OK, this is a little weird. Just above Nik Kershaw and Busta Rhymes. Now THAT'S where I want to be.

Right, this CD is utterly fantastic. Electronica has been through a torrid time of late...And don't even get me started on remixes. What was once such a fine and noble addition to the sonic roster has now become a creative cul-de-sac, populated with the lowest breed of chancers.
So nice to have so much faith restored , all at once. Wonky, skewed brilliance. Investigate, if you can.

Quick update then......All is looking good in West London tonight. Me, I'm sitting down to sort out my laptop, take care of business and check out some of the tunes which will make it into the box for this weeks DJ engagements. More later.

So, a quick recap on my activities over he past few days. Pop quiz Thursday was a near-triumph (2nd) possibly only stymied by an over-indulgence of those bloody vodka shooters at the end. Friday? A hangover. Saturday, the most foul day imaginable in Brighton, rounded off by the reappearance of my signature recipe,Banging Cabbage soup. Yes, it does taste better than it sounds. So, as my useless spam emails gently clog my inbox, I'm typing this and getting ready for some of this.

Oh, go on, give it a try.

This could quite possibly be the most useful letter ever.

Another night of DJ-ing passes into history: it all went rather well, always a pleasure to play with this man. Another high point for me was playing a serious game on this little beauty, while some Dandy Warhols pumped out of the sound system courtesy of this chap. Still feel like my life is being played out at fast-forward pace, maybe this weekend I can actually sit back and enjoy it a little.

Wednesday starts with the sound of some Janes Addiction. Not really sure why, but it's working. Rain is lashing down outside, the flat feels cosier than ever. Be nice to write this day off and go back to bed. But, work beckons. DJ gig tonight, over at the Islington Academy, pop quiz tomorrow. It feels like a headlong dash into 2004.

Tonight, more than any other night, is time for Nick Drake. It's 29 years to the day. RIP Nick.
It's not really a quiet night for me either. Hey Ho. Got myself a new phone today..When a phone has this much memory and the longest standby time of any mobile phone EVER; why would I want pictures and colour and Java games? Before I sign off tonight, I wanted to go on record and give some sort of ceremonial doffing of my cap to Meg. Hers was one of the first blogs I ever read, and her erudite and poetic genius always inspired me to do it myself.
Tonights stream of random doggerel has been brought to you by the letter G and the sounds of This Man. G'night.

Geez. My email addy is now officially spammed out. 1161 in 2 days. To push a WW1 metaphor a little too far, my old address is going to have to stick its neck above the parapet and endure constant shelling, while my ultra-secret new address sits safely in its foxhole, with a glass of fine sherry and some very ripe stilton.
Hah! Bally spammers, let 'em do their worst!
Pop quiz update. First. That's FIRST, people. In both halves of the quiz. Won all the cash for the highest score.....And a bottle of Tuac-ca-ca-ca-ca for highest score in the gossip round. Specialist round this week? Well, we walked in off the street to find out it was Spinal Tap. Never mess with someone who's actually lived it for the best part of a decade. So, in summary, I rule: other people don't- that's our news for tonight, goodnight.

Over at Pete and Michelles place at the moment, just waiting to eat some fajitas!

Ipod update: sorted. Seemed to need some sort of reset, then lots of lovely health-giving electricity. Strange, it almost felt like nursing it back to health. Am I developing an unhealthy Jacko-style relationship here? Also, will I ever be able to do this in london? It all seems a little contrary to that British sense of reserve. Don't we use ipods (or whatever) at least partially, as a way of avoiding contact?

Now THAT is how to have a good weekend. Can't really say much more, due to the sensitive nature of the subject matter, but it was a blast. Involving most of my workmates, a lot of booze and some seriously depraved behaviour. Monday brings with it, as ever, fresh challenges. Like, how did that happen? And here's me thinking my glorious little white amigo is a bombproof marvel Oh well. Pop quiz at the Eagle tonight, with the added frisson of not knowing what the specialist round is. Expect a disappointed team to be drowning their sorrows in Tuaca.

Just a quick note about the current colour scheme of the blog...it was a snap decision (as so many things in my life are), but seeing as it fits in with the colour of the Central Line, i'm cool with it.
Mind you, that's only for the weekdays...
Back down to Brighton in a few hour's time..

Another day dawns in West London, this time with added rain. Looks like being a rather hectic start to the weekend, what with a rather flashy party tonight *lips sealed* and probably more DIY for Saturday and Sunday. I better plough.

Listening to this as I type, hairs bristling on my forearms. Tonight, and I mean it this time, will be a quiet one. A brief look back at the day that's passed, some Buckley, Drake and Cash, hot chocolate and the land of nod. It's been an odd experience, staring up a blog. I thought i'd do it so other people could see what i'd been up to. Instead, it turns out that I feel calmed somewhat by seeing what i've done transferred to the page. Selfish it may be, but it feels right.

*ahem* so last night wasn't actually all that quiet at all...this says it all , really.

Todays QOTD on popbitch was: what do you do when you're REALLY pissed off? Well, for me, (so long as i'm online) this tends to do the trick. Every once in a while, a little "Yesss, you can do anything" puts me back on an even keel. Another quiet night for me tonight, to see off the cold: friday sees the return of the Iain you all know and love. Well, if it's a quiet night, you just know i'll end up watching this. Wonderfull stuff, the fact that it has had no real release, not even been issued on DVD......it troubles me a little.

Still loving the Burninator......in fact all of the Homestar stuff is just wonderful. Just as well there isn't a soundcard here in the studio....

So here's another suprise for you: this is on the stereo. It's been the one CD that has kept me sane in a year which has seen so much upheaval and change. It's also a silent ghost which stands at my side as I traverse this great city. It's there as I skip down the stairs at Chalk Farm Station; it's in the rain as it slides down the Taxi window. Above all it's in my mind as I sit here alone in my little flat, looking out at the world.
My headcold is diminishing in it's ferocity which is rather nice; it's been a miserable few days.

Well, that's the end of another working day. What with the cold and everything,it's been like wading through treacle. Todays purchases include more Greensleeves Rhythm goodness, as well as some Creamy smooth country biznizz, and lots more besides. Just got back from the Fish with the man like Jez DeBorg. Time to relax.

Always been a bit of a freak for early Ultravox! (note that all-important "!") so it's fairly incredible to find a japanese fansite has managed to turn up an unreleased tune i've never even heard of.(TV ORPHAN) Now, if I could just get my computer to actually play it.....
Bah.

Why Westway? I guess I should have made that clear earlier.
Until a few years ago, I ownded a little white Peugeot 205, when it was about to roll over it's mileage from 99,999 to 100,000 miles, I loaded the first Clash CD onto the stereo and drove up and down the westway until the moment arrived. I guess that tell you all you need to know. It's West London, i'm West London. It's also where Nick Drake stood for the back cover of "Bryter Layter".

Right, my first real post. Got a horrendous headcold which is slowing my pace to a crawl, but it's really time to get up. V/O this morning, then off to work.

So, it's about that time. Time to get it on and do the blog thing. I've been meaning to for ages, but never got round to it. I'm fairly sure that I believed that for someone to speak, they have to feel it's their turn. Perhaps it's mine right now. Whatever, it's here that it all begins.