a big salary, funded by my taxes. 

So how has ULEZ affected my business and my customers. What are the upsides and what are the downsides? Lets look at a few effects and start by looking at our business and customers.

My business, Mill Hill Music Complex is a music studio based in Mill Hill, North West London, on the edge of the ULEZ zone. Historically, our customer base is around a 15 mile radius North into Hertfordshire (Borehamwood, St Albans, Watford, etc) and a five mile radius south (down to the North Circular generally). Historically, approx 65% of customers are south based and 35% are based north (outside of ULEZ).

Our customers are by and large working pro, semi pro and amatuer musicians. The pro and semi pro musicians generally have their own equipment, which they transport to rehearsals and gigs in large cars and vans. The vast majority of such musicians are not particularly wealthy and so drive non compliant vehicles historically. The ubiquitous Ford Transit is a big part of the story of most bands, ferryingthem to rehearsals and gigs. The economics of the music industry means most of these are old an battered. It may be a cliche, but it is, by and large true.

Many have stopped playing in London as the tiny margins they operate on have been severely affected by ULEZ. If you are doing a gig in London, often you will have to pay ULEZ twice, as you go home after midnight. This means that the first £25 you earn from a gig goes to TFL. If youa re a four piece getting £600 for a gig, then by the time you pay ULEZ and parking you've lost a third of your fee. The less bands gig, the less they rehearse. 

Whilst many of our customers from the south will use public transport, this is not practical for many in Hertfordshire, unless they are close to Thameslink. When a band has four members and live in Hertfordshire, travelling by public transport to rehearsals is not partcularly feasible.  This means that when a band books a reheasal in Mill Hill, on top of the room booking fee, they have an extra £12.50 per vehicle to add to the cost. This makes us uncompetetive with studios based elsewhere in Hertfordshire. Loyal customers who have been coming for years have moved on. Of course not all have old bangers, and for some there is convenience etc, but as a rough estimate, we've lost around 35% of our business from North of ULEZ. This means that we've lost around 15% of our income, directly from the change. Our business has tried to operate on a 25% profit margin after costs. We try very hard to keep costs down to the musicians who use our business. Over the last two years, with the rises in energy prices, minimum wage and rates increases, we have seen a 15% increase in base costs. Combine this with ULEZ and we have the 25% completely gobbled up. 

The only saving grace is that since lockdown, most of our competetors have gone. This has partially mitigated this loss, but if we do better than break even this year it will be an achievement.

Then there is the effect on the business. I own a non complaint Ford Galaxy, that we use for deliveries and collecting supplies from the cash and carry. Every time I use this, it costs the business £12.50. Ford do not make the model anymore, and the ULEZ compliant later models are expensive. We have made our cash and carry visits bi weekly, which has cut the ULEZ chare from £625 to £312.5 per annum, but it is still an expense. We pass on the cost to customers for delivery of PA systems, which again makes us less competetive, but is hard to quantify. Many of our PA hire customers are schools and charities. They are picking up the costs. A ULEZ compliant Galaxy costs around £8,000. It is actually c heaper to pay the charge as it would take five to ten years to get our money back. So we still pump out fumes and the Mayor makes his money.

Then there are the people who work for us. Window cleaners, plumbers, decorators, etc. Many who have old vans and plenty of work and are based inHertforshire, have stopped working in the ULEZ zone. They simply consider it too much hassle. This means we have had to engage new suppliers, who are invariably more expensive. 

Every business I know in Mill Hill has suffered some sort of impact from ULEZ, all are struggling after the Pandemic. The sad truth is that the Mayor of London does not care at all about the health of businesses. Money we could be investing in growning our business, employing more staff and helping keep London at the forefront of the worlds music scene has simply disappeared. If you raise it with anyone in the Labour party, you just get insulted for your efforts. I've not had a pay rise for the last five years from my business. all the cash is just keeping us afloat. I am lucky that I can still take a wage at all, this is only possible by trimming everything in the business to the bone. If we raise prices too high, then many of our customers simply can't afford to rehearse and record. Of course we have plenty of customers who can afford to pay higher rates, but if we squeeze out the young musicians, without a secondary source of income, we are not doing our job and we didn't start the business only to serve those with deep pockets. London has a nightime Tzar called Amy Lame, who the Mayor appointed when he got the gig. She has done nothing to raise these concerns. One day, we will find that London has no music scene. You will know who to blame.

