More Dreams and The Accidental Button Press

Yesterday I got my new contact lenses and there was a letter saying which lens went in which eye, which I duly followed. After giving my eyes hydration via and eye bath I put the lens in my left eye and it was very blurry but thought it will settle down. I prepared the right eye one but the left eye was still blurry , it wasn't going to settle down. Then I swapped the lens in my left eye to my right eye and I could see perfectly immediately. The letter had got the lenses the wrong way round , so now my sight is perfect.

I had a really odd dream , our work team were having a meeting in a classroom on the corner of the West Road and Clayton Street (it's a cake shop in reality so that might say something). There was my team and a Facebook friend Les who shares a love of Greek Mythology as demonstrated by this story

Ola by boss was writing in chalk on a blackboard and I was having real difficulty seeing , took my glasses off , no difference , but still had contact lenses in. Then walked out and visited a couple of record shops with another friend Sarah , who's birthday party I attended a couple of weeks back. Now there's only one record shop in that direction , Beyond Vinyl , although Vinyl Guru is the other direction  but there are the Amnesty Bookshop and Kazbats Den. I didn't buy anything and told Sarah that I needed to get back to work.

I then woke, washed , showered , and when I picked up my phone , the Marvin Gaye song "We Can Make It Baby" came on via YouTube. I have never heard before , it is quite good , but a sort of end to the dream sequence.

Nigel Blackwell of Half Man Half Biscuit in one of his songs wrote that and unusual thing in a dream would be going for a loaf of bread. in the song "San Antonio Foam Party" but all the lyrics are here and they are a literary treasure trove.

Talk Talk

It's always good to talk and chat with peopla about non essential things. Today I was in a shop discussing the merits of Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time" (wheich everyone should have and at least try to read and understand) and Simon Singh's "Fermat's Last Theorem" which while educating you about mathematics is also a brilliant cliff hanging detective novel.

Then I held the door open for a girl with amazing hair braiding / dreadlocks and mentioned a Facebook post by my friend Kaz which brought a smile to many people's faces., about her encounter with a Jamaican "bruddah", (see image).

The thing is encounters like this definitley make youy day better and it's always good to talk.

In my work environment I encourage lots of social talk and interaction, because that makes it much easier  to  then talk work when it matters. Social interactions remove inhibitions about whether you can actually speak to people.

I still see a lot of cliquery but often that's induced by familiarity and inhibitions about straying outside your box. Maybe my problem is that I often go way outside the box and end up tripping over my own feet, but more often than not it is a good end result.






Anyway today's music can only be "Talk Talk" by Talk Talk, which is a break from the recent proliferation of Alice Cooper, David Bowie and Rolling Stones.

It's Friday, it's the weekend and it's still sunny. Enjoy everyone

Meli Fluence

It's wonderful how one unrelated thing can lead to another giving causality to discovering things that you didn't know were there and generally enhancing your quality of life. On Staurday I visited Kazbat's Den where someone told me about Stay Free Records which I hadn't heard of, and when I got there I saw signs for Meli Cafe on the third floor, which I hadn't heard of, but is where Whistler's Cafe used to be.

I had a quick nip in and spoke with the manager who was very welcoming and told me what they were up to with lots of vegetarian and vegan options, as well as great views over Northumberland Street, This is an excellent selling point of the place which has a lovely light and airy feel to the place and is worth visiting for the views alone.

On Sunday I returned and this time tried a cafe latte and some lemon / coconut came which was lovely, and I manged to scam the best seat in the place after a couple cvacated it. The guy said people always try and gram that seat. My instagram images of my visit can be viewed here and their cups don't have handles but still look cool.

Look Mum No Handles

So definitley get yourself down there to enjoy this wonderful place, It's above the antique centre in the Alley opposite Haymarket Metro next to boots and near Sergeant Pepper's.

In other news I finished "Fermat's Last Theorem" by Simon Singh and while I had been reading it ten or twenty pages at a time, at the end I couldn't put the the thing down so that last fifty pages done in one sitting. This is a book about a mathematical theorem that is actually exciting, not the theorem , the book.

Next up is Neil Gaiman's "American Gods" which should keep me occupied for a while thanks to my friend Lyndsey and that has started very well, although I have seen the TV series so I have some idea of what might be coming.

I was trying to think of some Greek Music and basically was stumped , I suppose I could have gone for Aphrodite's Child, Vangelis, Yanni, Demis Rousos or Nana Miskouri but decided on the fictional Greek island of Navarone immortalised by The Skatalites.

You Can Guru, You Can! - Visiting Vinyl Guru?

You know what they say about buses, well it's not usually true of record shops, but the take off of Vinyl sales kicked off possibly by the rise of Record Store Day seems to have sparked that in Newcastle.

I noticed Beyond Vinyl while wandering around the Clayton Street / West Road area where Kazbat's Den  and The Star and Black Swan are located and was well impressed. They have plans similar to the excellent Pop Recs in Sunderland.

