Powerful Pierre holds forth

Sandra

2007-05-14T18:44:00.000Z

Sandra

New Harbour album

2007-03-05T14:33:00.000Z

The new Harbour album is finished!

Two new tracks are on the MySpace page now.

Work continues...

2007-02-20T23:03:00.000Z

8 tracks done so far.

I will put some new ones on MySpace soon.

www.myspace.com/harbourbrighton

New MySpace page

2007-02-13T20:46:00.000Z

I've just created a MySpace page for the music I've started doing on my 8 track. Using the old Harbour band name that I've used in the past.

Click here

Yum

2007-02-02T14:24:00.000Z

Yummy dinner - Chinese steamed pork dumplings.

Favourite music of 2006

2006-12-20T18:32:00.000Z

Joan as Policewoman 'Real Life'
M Ward 'Post War'
Joanna Newsom 'Ys'
Cat Power 'The Greatest'
Tom Waits 'Orphans'
Bat for Lashes 'Fur and Gold'

Gig of the year - Flaming Lips (again!)

Happy Xmas everyone.

First dance

2006-12-03T21:35:00.000Z

first dance
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Wedding!

2006-11-27T21:17:00.000Z

Me and Sandra's wedding!

Flaming Lips - Brighton Centre

2006-11-05T11:18:00.000Z

Flaming Lips
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Fantastic gig. What a great band. Words fail me.

Life

2006-10-11T22:11:00.000Z

Haven't posted for a while and without going into details I just want to say this: Life eh? Doesn't it throw some funny things at you?

I played my guitar this evening. I'd forgotten how important playing is to me.

That's all for now.

PP

Low gig at Koko

2006-08-04T22:15:00.000Z

Low gig at Koko
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

It was really great to see Low playing their 'Things we lost in the fire' album all the way through.

Hanbury Ballroom

2006-07-11T21:49:00.000Z

hanbury ballroom
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Really sad to hear that the Hanbury Ballroom in Kemptown, Brighton, has been sold and will become a bar. The Hanbury has been a great live music venue and I know many people will miss it.

Dylan Moran gig

2006-06-26T09:24:00.000Z

Dylan Moran
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Saw Dylan Moran at the Dome in Brighton last night. While there were undoubtedly flashes of brilliance, on the whole it felt like he was coasting.

I've often found with comedy gigs by well known people that they simply don't have to try that hard as the audience is won over before they say a word. I think the best comedy gigs are always the ones where you see an unknown comic and they surprise you. So why do I keep going to these things...?!

Album I can't stop listening to

2006-06-23T17:57:00.000Z

Is Joan As Police Woman. Her debut album 'Real Life' is fantastic, especially 'The Ride', which is the best song I've heard for a long time. Just got her first mini album too, which is a bit more guitar based. There's a lot of Jeff Buckley in there, and PJ Harvey, but mainly just really interesting arrangements and top songs. Would really like to see her live - Brighton date please!

Looking forward to seeing the Flaming Lips and Cat Power on Jools Holland tonight.

Gig report

2006-06-22T08:56:00.000Z

Went to see the Mojo Fins last night at Sumo in Brighton. An enjoyable night, although I felt (a) old and (b) like I was in a living version of MySpace.

First though, the support bands. Only caught the end of Mike Lord who was doing a cheap keyboard on demo setting cover version of Money for Nothing which was pretty funny but gave no hint of his own stuff being so good in a kind of Ben Folds / Ed Harcourt kind of way.

Then 4 0r 5 Magicians who were cool in that they were actually enjoying themselves. Very Pavementy.

Actress Hands were less successful, and looked like they just didn't want to be there. Teenage Fanclub is what they sounded like to me, without the fun.

The Mojo Fins then. (1) they are a good band with some excellent ideas. It was a shame they only had time for a fairly rushed set. Seeing as they haven't played in Brighton for 6 months and were headlining it's bad that they didn't have longer.

To be construcitve, they actually sounded best musically on the instrumental they played at the end in terms of the balance between instruments. I think they should try their current bassist on keyboards, tall guitarist on bass, leaving curly haired guitarist as main singer. And get the drummer a non-picolo snare as it sounds rubbish.

Powerful Pierre potters

2006-06-21T14:46:00.000Z

Well, I am pottering in this time off before I start my new job. Today I have had a mighty clearout of cupboards. Why did I have 5 year old BT bills in there?!

Planning to go and see the Mojo Fins play tonight at Sumo in Brighton. Have heard them on record but not seen them live - report to follow!

PP

But is it music..?

2006-06-13T15:00:00.000Z

My evening class in 'analogue electronic music' is certainly fun, although a bit Blue Peter at times. Splicing up old bits of tape into tape loops and playing them through the old reel to reel player was pretty cool, although only one out of my three loops was really anything like 'musical'. Rather less successful was the use of doctored film played through a projector to create sounds, at least to my ears.