Why Oasis reforming may be a game changer for UK Music

 So after a decade of speculation, to no one's great surprise, Oasis are getting back together. They are a band that I've always had a soft spot for, given that they are avid Manchester City fans and Wonderwall was one of the anthems on the terraces in the 1990's when City were rubbish. I loved the first album, thought the second one was OK and then pretty much lost interest in the soap opera that the band became. Their pomp coincided with a wonderful period for our studio. Everyone wanted to pick up a guitar, join a band and write songs. The charts were full of indy music, great bands, such as Blur, Echobelly, Ride, Suede, etc. Our studio expanded from two studios in 1990 to ten in 2001. Every time we opened a new room, it instantly booked solid for months. London was full of studios. Names such as Survival in Acton, Rocket in Colindale, Station and Blues in Southgate. Now there is just Mill Hill Music Complex. The last man standing, after 45 years. Few of our customers are young lads wanting to be the next indie sensation. I cannot remember the last time a guitar based new band had a hit of note. The industry changed in around 2004, with the advent of the Simon Cowell lead X Factor revolution. All of a sudden, no one wanted to spend years trudging around small venues, playing gigs for tuppence and five men and a dog. 

These days, 90% of the bands that use us have been around for years. Teenagers listen to music that is largely made up of loops and generated in bedroom studios. Rapping, MC'ing, DJ'ing is order of the day. As a musician who plays live gigs, I've seen some great bands on the circuit over the last ten years. I did a blog on the subject on Saturday, listing the best ten I've seen on the period. One of the most striking things about the gigs The False Dots have done in the last two years is that we've got a young following and most of these have not seen live bands. They watch us and are taken aback by the energy a live band can create. Quite a few of the young bands that watch us, have told us they were takenb aback by how we work an audience. One of the best I've seen, nicked a basket load of our tricks the next time we saw them. The point is that so few young music fans are seeing 'proper bands'. Most of the big bands are legacy bands with older audiences. When The False Dots started, we'd see bands doing things and nick their tricks, refining them. They'd do the same. The period when Oasis and Blur were slugging it out for a number one, seems like another age. 

So who will go and see Oasis? Well firstly, it will probably cost a fortune. Mostly it will be same people who saw them back in the day. But it could well be that this generation will take their kids. Who knows, maybe they will get a taste for guitar based music again. I really hope they change their mind and play Glastonbury. This has huge reach. If the industry plays it's cards right, it could reignite interest in bands. From what I've seen at venues such as the Dublin Castle is a huge untapped market for proper bands who can put on a decent show. It has been a very long time since there was any sort of genuinely exciting teen music scene. It won't be bands like Oasis that restart that, but if they inspire a few herberts to start bands and break a few rules, it might just be a game changer.

The joy of Notting Hill Carnival

 I spent the day yesterday at Carnival. It was amazing fun and the huge crowds were in great spirits. My sister in law lives in Notting Hill and had a Carnival party. Her next door neighbour is Tre Lowe from the Apprentice, who set up a rum bar in his front garden and was doing a brisk trade! A proper entreprenuer!

The amazing range of food, music and sound systems gives me a great pride in our city. The work put into the floats and the parade always amazes me. Unlike Glasto, it is free. Youc an nip down, chill out and have a great day. The only downside, is it's a long walk to Paddington when you want to go home. 

Sadly, for people who never go out and read the Daily Mail for their views of the world, Carnival is only news when there is trouble. When you have over 2 million poeple in an area, some drinking more than they should, there will be incidents, just as there are at football matches. The police where we were were brilliant, as were the ambulance service. We saw them attending to a few people who'd overdone the rum and someone who'd tripped over. 

