Who Dares Bares

Recent books (a selection)

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:59:18 GMT

Nicholas Rankin, Dead Man's Chest - Travels after Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson, An Inland Voyage
Robert Louis Stevenson, The Amateur Immigrant
Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island
Charlie Connelly, Attention All Shipping
Marc Spitz, How Soon Is Never?
Johnson & Boswell, A Journey To The Western Islands / A Tour To The Hebrides
Alan Sillitoe, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
Joseph Conrad, The Shadow-Line
George Simenon, Het bloedspoor in de sneeuw
Oliver Sacks, Musicophilia
Pascal Mercier, Night Train To Lisbon
Yann Martell, Life of Pi
Guy Browning, Never Hit A Jellyfish With A Spade

... Oh, for more time

Wed, 27 May 2009 11:11:44 GMT

I found Blackmoss Pot and Sleddale Hall today.

Morrissey Live History

Wed, 27 May 2009 11:07:15 GMT

2009 - Antwerp Queen Elisabeth Hall (8 June), Manchester Apollo (23 May), Hull Arena (19 May), Liverpool Empire (10 May)
2008 - Lille L'Aéronef (19 Jan)
2006 - Manchester G-Mex (23 Dec), Birmingham Symphony Hall (20 May), Liverpool Philharmonic Hall (12 May), Blackburn King George's Hall (11 May), Amsterdam Heineken Music Hall (10 April)
2004 - Dublin The Point (20 Dec), Liverpool Royal Court (9 Sep - stage door), Manchester Move Fetival Old Trafford (11 July), Manchester M.E.N. (22 May)
2002 - London Royal Albert Hall (18 Sep)
1999 - Glasgow Barrowlands (5 Dec), London Forum (13 Nov - autograph), Liverpool Royal Court (11 Nov - shirt)
1997 - London Battersea Power Station (10 Dec)
1995 - Brussels (Dec - cancelled), London Drury Lane (26 Feb), Edinburgh Usher Hall (5 Feb - on stage), Glasgow Barrowlands (3 Feb)
1992 - Dusseldorf Philipshalle (23 Dec), Paris Le Zenith (22 Dec)

Liverpool Empire, 10 May 2009

Mon, 18 May 2009 16:54:41 GMT

Fantastic to witness another Morrissey show at last. He was moody, broody and in great voice - and these are all compliments. "Are you in the mood? Prove it." "...and blocking your view..." I was designated Row R, but advanced briskly to Row D for the first 4 songs and firmly held position around Row G after being challenged. Set list approximate:

This Charming Man
Billy Budd
Black Cloud
How Soon Is Now?
Irish Blood, English Heart
Ask
I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?
Girlfriend In A Coma
The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores
Seasick, Yet Still Docked
When Last I Spoke To Carol
The Loop
Sorry Doesn't Help
Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
Let Me Kiss You
Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself?
Best Friend On The Payroll
I'm OK By Myself
/First Of The Gang To Die

CC Mechelen, 15 May 2009

Mon, 18 May 2009 16:22:05 GMT

Lloyd Cole's visit to a cosy venue not 20 miles away was a nice unexpected treat on my sojourn in Antwerp. He accompanied himself on 2 lovely Taylor guitars (the darker one he was retiring after tonight) and sang softly the songs of long ago and not so long ago. Beautifully depressing. I mean, very nice. I seem to recall he played, among a few others (definitely no 'Perfect Blue', 'Patience', 'Forest Fire', 'Jennifer She Said' or 'Shelley I Do'):

Fool You Are
Tower of Song (Leonard Cohen)
Rattlesnakes
Everysong
Don't Look Back
My Alibi
Brand New Friend
Old Enough To Know Better
That Boy
Morning Is Broken
Man Overboard
No Blue Skies /
Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?
Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself
Human (The Killers - just a snippet)
Cut Me Down
Butterfly
Late Night, Early Town
No More Love Songs
Hey Rusty
Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends (Kris Kristofferson)
The Impossible Girl
Lost Weekend
Perfect Skin
The Young Idealists
Unhappy Song //
2 cv
Undressed