Steve Reich used tape loops a lot of course. I'll have to check it out. I'm looking forward to building the Theremin later in the course I have to say, but if all this just leads me back to the guitar, then that's fine too. Has anyone every played Theremin while playing guitar I wonder?

Hello again

2006-06-12T13:38:00.000Z

Well, here I am again. It seems to have been nearly 6 months since I last posted. I guess time flies when you're having fun!

You find me working out my notice period in my job in the far, far too hot conditions to be in an office. I wonder if my new office will have air con? Somehow I doubt it...

Anyway, it's good to be back!
PP

Gigs in 2005

2005-12-30T17:38:00.000Z

Okay, here's a list of the gigs I went to in 2005. Best of the bunch has got to be Hem at the Komedia, as they were just such an unexpected discovery.

The Kills - Concorde
KT Tunstall - Komedia
Elvis Costello - Dome
Kelly Joe Phelps - Pavilion Theatre
Rufus Wainwright - Islington Academy
Doves - Dome
Hem - Komedia
EST - The Sage, Gateshead
Martha Wainwright - Komedia
EST - Dome
Chungking - Spiegletent
Subways - Concorde
Taj Mahal - Dome
Hem - Shepperds Bush Empire
Jamie Lidell - Pavilion Theatre
Chungking - Komedia
Kim Gordon / Perfect Partner - Dome
Acoustic Ladlyland - Hanbury Ballroom
Dirty 3 - Komedia
Rufus Wainwright - Dome

Pedal board

2005-09-08T21:14:00.000Z

pedal board
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Geeky I know, but this is my new guitar effects pedal board.

Buy Pete an Orange amp

2005-08-19T11:03:00.000Z

Orange amp
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Please give generously.

Cream tea

2005-08-15T11:21:00.000Z

Cream tea
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Just back from holiday in Devon...

Thank you Richer Sounds

2005-08-01T13:30:00.000Z

record deck
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

This £50 record deck brought joy to me and S's weekend!

New shoes

2005-07-29T15:53:00.000Z

New shoes
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

I like getting new shoes almost as much as I like cheese.

Cheese shop in Kemptown

2005-07-25T08:27:00.000Z

Cheese shop in Kemptown
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

I like cheese.

Mr Tourette

2005-07-22T15:05:00.000Z

Mr Tourette
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

These are so wrong, but so funny.

Thanks to S for the Modern Toss book!

Hush Collector CDs

2005-07-19T11:15:00.000Z

Hush Collector CDs
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

They're only 4 quid each you know...

Hush Collector website.

Badminton

2005-07-12T13:40:00.000Z

badminton
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Is the new rock and roll.

iTrip

2005-07-06T13:08:00.000Z

iTrip
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Fantastic gadget - iLove it!

Hush Collector

2005-07-05T15:19:00.000Z

I haven't blogged about Hush Collector - the band I play guitar in - for ages. So, here goes. The website is now live here. Song clips are there, and you can sign up to the mailing list to be kept informed about future gigs. Our debut CD will be onsale very soon, and we should be playing live in the Autumn, watch this space!

Jamie Lidell - Pavilion Theatre, Brighton

2005-07-01T09:58:00.000Z

Jamie Lidell
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Having seen Jamie Lidell at the Dome in March last year at a night of various music including Squarepusher, London Sinfonietta etc and being blown away, I was really keen to see him live again. His new album reminds me of Prince and Stevie Wonder, but live he didn’t do many of the tunes, many about four. He really puts on a great show though, helped hugely by Pablo Fiasco on visuals. I just would have liked to hear more of his singing and slightly less cut up beats, good though they were.

Hem - Shepherds Bush Empire

2005-06-23T10:22:00.000Z

I said I'd blog again about Hem after seeing them in March at the Komedia. Last night at Shepherds Bush Empire they were great again - really good songs, great musicians. They didn't play my favourite song, but they did do a cover of Radiohead's 'Black Star' which was pretty cool. I don't know if Hem are big in the US, but no one seems to have heard of them much here, and they didn't sell out the venue, which is a shame given how good they are.

Taj Mahal - Brighton Dome

2005-06-17T10:47:00.000Z

Taj Mahal
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Taj Mahal Trio and Idrissa Soumaoro at the Dome was pretty cool. Taj has some lovely guitars, and Soumaoro's band included someone playing what looked like an upturned pumpkin. Whatever it was, it sounded great. Thanks to Mark for the ticket.

The Old Vic Theatre

2005-06-08T08:48:00.000Z

The Old Vic
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Went to see The Philadelphia Story at the Old Vic Theatre on Monday night. Kevin Spacey was very good, and it's a lovely theatre. Highly recommended!

Anti-social hedges

2005-06-01T15:27:00.000Z

Anti-social hedges
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

It’s good to see that the new government has got its priorities right:

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister press release

Inconsiderate hedge owners to be cut down to size under new legislation

Homeowners will no longer need to suffer the misery caused by high hedges, under new Government legislation which comes into effect on Wednesday 1 June.

