As a postscript to the last message: I didn't have a night off in the end, as I went down Smugglers to see Alfie Bernardi playing in support of his new album Stranger. He was cheerful, and had some good new songs. Sat with Caroline & Michael, Dean and Helen. The boys, along with Rufus and, a little while after, Bonj, then went down the basement to record. The rest of us, including Reuben, Jamie, Jonny Russel and Wookie, stuck around and caught the start of a gig by a group who Bonj reckoned were called Liquor And Poker (oh no...) and, going by their set and their sense of humour, he may well have been right. I'll just stick to saying that they had an electric guitar/five-string headless bass/bass saxophone line-up, and I left during their comedy-accented version of Romeo & Juliet (the Dire Straits song, not the whole play, though I might have stayed longer if the latter had been the case), and you can decide if they're the kind of band you might like. I've not seen any of the others since...

Over to Eastbourne on Friday for Rumiko gig. Caught train on my own, headed down to Via in Terminus Road, gig was upstairs. Rumiko soundchecking when I arrived. Aside from the band, only other person from Hastings I saw there that night was Katherine Wallinger, who'd gone along for the birthday of a woman who's going out with Simon Skinner, who was promoting the gig. Glad to see Clare Murphy there too, who was also there for the birthday, and was suprised to find a load of her old Hastings friends playing a gig. Hadn't spoken to Clare properly since Dan and Pip's wedding a few years back, so I was really pleased to be able to get back in touch with her. More old friends there too: Adam McNaught-Davis came along partly in his guise as editor of East Magazine, but who was at college with us all way back, and can be heard practising his interview technique on the Duplo compilation Strange Holidays In Techno (double cassette on Coastline Records: still available for anyone who asks for it - every home should have one!).
Tim Williams (still in the country then) played first, and was doing better than when I last saw him down Smugglers. The Late Greats played next, a band signed to Simon's Izumi label, and one of whom was going out with Clare's sister Helen: I remember enjoying them, but I've forgotten what they sounded like already. Adam's flatmate Jamie Jones got a few songs played afterwards, and was fine enough too, before Rumiko Jr headlined with what sounded like a good set... You might be getting the picture that I wasn't really paying too much attention to the music at this point, and you'd be right, 'cos I was drunkenly catching up on things with Clare and Katherine for most of the evening (The Warehouse Dolls was a long time ago...)
I did speak to both Simon and Tim Williams (I think) at different times too, but fuck knows what I was saying. Got the last train home on my own, and nearly passed-out en route, again.

Got the master of the new Rashamon single in the post from Lee the next day, it's one of the best things he's done, a bit of an epic actually, so am looking forward to getting that released. Went down the Dragon in the evening for Reuben and Rob Savage's djing, and got trolleyed with them, Jamie, Wookie, Jonny Russell etc. Michael, Caroline and Marcus were there for a bit too, before they headed to Smugglers: Christa, Anna and Del all swam into focus at some point too. I'm skint now though, so at least I'm getting a night off now...