Musing on the strange existence but

Fri, 01 May 2009 21:51:23 GMT

The disappointment of having tonight's Smiths Indeed gig in Leicester cancelled due to flooding, was tempered by the prospect of seeing Bob Dylan live. I didn't have a ticket, but I was quietly confident. After glimpsing a sunny morning and waking to a wet grey afternoon, it was wonderful strolling down to the Albert Dock in the evening sunshine. With all the little triumphs of the recent past behind and the tantalising promises of the imminent future ahead, I felt great in the present. What a setting. I got a ticket from an older gentleman loitering by the box office, happy to take a small loss. Lucky me. I chose not to take the seat on the ticket, but one closer to the stage and facing where I knew Dylan would be. He didn't disappoint. Perfect set. He even played guitar on 1 song. Highlights for me were 'Things Have Changed', 'Something' and 'All Along The Watchtower', but that's not fair on the other songs. I walked back through a busy Friday evening town musing on this strange existence but happy to be alive. I bought some alcohol by the bombed-out church and took a taxi home where I played a few songs and then wrote this.

Change has come?

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 20:37:40 GMT

Change has come? Well, maybe ever so slightly more than usual. What do you do when the dream becomes reality?

Still, another fabulous day on Merseyside. Saw 'Of Time And The City' at FACT, about nostalgia, removal & troubled love for this city. Very moving. I was the youngest person in the audience by 50 years, surely - but I didn't feel it.

After another very important meeting in Toni's, I was back in time at Pelham to prepare for the fireworks in Sefton Park. Gin, vermouth & lime. A splendid spectacle of people & lights.

How I love to be a part yet apart.

Travel moves

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:02:44 GMT

A day in a million. A day to feel wonderfully alive. A blessed life. Despite its unhappy episodes (but why dwell on those?).

Wake up next to one you love. Wash off last night's alcohol and walk to the station to travel, alone, back to Liverpool.

It's a perverse pleasure to observe the business of the morning without having to take part.

A romantic goodbye (or isn't parting romantic?) in one cathedral and you're on the move again, towards another, and two more. "A glorious stirring of the senses."

It's the second leg of the 11th round trip of the year. The Medway and towering St Pancras are soon in sight. Today there is time to explore two new hidden treasures: Camley Street Natural Park and St Pancras churchyard.

The 14.17 from Euston is busy, but as usual you manage to find two seats in the quiet zone. Traveling backwards is a small price. You've bought Country Walking and Uncut and even nod off.

It's overcast, windy and raining in Liverpool, so get into a taxi. The driver is the head stewart at the Anfield Road End and suggests you should apply.

Home. Millie's in fine form. No bad mail. Even a postcard and a letter. There's enough milk for tea. And the paper you found on the train reveals more delight: there's a whole evening of railways specials scheduled on BBC4 later: The Whisky Train, British Transport Films, Elizabethan Express, Palin to Kyle of Lochalsh and Betjeman to Metroland.

Time to play a few songs on the guitar and go for a quick walk in Sefton Park while the rain has stopped. Just perfect.

Reading, listening, watching, drinking, walking

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:53:50 GMT

Reading: 'Exit Music' (Ian Rankin), 'Thirteen Moons (Charles Frazier) & 'Tennis Whites & Teacakes' (John Betjeman)
Listening: 'Lie Down in the Light' (Bonnie 'Prince' Billy), 'Cripple Crow' (Devendra Banhart) & 'Masterworks' (CPeX)
Watching: 'Rebus' & 'Morning In The Streets'
Drinking: Jura
Walking: Sefton Park & Ainsdale

"I live in the clouds"