On Record Store Day I recommended Beyond Vinyl to Kirsty and Mark as Mark is into Vinyl, and she phoned me to ask where it was as they had just come out of Vinyl Guru. I asked them where that was and they told me and was shocked because I was completely unaware of it. So that's two  new vinyl record shops in Newcastle and if you rope in Empire Records / Long Play Cafe which has been around for twelve months or so that is three new vinyl stores in Newcastle to sit alongside RPM, Reflex and Beatdown, though I still miss Volume and Hitsville USA.

Anyway I finally got to visit Vinyl Guru yesterday and the guy was friendly and knows his stuff. They have a growing selection of new and second hand vinyl, one piece that I am very tempted by but managed to resist. They have a complete section for Bowie stuff and lots of vinyl related artwork and accessories. This means you have two excellent vinyl record shops within two hundred yards of each other.

They are also invoved in a Punk Art Exhibition "Never Mind The Punk 45" with Gallagher and Turner at The Late Shows in Black Swan this weekend so they are not a one trick pony.

The title comes from "The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles" interlude from Jethro Tull's "Passion Play" the excellent follow up to "Thick As A Brick". I was surprised to find a video for this on Youtube so thought I would include it, it is rather silly but some of the music is excellent.

Newcastle now has a healthy number of excellent Vinyl shops as well as a brilliant music scene and is one of the many reasons I stayed when I came up in the late eighties. Things have changed and a lot of those have been majorly for the better.

To Infinity and Beyond

Today is Good Friday and it was a pleasantly good Friday (apart from Preston getting trashed 4-1 by Sheffield Wednesday) but wandering around the Clayton Street / West Road Intersection I noticed what looked like a Vinyl display in what was Blue Moon. I wasn't mistaken, and it turnes out there is a new vinyl emporium in town called Beyond Vinyl.

Essentially it's a Vinyl shop which will do coffee , cake and paninis and will have a performance space as well, plud of course a lot of class vinyl.

I spoke with the guys in there and touched on the laser etched holograms on the Star Wars soundtrack (which you can see here) and they told me the first laser etched hologram was on a White Stripes album.

Actually it was Jack White's "Lazaretto" and you can see the Angel hologram here but it still bends my mind to think how you could possibly even think about putting that into play let alone actually doing it. Added to that the vinyl album has some weird hidden tracks built in that play at 33rpm , 45 rpm and 78 rpm, but even though I have ordered a copy it's just for the hologram as I alread have the CD of the album. You can see the effect here.

Beyond Vinyl is a new brilliant space for music in Newcastle as well as meeting up . It is similar in concept to the absolutely excellent Long Play Cafe in The Grainger Market (and Quayside) and Pop Recs in Sunderland and I am looking forward to dropping in quite a lot as it is round the corned from where I work and close to Kazbat's Den if you fancy extending your wardrobe.

I've found an excellent live take of "Just One Drink" from "Lazaretto"  to share with you as you read. Sleep well.

One of Those Weekends

I usually write, when I feel inspired or happy. I really don't like complaining or saying that I'm down. This weekend was an opportunity to do lots of things and, actually I've done nothing. I'm feeling apathetic and lethargic and divorced from any social interaction.

Yesterday I just about managed my 11K steps but today I doubt I'll hit 5K. I haven't been feeling that good, but as I write this I feel some sort of Adrenalin buzz. Yesterday and today I thought maybe I should write a blog post, but just couldn't motivate myself to do it. Now as I'm writing this , I know that after I've posted it , I will go out and do half an hour's walking , listen to some music, and feel much better for it.

It's ironic that the extremely good warm weather today is one of the reasons I haven't walked , the week before last it was bad rain one day that kept my waking down to 3K steps. In the Million Step Challenge I am more than 25K ahead of schedule and the intention is to hit a million steps by the last day of July. I think that will happen. It's quite funny to see some people's reactions when you say you are doing a millions steps. My friend Karen (proprietress of the wonderful Kazbat's Den) does 20K steps a day (she has a dog) making my 11K steps pale into insignificance, and you can see she is far fitter than me. I bought a studded belt from her two years back and despite repeated wear, though it's quite thin leather, it's still like brand new. If you want a leather belt or anything Goth , pierced or Majickal go there, it is absolutely wonderful.

Anyway, I am already feeling better. I've done catch up TV this weekend (American Gods, Ils, The Aliens, The Blacklist, Doctor Who)

Oh and this morning moved my record player this morning downstairs into the front room. I know my mate Marek from RPM has told me to get a proper one, and RPM have some beautiful vintage ones (take a look here), but my GPO is fine for me. I'm not an audiophile so that with my soundbar will be fine.

That was another thing, I needed a one plug AUX adaptor so went to the box in the garage where my cables, plugs etc are piled , as I was sure I had one, but no, it just looked like mass of liquorice strands so I though I may have to go to Maplin. This also was a bit of a downer for me, and I am not sure why, because I had solutions.

Then I ordered a cable from Amazon, went down again, thought I would look in the box and the first cable I pulled out was the one I needed. So I sent a cancellation request to Amazon, and played my first record downstairs , the laser-etched "History Never Repeats" by Split Enz (a bargain £3 from RPM) so that ended up fine, and I have a bit more room upstairs andmore music downstairs.