Word About Town, the Hastings literary festival, continued:
Saturday- bunk off the afternoon at work, and head up to the Electric Palace, where Iain Sinclair is discussing Edge Of The Orisin. Marcus joins me in a fairly packed house, for a good couple of hours of reading, rambling and discussion from Sinclair and the audience. A dvd of stills (Sinclair and Renchi Bicknell's photos from their walk) and film fragments (presumably Chris Petit's occasional shots from the same walk, plus old home movie excerpts) are projected behind him for a while as he talks and reads. There was a book-buying and signing thing after the audeince Q&A's, but the only thing that was coming to my mind was that they'd misprinted the key to the map at the front of the book, which seemed a bit facile to bring up, so I left it. Marcus went, I hovered for a moment, then said goodbye to Rebecca and went back to feed the cats. Then I thought that I was missing an opportunity for Rebecca to make an introduction between Sincalir and I (as her and Nicola had suggested they would do sometime when we were at a party a couple of months ago), so I went back up, and tried to see if I could jog Rebecca's memory by mentioning that, at the same party, we were talking about getting the Electric Palace to show Petit's Radio On (one of my favourite films, as I've mentioned on the Dizzy Tiger message boards before). As Rebecca hadn't even remebered that we'd been chatting at the Brass Monkey two days before, I realised that she was unlikely to remember another drunken conversation from a party two months before, so I said goodbye and went home again, feeling a bit of an idiot! Got home, and watched the Stereolab dvd to cheer myself up while I ate dinner.
Reuben texted, as Maya from Trinity Wholefoods had complimentary tickets for Storm In The Castle at St Mary In The Castle that evening, so I headed out there afterwards and met Maya outside. I was whistling a few bars of The Noise Of Carpet to myself, which she identified straight away, which I was pleased and impressed by. Sally (not Helen Rider's friend this time, but Richard Evans' girlfriend - I really ought to get better with people's surnames) had offered a place on the table she was at with Jo and Romily, but when Reuben arrived (late) I sat with him and Maya for the evening. There were three varied and worthwhile acts: Zena Edwards (whose finest moment involved some rapid thumb piano accompaniment (even many years exposure to Ade's Rhodesia: Safari On Sound tourist LP isn't bringing the proper name of this instrument back to my mind, which is pretty naff of me, so sorry folks), Adrian Mitchell (we did one of the Liverpool scene anthologies at school, and I'd independently read, enjoyed and quoted from in University essays his Man Friday novel, and I was really pleased to get the opportunity to see him: though I put the nose of a woman from the Hastings Anti-War Group out of joint, inadvertantly, when I said that the group photo of them that Mitchell had signed for a member currently in prison looked like Do They Know It's Christmas: Part 4) and London group The Irrepressibles ("Franz Ferdinand go classical" said Reuben; "Peter Cook joins the Arcade Fire" said I). Jonathan joined us for a bit, but was having (unfair) humour-issues with the guy from The Irrepressibles homosexuality. Maya, Reu and I bought their cd ep, and chatted to them after: they are a very warm and friendly lot too.
Reuben and I decided to go to Brass Monkey afterwards: Maya had (very fair) sexism issues with the general theme of the evening there and decided not to go, Jonathan declined too. There was a Brixton-and-proud group called Naked Ruby playing that night, which had dictated a Vegas/sleaze/fishnet/casino themed evening: much dressing up as showgirls or Rat Pack members (though I was still dressed for literature events: Reuben looked like he'd stepped out of Bugsy Malone). Naked Ruby were 5 suited guys backing a 50's glam frontwoman who played some mean Link Wray/surf guitar too, and pointed out that, lyrically, as far as she was concerned, Naked Ruby are a feminist group. They'd brought can-can dancing friends along (a chorus line of merely two!), and were back-projecting Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! Helen correctly identified the Meyer film to confirm my guesswork: she was out with Lisa in full showgirl regalia. Dean was with her too: also out were Helen, Sally, Marcus, Jamie, Matt & Bonj, Christa, Karen (yeah yeah Karen), Del, the Ben Davies/Gary Comber/Julian Wallinger skateboarding axis, lods and lods of people in fact, several of whom I propositioned unsuccessfully at various points of the evening (the day's cultural progress was rapidly slipping from literature reading, downhill to total sleaze by this point). We stayed late enough for the bouncers to want to chuck us out at the end: I was in the process of helping organise some filming by Julian of Regular John at this point (well, if you can't get Chris Petit, you get Julian Wallinger, it seems). Walked Christa back before getting back late.
Sunday was a bit more of the same, with The Book Of Job - The Musical at St Mary In The Castle as part of Word About Town again. I went along with Richard and Sally, Romily and Lethwyn: Sally and her friend Gigi were there too. Reuben, his mum, Carrie & I had seen a preview/precis of the musical in the back room of The Pig last year, with just Simon Clayton and Julia Pipette, but this was the (full?) six-performer version, and it was great fun, if a little bit disconcerting for a Sunday afternoon at some points, as the angel's songs of praise in the context of being in a church made us feel a bit Sunday-School. We all went along to Gritti Palace afterwards for a few drinks, where Reuben and Helen and others also were, and I relaxed deep into the sofas as the bar projected Saving Grace (passable British dope comedy) as part of their Sunday sunset cinema club. Everyone drifted off after the film though, me to raise a glass to Lou on occasion of her new job in The Stag. The evening kind-of fizzled out after then though, so at least I got a decent amount of sleep that night.