The people who criticise carnival never go and are mostly racists. They are armchair critics, who hate people enjoying themselves and believe that unless something is boring, it should be banned. My sister in law has Carnival on her doorstep. If you don't like it, don't move to Notting Hill. As an ageing punk, I love the anarchic nature of Carnival. It has changed over the years, I was chatting to a lady at the 'All about the bass" exhibition at The British library on Thursday, who told me it is got a bit corporate, but it still keeps it's soul. I've been going since I was a teenager. These days, the music is different, far less dreadlocked dudes blasting out lovers rock (more's the pity). I used to go down and jam at a mates flat, who had an after party for many years. We were in there, in a haze of smoke in one of the years when there was most trouble. We were oblivious to it until we came home. Unless you go, it is impossible to realise what a huge area the carnival takes place over. For various reasons, it is the first time I've been back since the Pandemic. It is great to see it is still the same wonderful celebration of life.

Well done to all. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Roger Tichborne (@rogtex)

.

The Sunday Reflection #20 - Free beer at Marks and Spencers

 I had an odd dream last night. I dreamed that Marks and Spencers were running a special offer, where if you spent £100 they'd give you a free case of beer. I was at the checkout with my groceries, which came to just over £100 and a member of staff gave me the promised box of beer. I was most pleased, until I noticed it was alcohol free beer. I queried this and was told "You get what you are given". I became quite cross, but the manager pointed out the small print at the bottom of the sign. I felt defeated. I have no use for no alcohol beer. I was still cross with M&S when I woke up, a bit irrational really as they are not running the promotion. It did make me think about a few things. Firstly, how we need to read the small print on special offers. How often have we fallen for it and gotten our box of alcohol free beer metaphorically? The second thing, is as a business owner, have I ever done such a promotion? One that sounds brilliant, but which has lost, rather than gained customers. I do know of one regular ex customer, who stopped coming because we wouldn't give him the discount that we gave customers booking online with a voucher code. He always booked by phone and paid cash. He felt that as he was a good customer, we should have just given him the discount anyway. From our perspective, the purpose of the discount was to get people to try out the online system. As we wouldn't, he took his business elsewhere. He's never been back. In hindsight, we'd shot ourselves in the foot as he was a regular. The fact that he had not complied with the terms and conditions of the deal was irrelevant. We lost a customer. Perhaps even the oddest dreams have some sort of message for us!

The Saturday List #451 - The ten best new bands I've seen in the last ten years

One of the best things about running a studio and playing in a band, is that I get to meet a lot of musicians and see a lot of new artsist, before the rest of the population. I had a conversation with my kids, where they accused me of  'only listening to legacy bands'. I was quite irritated by this, as it clearly showed they don't pay attention. So here is a list of some of the best artists I've discovered.

1. Voodoo Radio. This band are a daugher/father duo Paige and Tony who play bubbly, energetic punk rock. I first came across them when Paige was auditioning for a West End show at our studios. She told me they were playing at Guildford, I checked them out and was blown away. 

2. Wine Mom. This Dublin band supported The False Dots at The Dublin Castle. We loved them so much we went to see them at The Social the following Tuesday. Think Janis Joplin at her best. I think they'll do really well when they get a good producer and a decent video, well worth watching. My tip for 2025

3. Inbetween Honey. Another Irish band, these guys supported us at Dublin Castle and we thought they were great. They brought the family down and packed the gig out! A great bunch and a top notch band.

4. Soviet Underground. A truly different band, celebrating the underground music scene of the Soviet Union in the 1970's and 1980's. Pretty good if you like a punky vibe. As someone who has always liked music that some may find a bit challenging, this was right up me street. We saw them at The Victoria in Dalston, a nice venue. I decided to go after I checked the venues listings after doing a blog on London's best grassroots venues. 

5. The Teskey Brothers. Aussie band. Play a sort Philly soul set. Championed by Robert Elms and great value for money. The singer has one of the best voices you'll hear. 

6. Hollie Cook. Daughter of Paul Cook from The Sex Pistols and studio regular. She is an accomplished Reggae artist and well worth a watch. Seen her half a dozen times and always enjoyable.