It is amazing how therapeutic that just writing this can be, There are a hell of a lot of my friends who have a lot more to deal with than me, and I do think about them and am there for them  when I can be, and when I think of the horrific events of the last few months I do realise how well off I actually am. I have spoken with people including my dad over this weekend, and he is dealing with stuff (by building extensions and putting roofs on at 82 like you do).

Sometimes just doing things actually kicks off the good stuff in you.

Anyway it's a new week and there will be lots of good things to come this week, I am sure, enjoy this gorgeous weather my friends.

A Bohemian Like Me

They say you wait ages for a bus then three turn up at once, well this isn't quite the same but had arranged with my friend Katie so try out the vegetarian and vegan place.I was saddened with teh demise of The Stateside Diner and was glad when The Bohemian appeared. I had met a chef from there in Kazbat's Den and said I would visit.

Anyway I got there early and noticed that it was cash only , not a problem as Central Staion is two minutes away and full of cash machines. Anyway I returned and Katie had booked a table , and was impressed with the album cover decor and the music playing , load enough to hear but quiet enough to talk. I then turned round and saw they also sold Vinyl !! You can see my instagram video here , so I was on to a winner m definitely.

Two weeks earlier I had found The Long Play Cafe on the Quayside , food , drink and Vinyl , so hence the bus analogy. Both these places are must visit places , if you are near get yourself in there.

Your Starter For Yum

Anyway we started with three tapas , tempura vegetables , breaded mushrooms ad nachos with vegan cheese, guacamole and the usual trappings . This was augmented by 241 cocktails though mine was non alcoholic.

The atmosphere was lovely , the music superb and they had Major Tom by Peter Schilling on vinyl , a record I had never heard until seeing Deutschland 83, so that was a must purchase.






Mains were a vegan hotdog and a chilli cheese chimichanga , and that left no room for cake , which did look lush.

This place is gorgeous,  while I normally only look for positives , this place positively ooozes positivity.

Will I be back ? Of course darlings.

And for the music ... "A Bohemian Like you" by The Dandy Warhols set to the Aristocats video , what is not to like.

Have a brilliant brilliant weekend.

Prince Has Gone , 400 Years Ago Bill Went Too

It was incredibly sad that we lost Prince this week , and while I do say the older we get the more this is bound to happen to us , he was younger than me , and infinitely more talented and sexier. A small man without a Napoleon complex, he let his talent do the speaking. My first album was the double 1999. He was soul and rock and rock and roll , sex and fun.

I actually heard some snide comments about him. "Well I wasn't surprised , he was just the same as Michael Jackson" . I can't even begin to educate that sort of idiocy.

Christopher

With Spoon we even considered some of his songs 1999 , Cream and Peach come to mind . The guy could do anything . Two of his albums were given away free , because he could. He would sell out gigs , cared for his fans, got a bit arsey about his contract with Sony , and showed a sly sense of humour (or should that be humor) when he became "The Artist Formerly Know As Prince" , when asked how it was pronounced Prince Rogers Nelson answered "Christopher".

Now is the time to drag out your Prince collection and listen  to it. And if you you haven't got a Prince collection , Why Not? Don't you dare use Spotify.

Anyway today is World Book Night where I join in marking William Shakespeare's passing by giving away copies of Matt Haig's Reasons To Stay Alive. A truly wonderful exhilarating book about how one man has dealt with a sever breakdown and depression. It is gorgeous, uplifting and if you don't get a copy from me BUY a copy . It is an amazing book.

And it also happens to be St George's Day. I have no problems with National Celebrations but I do have with Xenophobia , Racism and turning it into a marketing exercise for London based beer brands (Like St Patrick and Guinness) . Today at Newcastle Castle there is a big real Celebration with a Dragon and god knows what else.

Have a great day everyone , I'm gonna be in Newcastle giving books away and possibl visiting my friend Karen to see her new puppy in Kazbat's Den.

Here Comes The Snow

Here Be Monsters

Today was meant to be relaxing , but while a little grey , I ventured towards town to get a haircut and a couple of things. Then the snow came down and stuck. It made everything look wintry for Yule tide. I took shelter in the excellent Kazbat's Den a delightful Gothic shelter and shop you could easily lose yourself in, chatting about music and weather with Karen and Lucy. I had visited the shop the odd time in the past but with the sad destruction of the Kard Bar , Karen had set up a fund to help with the funeral of the owner here and is raising money with a hoodie raffle here so if you want to contribute please do. It is a wonderful place to drop into and you never know what you might find.

The snow is still coming down and it is dark and winter has it's foot in here. So it's time to keep warm and light a fire ,keep warm with someone and look out for others. Was thinking of some seasonal related music , but I was talking to Karen and Lucy about The Men That Will Not Be Blamed for Nothing and Jordan Reyne , so I have included spoongig links to them if you click on the names, although if you click on this Jordan Reyne link you will get all the posts about her on this blog.

Anyway there is snow so in a vaguely tangential reference I've chosen Antarctica by the awesome Sound Of Guns

Oh the blog has now had 99,700 viisits , so another 300 to the 100K target for the end of the year , tell your friends

Enjoy the snow , enjoy your Saturday , enjoy your weekend