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 12:51:10 GMT

"Maybe it's an illness of our century, to want to have an answer for everything. There shouldn't be answers. We live in a world where our senses are dulled by so many images, where we surrender ourselves to little robots. I hate my century, I hate what's going on around me, so I don't participate. I don't have a laptop, I don't have a cellphone, I can't send an email. I'm an imbecile! But I say that with pride. On the wire, I don't think, I do not allow thoughts to come in. It's a strange thing, because I have to concentrate, but not with a blindfold. I have to be very open, I have to look, and smell, and hear, and feel. But I don't think I think. I have feelings, of course, and those are the denominators. It's a magnificent joy, for sure. A joy that is extraterrestrial - and there's no pun intended there." Philippe Petit

Riders On The Storm in the storm

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:11:57 GMT

Thursday, 10 July 2008 - Rivierenhof, Antwerp (open air venue) in the rain
Line-up: Ray Manzarek, Robbie Krieger, Brett Scallion, Ty Dennis, Phil Chen, the ghost of JM
Fuel: Tequila Hornitos, Beer

0. O Fortuna
1. Love Me Two Times
2. Break On Through / Dead Cats, Dead Rats
3. Love Her Madly
4. When The Music's Over
5. Peace Frog
6. Moonlight Drive
7. Horse Latitudes
8. Wild Child
9. Alabama Song
10. Backdoor Man
11. Five To One
12. Touch Me
13. L.A. Woman
14. Light My Fire (encore)

Christmas Eve 2007

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 21:58:12 GMT

We,
Return from Crinan via Loch Fyne, Loch Lomond, Glasgow Art School & Shap,
Sleep,
Procure provisions at Smithdown & Speke,
The Sefton Park Horror Walk,
'Scrooge' (1951),
Bob Dylan Christmas Special.

The Smiths Indeed @ Newcastle Academy

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 13:35:25 GMT

Support: Seal Cub Clubbing Club

Intro compilation: Sick, Sober & Sorry (Gene), Toys For Boys (Marion), Courageous Cat Theme (New York Dolls), Beauty Of The Ride (Sebadoh), Oscillate Wildly (The Smiths), Love Of The Loved (Cilla Black), How Could I Be Wrong (The Auteurs), Soul Meets Body (Death Cab For Cutie), Night Of The Vampyre (Moontrekkers), Lucky Day (Smoking Popes)

Intro music: Dance Of The Knights (Prokofiev)

Sheila Take A Bow / Nowhere Fast / Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now / This Charming Man / Still Ill / Reel Around The Fountain / What Difference Does It Make / Hand In Glove / These Things Take Time / William, It Was Really Nothing / Cemetery Gates / What She Said / Barbarism Begins At Home / Stretch Out And Wait / Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before / Ask / Panic

The Queen Is Dead / Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want / Girlfriend In A Coma / Bigmouth Strikes Again

Shoplifters Of The World Unite / There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

Hilarious impressions

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 23:30:43 GMT

In the early hours of this Monday, we sped back from Bristol through the starry night up the M5 & along the M6, a weekend of terrific gigs behind us. The hilarious impressions flowed freely. As did the sardonic comments. Somebody snored.

Great news today

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 22:16:08 GMT

I've had so little enthusiasm for stepping out that when I did this afternoon I enjoyed it all the more. Autumn's really arrived in Sefton Park. Leaves are slippery on freshly tarmac'd roads. Looking forward to a few weeks away, but savoured the last day all the more, as usual. Great news today, one of our upcoming gigs has sold out and half a dozen new ones are pencilled in for next year. Hardly any money coming in at all, but it matters not. Because I remember the attic room & the wine & the merry few:

                Dreaming when Dawn's Left Hand was in the Sky
                I heard a Voice within the Tavern cry,
                "Awake, my Little ones, and fill the Cup
                Before Life's Liquor in its Cup be dry."

Great magical images in the madhouse

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 22:36:16 GMT

Brilliant. A televison program about a televison program that doesn't exist anymore, because the original tape was burnt. The Madhouse On Castle Street. Great magical images of the London winter of 1962-1963. "I remember feeling at home." "It was the coldest winter on record: Britain was frosty and grey. Millions of milk bottles were buried in snow drifts, Cliff was number one, and there were two TV channels and three radio stations (all BBC)." It's wonderful to be transported in time like this.