In the first instance, people must always try to resolve disputes amicably between themselves. In cases where an amicable resolution cannot be reached a complaint can be made to the local authority provided that:

- The hedge in question comprised wholly or predominantly of a line of two or more evergreen or semi-evergreen trees or shrubs;

- It was over 2 metres high;

- The hedge acted to some degree, as a barrier to light or access; and

- Because of its height, it was adversely affecting the complainant’s reasonable enjoyment of their domestic property (that is their home or garden).

Note that these powers come under the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003...

Star Wars

2005-05-27T09:14:00.000Z

Star Wars
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Well, what a surprise, the new Star Wars film isn’t pants. It turns out to be a hugely entertaining and engrossing film.

Okay, there is still the clunky dialogue, but it didn’t seem to grate quite as much this time. The parallels to Bush and the war in Iraq are clumsy but still fun – perhaps Lucas is trying to wrestle his baby back from the Right in the US after suffering Reagan using ‘Star Wars’ and the ‘Evil Empire’ in the 80s.

Leaving that aside, the film rattles along to the conclusion we all know is coming – Anakin Skywalker becoming Darth Vader. This is pretty gruesome (12A?) but extremely compelling, and when Vader awakes to discover that his wife has died, the very thing he was trying to avoid, is it (almost!) moving.

I say this of course as a lifelong Star Wars fan with fond memories of the original films and of playing with my Star Wars toys as a kid. Little did I know I’d still be excited by it in my early 30s!

Harold Budd - Brighton Dome, 21 May

2005-05-25T11:27:00.000Z

Well, this was Harold Budd's farewell concert and I'm sorry to say it was pretty dull. By far the best bit was the opening section featuring the Balanescu String Quartet, who I'd never heard before.

The second half was one long improvisation featuring Budd, Jah Wobble, and Robin Guthrie amongst others. I've just found this quote from Guthrie about the event:

"I've no idea what to play or who I'm expected to play with. It's somewhat vague, for sure but, well, with a day or two to rehearse, if we can't come up with something wonderful we should't be there.."

Unfortunately, they didn't. The result was very dull, not helped by dreadful feedback which the sound man seemed unable to control.

What a shame.

Chungking

2005-05-23T11:14:00.000Z

Chungking
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

I like Chungking too.

Photo by S.

Mini rally

2005-05-23T11:13:00.001Z

Mini rally
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

I like Minis.

Photo by S.

Embassy Court

2005-05-23T11:13:00.000Z

Embassy Court
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Went on a tour of Embassy Court as part of the Brighton Festival. It was really interesting to see inside, but this view from the roof was the best bit. Photo by S.

Anagrams

2005-05-23T11:08:00.000Z

Delighted with the following anagrams of my name:

Immense Strop

Mr Top Nemesis

Pisser Moment

Have fun yourself - clicky.

Changed Priorities

2005-05-12T08:20:00.000Z

Changed Priorities
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Went to see a play last night called Changed Priorities upstairs at Polar Bar Central, what used to be The Lift of course.

It was what I believe is called 'physical theatre' (as opposed to cerebral theatre?), and the three cast did a great job of playing over ten different characters and it was all very entertaining. Only 8 people in the audience though, eek.

Having not been to any theatre since I think seeing Tape at the New Venture Theatre years ago, it was good. Looking forward to seeing Spacey at the Old Vic next month though, more on that soon.

The Life Aquatic

2005-05-11T08:41:00.000Z

The Life Aquatic
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Well, what a strange film The Life Aquatic is, but hugely enjoyable. With Bill Murray in a bobble hat you can't really go wrong, but it's all the little incidental touches which really work. Probably a bit too long, the film was in danger of outstaying its welcome, but great fun nonetheless.

Sideways

2005-05-09T13:03:00.000Z

Sideways
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

What a great film Sideways is. Saw it on a plane earlier this year, which isn't the best way to appreciate it's subtle charms of dialogue and character interplay. Seeing it again last night made me realise how good it is. And it's out on DVD next week!

General Election ZZZzzzzz....

2005-05-06T09:47:00.000Z

Well, Labour held my constituency of Brighton Kemptown, no surprise there. Labour majority of 2,737 on a 60% turn out. I voted Lib Dem, and they got 6,560 votes, a 16.5% share. Would have liked to see the Lib Dems do better nationally, oh well. Looks like what most people wanted - a Labour government but with a reduced majority - is what has been delivered. Maybe our electoral system does work relatively well after all, I dunno.

Surprised to hear that so many people I know stayed up late to hear the results. As a true Politics graduate, I went to bed...

