On occasion, I'm called upon by forces high above to appear at festivals. I make money from live events (though you'll never see me because I tour schools) and have done ever since Conjuring The Infinite was released. One of my favourite festivals is The Edinburgh International Book Festival. God, it makes me feel important.… Continue reading Adventures At The Edinburgh International Book Festival
Hall Of Fame: Totally Crushed Out by That Dog
I hate concept albums, but not this one.
Looking Back At Batman #1
Batman and Robin swung into action (literally) in Detective Comics. Soon enough, they were starring in their own comic. It was 1940. A different, distant time. Yet the basics of The Bat were already firmly fixed in the canon. Batman #1 didn’t disappoint. Not only did it mark the return of the nefarious Dr. Hugo… Continue reading Looking Back At Batman #1
Songs To Lose Your Wig Over #2: Overload by Sugababes
Pop music after the Spice Girls was definitely not for me. I was well into Juliana Hatfield, