GOFFA FROM THE BLOCK

Turned my TV on after a couple of days at Shamila's and apparently I've got all the Sky Sports channels free for the week-end.  Not sure who to thank as my (cheap) TV package is with Virgin Media.  So cheers to either/both of disgraced apparently non UK tax paying Aussie media mogul or clean cut British apparently non UK tax paying entrepreneur. Watched the back end of QPR versus Aston Villa.  It was crap.  Football is just soulless to me nowadays unless Boro are playing.  Now watching  20/20 cricket England versus West Indies.  Although there's something a little upsetting about West Indies cricket team being so shit (apparently their best players are playing in the Indian Premier League),  I still love the watching the game.   Anyway, even better is I'm off work next week and Shamila and I are off to London for a few days.  I've left all arrangements to Shamila but  I think we're staying in the Kensington ...

Emmy The Great was ......  I think I'll just let the photos speak tonight.

Time for a makeover on my iPod.   My top tunes according   to iTunes, Top of the Pops stylee, 10 – Leslie – King Creosote 9 – The Flying Club Cup – Beirut (album) 8 – Cowardly Custard – King Creosote 7 – Terrible Love – The National 6 – Bright Bright Bright – Dark Dark Dark 5 - Mysore Se Ayi – Raghu Dixit 4 – Smart Flesh – Low Anthem (album) 3 – Sisi – Washington Irving 2 – Abbey Gallup – Washington Irving 1 - Good News – Withered Hand (album) Washington Irving are simply the best and   The Low Anthem - Gateshead Old Town Hall

Of course there was much more to my End Of The Road than that.  Such as the wonderful pop sounds of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah , the reincarnation of Johnny Cash, Willy Mason and Polka/Sea Shanty/Folk cross over (always a winner for me)  Skinny Lister . - What the hell, here's the photos in that order! Might post some more photos later on (=probably not) but that's it for now.  I loved it, but I always do. That was my End Of The Road.  And that's how I treat it nowadays.  Like the football season, my season ends with Larmer Tree Gardens and we are now at The Start Of The Road again.  This week-end sees the return of The Kids Are Solid Gold and Treetop Flyers at The Westgarth on Friday and one that got away at EOTR, Emmy The Great  at the Georgian Theatre, Stockton on Saturday.  See you at either, both or neither. Here's to a great 2011-12 season

When I was young I used to adore girls in bands,  Pauline Murray, Debbie Harry, Patti Smith et al and nothing's changed really although I'd like to think it's no longer about lust (honest guv')!  I've enthused about Allo Darlin a few times on GFTB before after seeing them at EOTR 2010.  I'm pretty sure I've also posted a video on FB and I know I've encouraged TKASG to check them out and they were great again on Saturday afternoon in the Big Top. Seemingly nervous at first, lovely ukulele playing Aussie, Elizabeth Morris led Allo Darlin' through a euphoric set of songs from their album including Silver Dollars (from Sound It Out fame) plus a few new ones.  Allo Darlin' are simply the best pop band around at the moment. The Secret Sisters from Alabama were also lovely and they refreshingly played a set of country standards by The Everly Brothers, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and George Jones as well as a couple of their own which stood up well...

It's not often I applaud the Daily Mail but they can have this one! About bloody time.  It will be interesting to hear what the local Labour constituency has to say.  Here's a few from the Evening Gazette 1, 2 and 3   as well.

First of all apologies for not replying to comments.  I am having problems posting comments using my Blogger account.  There does seem to be an answer but it looks a bit of a faff.  In the past I've used my old Livejournal account but even that is sometimes creaky.  I'll do my best but don't be surprised if I post some of my replies anonymously. I've been back 2 days but my thoughts continue to be in North Dorset.  At least I can rest knowing that health permitting I  will definitely be returning next year.  Artists for 2012 won't be booked until the new year and I will be looking forward to see who the headliners are.  Not that the vast majority of the headliners have done it for me really.  The first year was probably the best.  Explosions In The Sky, The Fleet Foxes and The Hold Steady.  Last year I really didn't care for Yo La Tengo, Modest Mouse or Wilco and this year I watched half an hour of Beirut and about 20 minute...

Wow, that was something special.  Early thoughts are that it was easily the best of my 3 EOTR's.  As ever, wonderful setting, great weather, good food and lots of memorable music.  Over the next few posts I'll post some some words and photos to describe my time there.  I was pretty well organised before I went and gave pretty much everybody a spin before I went and didn't miss much that I planned to see but inevitably there are always regrets about bands you should/could have seen but when I considered what I missed and why I don't think I did too bad. Emmy The Great - I wanted to see her but she clashed with one of my must sees, Slow Down Molasses . Anyway she's on The Georgian Theatre on 24 September so I've got another chance to see her and I might just do that. Lanterns On The Lake - As above, a 3 way battle from hell. Laura Marling - Could have caught some of her show after the wonderful performance by our (almost) very own Leisure Society . A...