Martha Wainwright - Komedia

2005-05-04T08:06:00.000Z

I'd seen Martha Wainwright before, supporting her brother Rufus at the Dome, but for this gig she had her own band and a much more intimate venue. I haven't heard her album yet, but I did recognise some of her songs, some of which had a weird tendency to stop just as other songwriters would shift gear (would 'Modulate!' be the most anoraky heckle of all time?). Other songs sounded like the 'this is the first song I ever wrote' kind - although having a great drummer and guitarist can hide these things somewhat.

This gig reminded me of two others in the same venue - KT Tunstall who went down a storm despite being pretty average (the same reception was given to Martha), and Hem, who were wonderful. Unlike Hem, who held my attention the whole time, Martha was boring by the end. As she started a cover of the Stones' 'Street Fighting Man' (why?!), we left.

The Tears - Virgin Megastore, Brighton

2005-04-27T10:12:00.000Z

BB
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Well, it was good to see them close up after not being able to see them at all at the Heaven gig in December. Bernard had some very nice guitars, but I'm afraid for me the songs are just not that strong. Would still like to hear the album though.

Tell me something I don't know

2005-04-13T11:01:00.000Z

Who should I vote for?

Labour -18
Conservative -47
	Liberal Democrat 71
UK Independence Party -9
	Green 16

You should vote: Liberal Democrat

The LibDems take a strong stand against tax cuts and a strong one in favour of public services: they would make long-term residential care for the elderly free across the UK, and scrap university tuition fees. They are in favour of a ban on smoking in public places, but would relax laws on cannabis. They propose to change vehicle taxation to be based on usage rather than ownership.

Take the test at Who Should You Vote For

Napoleon Dynamite

2005-04-11T14:43:00.000Z

Saw Napoleon Dynamite last night - what a brilliant film! And it's out on DVD soon. At last, after the awful 9 Songs and 5x2, a decent film experience!

Morris Minor rally April 05

2005-04-06T08:18:00.000Z

Morris Minor rally April 05
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

I love them! Really made me miss the 1958 black four door Moggie that me and my Dad used to have.

Housing data for Brighton & Hove

2005-03-31T13:15:00.000Z

You may, or indeed may not, find the following interesting:

- The average house price in Brighton & Hove in 2004 was £205,674
- The average income was £22,718
- The ratio between these is 9.1
- 314 affordable homes were built
- 206 were sold through the right to buy
- 926 households were accepted as homeless and in priority need of housing
- 762 homeless households were housed in temporary accommodation

5x2 - Duke of Yorks

2005-03-31T08:59:00.000Z

One word - boring. The film 5x2 has had some glowing reviews, but is basically a fairly dull look at a couple breaking up. The fact that the story unfolds backwards - from their divorce back to when they first met - helps very little. Can someone please recommend a good film to go and see, as the last two I've seen have been real stinkers! Luckily my evening was lifted by good company - thanks S, B and W.

Easter

2005-03-29T10:13:00.000Z

Me at Easter05
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Yum

9 Songs - Duke of Yorks cinema

2005-03-24T12:00:00.000Z

One word - rubbish. How Michael Winterbottom got given money to make 9 Songs I just don't understand. I could just see no point in this film existing - it is completely boring. The male character being an arctic scientist is laughable. The music bits are okay, but seeing Franz Ferdinand etc playing the Brixton Academy is hardly that interesting. As for the explicit scenes - this seems to be the only reason this film was made, to generate press cuttings. And on that basis I suppose it's been a success, but when Film Review magazine says it is "the first film of 2005 not to be missed", er, no. Please miss it.

Baltic art gallery, Gateshead

2005-03-21T16:48:00.000Z

Me at Baltic
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Another example of an old industrial building being turned into an art gallery, the Baltic in Gateshead is a great building. Rather like the Guggenheim in Bilbao though, the exterior is more interesting than the actual art inside...

Esbjorn Svensson Trio - The Sage, Gateshead

2005-03-21T09:35:00.000Z

I have only recently started listening to Esbjorn Svensson Trio (thanks S!) and this was the first time I've seen them live. For a start, The Sage is a fantastic venue, and we were in the first few rows so had a great view of the band. They really were fantastic, Esbjorn of course, but also drummer Magnus (who did the oddest drum solo I've ever heard, through effects.) Esbjorn himself clearly has a huge ego, but the music is so great I can forgive him that. They are playing Brighton Dome on 18 May - catch them.

Hem - Komedia - 10 March

2005-03-15T12:36:00.000Z

Now, Hem were a real surprise. Never heard of them, didn't know what to expect, and they were amazing. Beautiful songs and harmonies, great musicians - a fantastic gig. Immediately bought their two CDs after the gig, which are great, and have booked to go and see them again in June in London. Check them out.

Doves - Brighton Dome - 8 March

2005-03-15T12:32:00.000Z

Doves are a good band, they have top tunes, the Dome sound was great, but this gig was strangely unengaging. Refreshing to see a guitarist use the same guitar for the whole gig though, instead of changing with each song!