Thursday - got a bit vexed on the way home from work, and couldn't remember if I could afford to go out or not, but had said to Helen that I'd see her down at Eat @ Claremont for the Egg Box Poets performances, as part of the Word About Town festival. Bumped into her outside, and reluctantly went in, where Sally and Katherine were sitting with her, and spent the next half-hour or so trying to get my sums straight in my head, rather than listening to the poets and songwriters who were on at the time. Once I'd finally worked out that the money I had in my pocket was actually mine, I was able to buy some drinks and relax a lot more. Friends kept turning up who had been out all day for the Beaujolais wine tasting events that some of the bars were doing: several of them were dressed French in the spirit of it all. The performers who I knew were on later in the evening, so some of us stuck around, whilst others headed off earlier to Brass Monkey. Richard Evans was amiably engaging, even though one of the more serious poems he read was about Camilla, which I should have expected really, but didn't, so that was quite a sad reminder. Tim Hoyte played last, and he's really got some very lengthy songs at the moment! They're very good, and his guitar playing is ever-improving, but I was starting to be a bit pissed, and couldn't concentrate fully. Zoe was flyering for the Homegrown gig on 3rd Dec, that I can't get to, but she asked me to put the full line-up on the main site, which I've done. I walked Helen to the Monkey, intending on going home myself, but it turned out to be free, so I went in. Mama Josie, Rufus, Bill, Jim and Jo Brookes were doing a live funk band, and were really tight, and as everyone there was totally trolleyed, I joined in with the dancing to them and the djs, and got fairly more drunk. I can't really remeber much more than drinking, dancing and saying hello to the various people there (Dean & Helen, Reuben, Jamie, Del, Rebecca & Nicola, Tim, Jonatha, Richard: notice how the same names keep cropping up on this diary at the moment?). Just ended up being a top sociable night out really.
Friday - Went down FILO with Carrie early in the evening for a drink before she went to Tom's. I'd resigned myself to going home about 9:00 and watching Children In Need with a beer, but fortunately Reuben texted to offer to pick me up to go to Rye, as Sally and her friend Heather were driving over for a gig there. So that's where I went instead! A minor drawback was that Sally was expecting Reuben to buy her drinks in payment for the lift, but he'd left his cashcard at home, so it fell to me to buy several rounds for them (fortunatley, I'd been paid in cash that day). The band at the Ypres Inn were Eight Miles High: a late 60's covers band featuring Alfie Bernardi, Rufus, Bill, Jo and Paul Phillips. They were quite fun, and like loads of our friends, covered What Goes On near the end of the set (I've still probably not heard the Velvet Underground version, but I've got the Paris Angels cover!) amongst many others (Like a Rolling Stone, etc). It was just nice to be out with two warm women like Sally and Heather, and I had the feeling that Reuben and I were there to make them feel good as well, nice young boys (well, I'm younger than them, if not a boy at all) that we are. Though the only person who took a definite shine to me was some middle aged guy at the bar, who said he recognised me from Hastings. He was very touchy-feely! I was also able to chat to Alfie and Paul for the first time in ages, and remind them that the offer to be on the next compilation still stands. Told Rufus about the James Yorkston gig at Harpers soon, as he was one of the few of my friends who identified St Patrick when I played it in my dj set at the Gritti Palace earlier in the year. Reuben and I left the pub seperately, but still later than Sally and Heather, so both had to do the same run down the hill and round the corner to the car, both afraid that we'd been left behind. But no, they waited, and got us home safe. Thanks all.

Monday night: Jonathan Martin at Harpers, with full band. By the time they were ready to play, I'd spent what little money I'd brought, and when they started up I realised that I wasn't actually bothered about being there, so I nipped off. Tim, Jamie, Kim, Richard, Reuben, Laura and her mum, were amongst the crowd who turned up. They stayed, and said it went well, but I prefer Jonathan's stuff when he's playing alone.
Tuesday: Dean and Jim at Revolver. Bunch of the usual folk out and about, quite a nice evening really. Rufus and Bonj very pleased with the results of the Regular John sessions in the basement. Leon, Reuben, Kim, Jonathan, Giles and others all present. Got to closing time, and rather than sit there fancying the bar staff pointlessly, I headed off home, but it was a good one.

Been a busy few days, with trips to the FILO, and then Gritti Palace on Saturday evening. Louie ex- of Bronco Bullfrog was djing there, much of the Bronco/Gorilla axis were out, and I spent the time with Reuben, Helen and some of that circle. To Vicky - did you use to go out with Patrick Healy? There's no other easy way to work out if you're the same person I once knew or not! I declined the advances that were being made to me by early Queer On The Pier punters, as I couldn't be bothered to go clubbing for several hours just to get some queer-action that evening. Was a good night out though.
Then on Sunday, the Regular John ep launch party happened down Smugglers last night, and it was a beauty. I'd already spent some time this weekend, in the company of Matt and Bonj, stamping-up the cdrs and assembling the sleeves, so we were all set by the time of the gig. It'd been a bit touch&go 'cos National Snack had been booked by Ewen to play last night, but then he didn't hear from them and they didn't turn up, leaving the evening clear for the rest of us. This was only a slight shame, as one of the women in National Snack is just so...fuckin'..cool, but my fairly lenghty period of spending too much time on my own has at last lifted (for the time being), so I can't complain. Dean and Marcus played first, coming on 'stage' at about 10pm, so we knew it was gonna be a late one. The fellers played a good one, Dean letting rip at the end, though time meant their set was shorter than they were possibly planning on (I think the same applied to Regular John later too..). Special mention (again! But he's enjoying the attention) to Reuben, for fanning the flames of the trumped-up Regular John/Heaters feud (the latter were in attendence once again: say what you like about them, they're definitely loyal gig-goers) with his defaced and altered Heaters t-shirt. I was on cd-selling duty sitting on the pool table. Regular John were full-on again, with this week's suprise cover (except I knew they were gonna do it) of Sonic Youth's My Friend Goo (I was hoping they might alter the words to My Friend Stu for the occasion, but that would've been fairly crap really!), with Matt on screwdrive-in-the-guitar mode. Tey closed with their new-ish lengthy post-punk/prog workout, it's a blinder. Between us, I think Matt and I shifted about fifteen cds at two pound each, so money was made. The first, numbered copy to be bought turned out to be number 37, so if the young chap is reading this: well done! Now insure your copy. It was getting way beyond midnight at this point, as none of the many revellers (there was a seriously good turn-out) wanted to go, but after lenghty drunken chats with Rufus (Regular John are recording with him down the Basement tonight, which everyone's excited about), Dean, Reuben, Christa (bless), Jonathan, Liam (set to record a post- Down On The Farm track for the next Dizzy Tiger comp soon) and Richard Hart (likewise) I had to bow-out in order to get myself any kind of rest before work today.