7. The Cinelli Brothers. Italian Blues band. Absolutely wonderful and well worth checking out if you like blues. I saw this lot at the Torrington Remembered venue in FInchley and thought they were great. Seen them a fair few times.

8. The Rails.  A folky duo collaboration of James Walbourne (of The Pretenders) and Kami Thompson. Another favourite of Robert Elms.  I went to see them at Boz Boorer's suggestion a few years back. Released three albums, active between 2014-2019. well worth checking out. Should've been massive. 

9. The Midnite Crawlers. I'll declare an interest. I went to FCHS with singer Sam and also went to Orange Hill with Singer Paula. If you like a country/rockabilly mash up, you'll love this lot. Super band. Catch them if you can. Depsite knowing Sam and Paula for decades, the band is a post Covid creation. Getting well established on the cicrcuit. 

10. Sunny War. Every so often, someone sends me a link and says "You must listen to this" often, it is clips of kids, partners, etc and it is awful. Sometimes though, it's brilliant. This is one such case. Absolutely brilliant and unique. I saw Sunny War at The Slaughtered Lamb a year or so back. She was amazing. Absolutely bonkers but totally unique. Only Sunny War could combine Minnie Ripperton & Crass and make it work!

So there's my choices. Please have a listen. Artists outside of the top rung get little support and it's a challenge to keep motivated. A little love goes a long way. I should know, I've been playing in a band for 45 years! I love it, but it takes a huge amount of work. Please have a listen to our last single. Very fitting today as it was my birthday on Thursday!

..

Happy Birthday to me!

 So yesterday was my big day. I celebrated my 61st and 62nd birthday. What a difference a year makes. Last year I posted a blog about my birthday which finished with the sentence "Today,  I just don't feel like celebrating. Please allow me to be miserable today." 

I still had a cathetar in from my cancer surgery and I was feeling rather pensive about the future. This year I made up for having a dry, miserable birthday in 2023. I decided to have a full day of indulgence. 

Here was the programme. it was full on, from 9am, till 10pm. Starting at Cafe Anglais for brekkie in Colindale and ending at The Bengal Lancer in Kentish Town, taking in Darlands Lake, Southwark Cathedral, The Rake Pub,m Spitalfields Market, the Beyond The Bassline Exhibition, The booking Office at St Pancras, The Southampton Arms in Kentish Town in between. I managed to clock up over 21,000 steps and walked over 10 miles. It was lovely to spend the day with Mrs T and two of my kids. My nephew joined us for the curry which was lovely. Sadly although I burned off 4,635 calories, I doubt that would put too much of a dent after all of the eating and drinking was taken into account. I woke up this morning and really didn't feel like getting up. I never regret good nights out, it is not in my nature to say "never, ever  again" I did wish I'd been able to have a day off, however that was not to be. 

This is the second day of festivities. As reported earlier, on Tuesday we took a train ride with friends. We are facing a packed weekend. Barbeque tomorrow evening, Notting Hill Carnival on Sunday and Hadley FC on Monday, away at Kings Langley. 

There's no peace for the wicked!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Roger Tichborne (@rogtex)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Roger Tichborne (@rogtex)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Roger Tichborne (@rogtex)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Roger Tichborne (@rogtex)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Roger Tichborne (@rogtex)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Roger Tichborne (@rogtex)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Roger Tichborne (@rogtex)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Roger Tichborne (@rogtex)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Roger Tichborne (@rogtex)

I should addd that a year can be a long time. Walking aroundthe block was a struggle. My plans were tentative. My mood was pretty down. I am suffering a bit for the fun we had, I am in work as I write this. It is always worth remembering that if you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, maybe the tunnel is just a bit longer than you thought. Keep going. I saw a tragic feature on the news last night, talking about Facebook pages promoting teenage suicide. The older you get, the faster time seems to rush by. What is tragic is that so many young people don't realise that bad times are temporary (as are good times) and things change.Two of my best friends have lost children to suicide. It seems to me that both of the poor kids didn't appreciate how loved they were. My last two birthdays couldn't have been more different. I can only wonder what next year's will be like. But I am glad that I am here and that the bad times are at bay. 

.