Rufus Wainwright - Islington Academy

2005-03-02T10:16:00.000Z

Saw Rufus Wainwright last night at Islington Academy (strange venue, in a shopping centre, but nice and small). He was really good, a very engaging performer, and his band are excellent. Even the seen-it-all-before London audience were relatively quiet while he did his solo piano thing. His 'new' album Want Two is out on Monday - will be interesting to see if all the critical attention he is getting turns into commercial success.

Vietnam

2005-02-28T14:02:00.000Z

Vietnam
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Well, what an amazing country. Just back from two weeks starting in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Hoi An, Hue, and Hanoi. Lasting image is of the frantic traffic of Honda bikes everywhere. Seeing Ho Chi Minh's pickled corpse was pretty interesting too.

Elvis Costello - Brighton Dome

2005-02-10T10:39:00.000Z

I love Elvis Costello - he can sing a song like no one else, and when he did Shipbuilding and Good Year for the Roses it was great. He played a lot of old numbers - (I don't want to go to) Chelsea, Pump it up etc and they were fine, but I kind of think he should leave that alone now and do what he's best at - which isn't the old punky stuff. The new songs were good, lovely country harmonies. And what a pro he was coping with a dodgy guitar sound.

One moan - why oh why does the Dome close its bar as soon as the act comes on? It's so annoying. All they need to do is stop people taking drinks in - they could still have the bar open if you need to nip out for a while - I nearly died of thirst but for emergency satsumas!

KT Tunstall - Komedia

2005-02-10T10:36:00.000Z

Well, she was okay. She does have a good voice, but too many of the songs just sounded the same and there was not enough light and shade / use of different arrangements. Felt very like the audience was not the kind that go to many gigs and their response was completely over the top - you can see people just as good as this almost any night of the week if you look.

Lent - what are you giving up?

2005-02-07T16:44:00.000Z

It's a huge sacrifice, but as of Wednesday, I will be giving up pancakes for lent.

Dobra Robota

2005-02-04T16:10:00.000Z

Audio file now available clicky.

IT nightmare

2005-02-04T15:23:00.000Z

Anyone else ever been trying to sneakily print off a job application form only to have the printer jam up with your boss hovering around? Let me tell you, it's a little nervewracking...

Home education

2005-02-02T13:18:00.000Z

Interesting article in today's Guardian about home education. There are an estimated 170,000 children being home educated, it says.

As someone who was home educated from 11-14, I find this whole area very interesting. The writer asks "But what about when the children grow up? Can they go to university, forge a career?"

Well, I have a BA and an MA, and what you could call a career. The increasing emphasis in schools on league tables, SATs, key stages and all the rest of it seems to me to always miss the point - that children should be encouraged to make the most of whatever talents they have. It's sad that the education system seems unable to achieve this - I wonder if it ever can.

What do you want the South East to look like in 2026?

2005-02-01T16:22:00.000Z

The South East Plan is open for consultation here.

This plan will shape the future economic development of the whole of the South East of England for the next 20 years. The Tories on the Regional Assembly are doing all they can to scupper Prescott's plans for increasing housing supply in the region.

If you're concerned about the lack of affordable housing - let them know.

The Kills

2005-02-01T09:39:00.000Z

Right, first gig of the year is The Kills at the Concorde2. I loved their first album for its dirty guitars especially. Live, they were a bit disappointing. Whenever I hear a drum machine backing track, the spectre of Carter USM rears its head. They would sound so much better with a human rythmn section. And the vocals were completely burried, although I think that's how they like it.

Realised this morning that they reminded me of a 80s band called Scarlet Fantastic who had a hit with a song called No Memory (which I still have on red vinyl...)

Salutary tales from the world of pop

2005-01-28T14:00:00.000Z

Today's Guardian contains the following salutary tales:

Five Thirty

Who were they? Proto-Britpop rock'n'roll trio from Oxford, who thrilled critics bored of shoegazing bands. Said NME: "Five Thirty communicate a buzz with the speed and efficiency of electric shock treatment ... They're going to release one of the albums of the year."

What happened? Split in 1992 after four singles and one album, Bed, neglected to trouble the top 40.

Tara Milton (vocals, bass): "We stood out from the scene like a sore thumb. Ironically enough, when we got a major recording deal, our profile deteriorated. We had a few run-ins with the label early on, which made us very unpopular with them. They chose not to promote our second single so it flopped, and I don't think we ever recovered from that. After we recorded the album, there was more pressure on us. I was a bit of a control freak - I used to scream at the drummer if he dropped a beat and I'm sad about that now. After one show in America he told me he was leaving. We tried several drummers but we split in 1992. I think Bed did OK, but I never received any royalty cheques because we owed the record company a fortune. I'm recording my solo debut now. I don't sit around analysing what happened."

Birdland

Who were they? Tamworth quartet celebrated for their raucous punk-pop and bottle-blond barnets. "As far as debut discs go, this ranks among the all-time greats," said music magazine Sounds when they appeared on the scene.
What happened? Despite a handful of indie hits, their disappointing 1991 debut sank without trace.