Saturday - went to a housewarming party at Dean and Helen's flat. Was quite fun for a while, but I felt too tired too quickly, and could feel myself starting to get freaked out, so I went home again.
Sunday - Rumiko Jr/Tim Williams gig at Smugglers. Tim was knackered from celebrating his birthday in Eastbourne the night before, and kept fucking his songs up: still quite good though, if not as great as the time he played before. Rumiko, despite having been up all night at the aforementioned party, played a fierce one. Then I got really down and went home again.

Conclusion: I think I took too many drugs once! Oh well...

Just a quiet one down Revolver last night, watching Dean and Jim play. The boys done fairly well, but both they (and me by this time) were fairly knackered. Paul and Plum were around right at the start (before heading back to Rye); Bonj, Reuben and Jamie came along at different times, but only a handful of others were about. Reuben wants to start a website and label: do it mate, it's bloody easy! Everyone needed more sleep. Still, parties coming up at the weekend...

Spent Sunday evening over at the Regular John pad, sorting stuff out for the forthcoming Dizzy Tiger release of their Defeat All Tigers ep, and had a good time. The ep sounds great, and is definitely the most Rock thing ever to come out on the label. Bumped into Del and (I've forgotten his girlfriend's name, sorry) on the way there: they'd not been sure of the intention of the Burn Burn Burn article in the Hastings Observer last week, but I was able at least to pass on the explanations of his views that John Hill had subsequently emailed me, and to give them my friends' verdicts on it (Michael thought it'd been fairly dismissive: marcus hadn't seen any such tone), which I hope was reassuring for them.
The next evening, I emailed John with details on the ep, and (at the band's request) added another article for him: this time featuring a rather fictionalised account of the night before, in the sub-Steven Wells style. Whether he runs it or not, I'll post it on my message board eventually. Made me laugh anyway.
Then, down to Smugglers for their Hallowe'en gig. Dean and Jim were supporting again, dressed in very fetching airline pilot outfits (they looked like the Associates in fact, but that was unintentional of course). Man, they sounded strong: both are giving it more than ever as Jim's confidence in playing Dean's songs grows (as he's not in Rumiko otherwise, he kind-of comes to the songs from his own angle). And Dean's throat is getting suitably rougher and rougher every gig.
Regular John played one of their absolute stormers (shame Carrie and Tom didn't manage to stick around for it), breaking SIX guitars (well, the strings) and several amps in the process. Even with Dean and Jim's help, they were running out of working gear. At Bonj's request I recorded the gig with their minidisc (with Caroline's help when I needed bar or loo), and we were all glad we did! The set was very noisy, very spread out (random covers of Modern Lovers' Roadrunner segued with Hospital, and even some Screaming Lord Sutch action as Jack The Ripper bled into Hyeshin). The band and crowd were on fine form: The Heaters (who were there) were ribbed mercilessly, as were Mumm-ra and Lazycreek (who weren't) - bitching band rivalry, brilliant! Many of the crowd took a verbal kicking too, we pissed ourselves laughing. Much of Defeat All Tigers got aired too, and publicised. Everyone was out, it seemed, including most of the rest of Rumiko (and friends), Reuben (in Hallowe'en gear again), etc though a lot of people (eg. Jonathan, Richard Hart, Step, Christa) didn't appear 'til very late (I think many had been to see Ojm again, along at the Dragon), but it was getting on a bit by then, and though I was (unusually) wide-awake, I opted to get home 'cos I had much to do.
Before I went to bed, I made John a tape copy of the Regular John release, and the next morning was up at 6am, and out the house by half-past, so I could walk up to the Observer offices at the top of Battle Road and post it through the letter box, for him to receive in time for going to press, hopefulyy. Then I walked back into town, and got the train to work. I'm suprisingly still standing..