Maudlin Rich, The Cavern Club, 11 Oct 2007

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:13:18 GMT

From The Caveau (Antwerp December 1999) to The Cavern (Liverpool October 2007) in 9 easy years. The circumstances weren't ideal - they never are, but it was truly savoured despite the usual nerves. Vinny Peculiar & his band were fine company to keep.

Whither Perfect?
Oh No
Crossing
Song To The Siren
Grand Day Out
Post Mortem
Lost, Beautiful & Young

I sold a CD straight after coming off. But that's where the demand ceased. Still, not bad.

Thank god

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 22:55:04 GMT

I still don't have a steady job, thank god. And so I do whatever I want to tonight. No, not really, but it's enough. "I can't believe I'm alive." I am though, senor.

Stations of the cross

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 09:55:00 GMT

I'll miss promenading between Waterloo and Euston when I'm travelling between Liverpool and Antwerp. My favourite route ambles along Waterloo Bridge, Bow Street, Endell Street, the streets around the British Museum and Tavistock Square. It's a lot less hectic than going along Hungerford Bridge, Charing Cross and Tottenham Court Road. It's the difference between a leisurely breaststroke and a mad trudgen.

I'll welcome the change all the same when Eurostar moves to the magnificent St Pancras on 14 November. New routes to explore.

"If I could beg, steal or borrow
A ticket on some ship or plane
I'd be leaving London tomorrow
To fly to my own love again"

Those innards

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 15:37:52 GMT

I found out that if you don't eat for a day in an attempt to give your innards a break, those innards might protest the next morning. The mind rules the body, but not just any mind, mind.

Just being there

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 15:34:20 GMT

Some of those fireworks bounced right off the Anglican Cathedral and upward. Little parachutes dropped over the night sky. What were we celebrating? The 4-0 victory? The passing of time? Liverpool's 800 years of what? Or just being there.

There is nothing like

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 10:04:10 GMT

There is nothing like crossing London on foot from Camden Road to Camden Road, via Primrose Hill, Regent's Park, Hyde Park, Battersea Bridge, Notting Hill Gate on foot on the hottest day of the year. Food, drink, dreams & vistas were well-earned.

What we vote for today echoes in eternity

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 22:10:00 GMT

Great Scot! - We're on the album, with...

HAS ANYONE SEEN ELVIS'S DEAD BODY?
- An exclusive track for AQA 63336 by Maudlin Rich
has been selected to appear on AQA's 'Greatest Questions' album.

'The Immortal Story', I do believe

Sat, 02 Jun 2007 23:08:22 GMT

The Only Ones, Manchester Academy, Friday 1 June 2007. After all these years, they're still the Ones. 't Was in Manchester I bought my first Only Ones album back in good old 1991, 'The Immortal Story', I do believe. John Perry looked very keen, Peter Perrett looked like he'd grown around his guitar, Alan Mair looked very serious until he smiled & Mike Kellie just got on with it. "Better late than never, as they say". Strangely, I had Mike Joyce to thank for this.

1. Lovers Of Today
2. Miles From Nowhere
3. From Here To Eternity
4. Inbetweens
5. The Whole Of The Law
6. She Dreamt She Could Fly
7. Programme
8. It's The Truth
9. Why Don't You Kill Yourself
10. Even Flowers Die
11. As My Wife Says
12. The Big Sleep
13. No Peace For The Wicked
14. Another Girl, Another Planet
15. The Beast

16. Flaming Torch
17. Me & My Shadow

Really feel what was happening

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 23:07:22 GMT

The lunar eclipse last night was the highlight of the evening. I think Millie came under its spell too, or perhaps she was just extra hungry because of all the, erm, eating she'd been doing. The last one, in London January 2001, was much redder, but with this one I could really observe it developing much clearer & really feel what was happening.