Lee Vincent (guitar): "Our manager was in control of the hype machine. He sold it to the major labels in America that we were the next Who, and we weren't ready for that. As far as we were concerned, we were the next Jesus & Mary Chain. We got signed to MCA in America, which was a pretty big deal, but our manager was a psychopath. We generated a lot of money and we didn't see any of it so we sacked him, but we'd signed contracts that gave him control of everything and it paralysed us. I wasn't happy with the album. We should have made an album like our first EP, but of course we listened to a lot of idiots. The press turned on us and it slowly fell apart. I ended up moving to America, where I have a new band called Psychic Drive. Birdland was a nightmare, really."

S*M*A*S*H

Who were they? Angry Welwyn Garden City punk trio. Typical press quote: "They play as if their family and friends are being held to ransom." NME said they were like "the Stone Roses on PCP".

What happened? (I Want To) Kill Somebody reached number 26 in 1994, but a subsequent album was poorly received.

Ed Borrie (vocals, guitar): "We were built up as the leaders of a scene dubbed the New Wave of New Wave. I didn't complain because it focused attention on the records. It went wrong for us fairly quickly, mostly as a result of my worsening drug addiction. Being in the spotlight didn't help. Rob [Hague, drums] and Salv [Alessi, bass] were my two best friends since we started in a scout hut. They weren't prepared to watch me kill myself so they said goodbye. I ended up in despair, then rehab. Eighteen months ago I went round to Rob's house, had some tears and said a few apologies. We've started playing again but we have no aspirations to go through that shit again. We'll play a few gigs, make a little record and it'll be as innocent as it was in the beginning."

Ultrasound

Who were they? Extravagantly hyped prog-glam outfit fronted by flamboyant endomorph Andrew "Tiny" Wood. NME described their music as "a monument to the transformative, colossal power of rock'n'roll".

What happened? They never bounced back from the failure of 1999's ambitious two-disc debut, Everything Picture.

Matt Jones (keyboards): "We signed for a lot of money, so there was massive pressure on us to be the next big thing, which I was always curious about because it was quite an odd band - I didn't know that we'd ever have mass appeal. The album took ages to record and I got really bored with it. Tiny and Richard [Green], as the main songwriters, thought the weight of it was on their shoulders and the rest of us suffered because we weren't being included. Our friendship deteriorated so much that even if the record had done well I'm not sure we'd have continued. Hype was the catalyst for all the egos and bad behaviour. Parts of the band were properly obnoxious. It's one thing to get a bit of confidence but if you think you're God's gift you're just going to fuck up."

KT Tunstall

2005-01-21T13:34:00.000Z

Interesting article about KT Tunstall in the Independent today. She has got a lot of attention recently, not least from appearing on Jools Holland's show. The interview talks about the compromises she has made to get her album out in terms of "meeting the record company half way." I personally think this is a shame, as it seems she hasn't really made the sort of album she would like to. I guess it's the age old dilemma, to take the major label route with the money for promotion and touring and all the rest of it, or try the Kathryn Williams approach and set up your own label.

I'm going to see KT Tunstall at the Komedia in February, so I will post again on what she is like live.

All donations gratefully received

2005-01-20T16:46:00.000Z

Epiphone Wildcat
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Epiphone Wildcat. In black though please. Ta.

Imre Nagy

2005-01-18T09:35:00.000Z

me and Imre Nagy
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Here's a photo of me and Imre Nagy. The statue is on a little bridge, and he is halfway across, indicating his crossing over between the state and the people.

Budapest group

2005-01-17T13:27:00.000Z

Budapest group shot
Originally uploaded by powerfulpierre.

Here's a photo of Mark, Adam, Jess, Emma and myself in Budapest this weekend.

Budapest

2005-01-17T11:46:00.000Z

What a top place Budapest is! Beautiful architecture, thermally heated baths, food involving dumplings, the beautiful river and bridges, Communist statues etc etc. One thing, don't ever, ever, drink Unicum - it is truly vile! Great place for a weekend break and just 50 quid return with easyJet from Gatwick.

Budapest here I come

2005-01-13T16:35:00.000Z

Off to Budapest tomorrow for the weekend and the weather forecast is looking promising - 1 to 2 degrees C and dry. I will be trying out my new digital camera, and if someone can tell me how to host photos on this blog (I tried some software called Hello but couldn't get it to work) - I'd be grateful. Especially software that will run on the Mac at home as well as PC. Full report upon my return!

Tune that is stuck in my head

2005-01-12T10:55:00.000Z

Sesame Street

All together now...!

Sunny Day
Sweepin' the clouds away
On my way to where the air is sweet

Can you tell me how to get,
How to get to Sesame Street

Come and play
Everything's A-OK
Friendly neighbors there
That's where we meet

Can you tell me how to get
How to get to Sesame Street

It's a magic carpet ride
Every door will open wide
To Happy people like you--
Happy people like
What a beautiful

Sunny Day
Sweepin' the clouds away
On my way to where the air is sweet

Can you tell me how to get,
How to get to Sesame street...
How to get to Sesame Street
How to get to...

