GOFFA FROM THE BLOCK: End of BST

Historically, I've never liked this day of the year. You get an extra hour in bed but not being a great sleeper I just tend to get up an hour earlier. I then just spend all day watching the clock go round until it gets dark an hour earlier than yesterday.

Nobody can deny we've had a good run with the summer though eh? After going out last night (more later) I decided to walk home and it was still warm about 11-30. Apart from the odd day I reckon the weather's been clement since the early Spring. And if the forecast is right we're even going to miss the worst of that big storm that's brewing tonight. Ouch! Call call me a selfish bastard but if turns out that way hard lines southern dudes.

So walking home last night from the town was rather pleasant. Kids still playing out (really) in the little playground next to the old white bridge (sorry, only very local residents will know where I'm on about. Also local residents will know it's a local blackspot for muggings but half-cut with drink I felt an element of invincibility and obviously didn't think it through. Anyway, I'm here to tell the tale so all''s well blah blah.

Been going out quite a bit since my last post. 4 times no less (another reason for skimping on the £6 taxi last night).

In chronological order -

Tuesday 15 October

Saw a heart warming and brilliant full band performance by Withered Hand from the Fife based Fence Collective (of King Creosote and James Yorkston fame on . He played crowd faves from his album Good News, such as Providence, Cornflake and Religious Songs together with a good roster of powerful (dare I say) anthemic new songs. The fact I can't remember the titles is no reflection on WH. It's just about my memory. Mutual love all round. He's coming back and we all cheered.

Sunday 20 October

Back in the day (about 1981) for a couple of months I honestly thought The Monochrome Set were going to be bigger than The Clash. They brought out 3 great singles, the double a side He's Frank b/w Alphaville, the bonkers Eine Symphonie des Grauens and The Monochrome Set. Then they signed to a major label and brought out their first album Strange Boutique and it became clear they weren't going to be as big as The Clash.

I was intrigued as to what happened to them and assumed they had just reformed (like every other living punk and post-punk band on the planet) but it turns out they've brought out 11 studio albums and have never really been away.

I didn't have high hopes but it was a really good show. It reminded me of what I liked about the poppy side of post punk. A simple line up of 2 guitars, bass and drums. No fannying about swapping instruments and an absence of effects and wanky guitar solos. Of course they did the hits and I really liked the re-arrangement of the "The Monochrome Set" and the true to original version Eine Symphonie....... That would have been enough but even some of the more recent songs were pretty good as well.