Jan 24 - the day my Switch card will die

2005-01-11T13:49:00.000Z

There are so many records coming out on Jan 24 that I just have to buy. New albums by Low, Mercury Rev, EST, and two by Bright Eyes!

New series of ER

2005-01-11T10:42:00.000Z

Oh ER, how I love you so! First episode of a new series is always so good, and this one certainly built up the tension. Monday nights are going to be so good from now on! Especially if my viewing companion from last night is there too...

Dobra Robota

2005-01-10T16:15:00.000Z

Stand by for future transmissions.

2005 - plans and resolutions - additional

2005-01-10T14:24:00.000Z

11) Dote on new friend

2005 - plans and resolutions

2005-01-04T11:39:00.000Z

1) Grow beard
2) Launch Hush Collector upon the world
3) Avoid bird flu in Vietnam in February
4) Relegate avocardo bathroom in flat to history
5) Ditto 1970s kitchen
6) Practice singing back up vocals while playing guitar with Assistant
7) Not to spend so much money on going to gigs
8) Ditto beer
9) Ditto records
10) Go to more gigs

Records of the year

2004-12-21T09:54:00.000Z

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds 'Abbatoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus'
An amazing collection of songs, and the best live band this year too.

Elliott Smith 'From a basement on the hill'
This is what we miss now he's gone.

PJ Harvey 'Uh huh her'
People said it wasn't her best, I say not her best is still way better than most.

Wilco 'A ghost is born'
More maverick pop genius.

The Futureheads 'The Futureheads'
Modern life isn't rubbish - total energy and a great live band too.

Hush Collector update

2004-12-20T14:46:00.000Z

I haven't written anything about Hush Collector for a while, so, here is an update. We have now finished and mixed our three track sampler. The three songs - Flowby, Mountain Song, and It don't matter, were all recorded in Church Road Studios with Julian Tardo engineering (and playing some bass). We are just living with the mixes now over Christmas and then they will be mastered. The website is nearly finished and should go live sometime in January, to include free mp3 clips of the tracks. Next step then is to find ourselves a drummer and a bassist so we can do some gigs. So, lots of plans for 2005 - I can't wait!

Happy Birthday Dad

2004-12-20T11:27:00.000Z

It's my Dad's birthday today - happy birthday Dad, you're a legend!

Morrissey

2004-12-17T23:41:00.000Z

Well, just seen Morrissey at the Brighton Centre and it was pretty cool. The first song he played was 'How soon is now?' and he also did 'Shoplifters of the world unite', 'There is a light that never goes out', and 'Last night I dreamt somebody loved me'. And the new songs were good too! For pure pop excitement, hearing 'How soon is now?' takes some beating. Maybe joint best gig of the year, along with Nick Cave.

Gigs in 2004

2004-12-17T16:38:00.000Z

8 Jan - Chimp – Komedia, Brighton
9 Feb - Air - Dome, Brighton
15 Feb - Alfie - Komedia, Brighton
2 March – Yo La Tengo – Corn Exchange, Brighton
26 March – London Sinfonietta, Squarepusher, Jame Lidell - Dome, Brighton
22 April – Mum – Old Market Theatre, Hove
26 April - Franz Ferdinand - Concorde, Brighton
1 May – Asian Dub Foundation Battle of Algiers soundtrack – Dome, Brighton
5 May – Animal Collective - Po Na Na, Brighton
22 May – Leonard Cohen tribute – Dome, Brighton
24 May - Yat-kha - Komedia, Brighton
27 May – PJ Harvey – Zodiac, Oxford
2 June – Ikara Colt – Po Na Na, Brighton
4 June – The Pixies – Brixton Academy, London
14 July – PJ Harvey – Somerset House, London
17 July – Girlinky – Spice of Life, London
20 July – Clinic – Komedia, Brighton
6 September - Things in Herds - The Greys, Brighton
14 September – PJ Harvey – Dome, Brighton
28 September – Juana Molina – Marlborough Theatre, Brighton
13 October – Cowboy Junkies – Dome, Brighton
15 October – The Earlies – Concorde, Brighton
30 October – Rufus Wainwright – Dome, Brighton
31 October – Chimp – Marlborough Theatre, Brighton
3 November – Nick Cave – Hastings Pier
10 November – Nick Cave – Brixton Academy, London
1 December – Go! Team – Po Na Na, Brighton
3 December – Girlinky – Spice of Life, London
8 December – Futureheads – Concorde, Brighton
16 December – The Tears – Heaven, London
17 December – Morrissey – Brighton Centre

And the winner is... got to be Nick Cave at Brixton Academy. That is unless Morrissey is really amazing tonight...

The Tears

2004-12-17T10:35:00.000Z

Went to see The Tears last night at Heaven in London. I'm sure everyone knows that this is Brett and Bernard from Suede's new band, and surprisingly enough they did sound pretty much like Suede. I have to say I was fairly underwhelmed, but then seeing a band when you don't know any of the songs is quite strange. They seemed underwhelmed by the reaction as well, at one point Brett said "it's like a tea party in here - come on!". Support band The Subways were pretty cool - maybe it's just more exciting when a band is new, like when Suede first appeared. That's your finest moment I guess, and unless you reinvent yourself like Radiohead, why would people keep listening? Anyway, Morrissey tonight at the Brighton Centre...

The Futureheads

2004-12-10T14:40:00.000Z

Saw The Futureheads play at the Concorde on Wednesday and they were really excellent. Probably one of the most fun bands I've seen for a while, and their overlapping vocals are really cool. Meantime and Decent Days and Nights are definitely their best songs. It was being recorded live for BBC 6 Music and you can hear clips tomorrow on Steve Lamacq's show.

The Go! Team

2004-12-02T15:10:00.000Z

Well, went to see The Go! Team last night at Po Na Na in Brighton, and they sounded great. Unfortunately the venue was so packed I couldn't see a damn thing. They said it was their first Brighton gig, so they're not exactly "from Brighton" then, as has been said a lot.

Assisant on the radio

2004-11-26T16:05:00.000Z

Assistant will be on the demo clash part of Claire Kember's Totally Wired show on Brighton's Juice 107.2 FM this Sunday. Please tune in and vote for us!

Fuji Heavy

2004-11-19T10:47:00.000Z

Fuji Heavy rocked the Pavilion Tavern last night. I'm getting to know their songs now, and they have some really good ones in their set. Don't think they've got any gigs coming up, but there's a free demo CD available.

It's Wednesday...it must be Nick Cave

2004-11-11T09:28:00.000Z

Well, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds were great again last night at Brixton Academy. They played a few more old ones, including Mercy Seat, Stagger Lee, Deanna and Weeping Song. All very, very good indeed. Mercury Rev were supporting, and they were good, but they didn't play very long. New single sounded good live though. Now, where can I go and see them next Wednesday...?

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at Hastings Pier

2004-11-04T09:25:00.000Z

One word - awesome. What a great band the Bad Seeds are, and what an amazing performer Nick Cave is. So good to see a gig at a different sort of venue too. Maybe people will start using Hastings Piers more now for gigs. Nick Cave next week at Brixton should be great, and apparently Mercury Rev might be supporting. And the Go! Team should be playing Brighton on 1 Dec at Po Na Na - my gig cup runneth over!

A tale of two gigs

2004-11-01T11:32:00.000Z

I went to two gigs this weekend - one was Rufus Wainwright at the Dome, the other was Chimp at the Marlborough Theatre.

Rufus Wainwright was really excellent - a great performer with excellent songs and a great band. Chimp were also excellent, in a very low key way. They've got a new guitarist since I last saw them, who was good. Wish they'd played 'Hope, don't chase it down' though.

BBC's 'The Power of Nightmares'

2004-10-28T09:24:00.000Z

What a brilliant series the BBC's The Power of Nightmares is turning out to be. I can't remember the last programme I watched that made such illuminating connections and insights. The parts about the US neoconservatives and their attempts to bring down Clinton, and the Reagan administration's refusal to work with the Soviets for the good of Afghanistan in the 1980s were particularly interesting. Just shows you that we really lose perspective on events I think with our instant new analysis. You look back just ten years and patterns emerge that you couldn't see at the time. The next and final part is on Wed 10 Nov.

John Peel

2004-10-26T14:14:00.000Z

Very sad to hear the news today that John Peel has died. I'm sure I'm not the only person to have fond memories of listening to him on the radio over the years and being consistently surprised, delighted and challenged by what he played. He was such an institution that you kind of thought he would always be around. 65 is way too young to pass away, but what a great contribution he made to music. Cheers John - I'm sure there will be excellent mushroom biryanis in heaven.

Assistant gig

2004-10-22T10:27:00.000Z

Assistant have a headline gig at the Cable Club, at the Pressure Point in Brighton on 6 December. Which just so happens to be my birthday as well.

Despair at work

2004-10-18T15:42:00.000Z

Demotivated?

HR speak

2004-10-13T11:15:00.000Z

We just had a factsheet from Human Resources here at work about Ramadan, a particular highlight of which was, "During the month of Ramadan it is not appropriate to ask a Muslim staff member to ensure that a client is 'wined and dined'."

Where do HR people go to learn how to communicate like this? The Donald Rumsfeld School of English?

Girlinky

2004-10-13T09:24:00.000Z

Fab indie pop band Girlinky from London are off on tour in October and November to promote their new single. Assistant have played with them a few times and they are great live, so check them out.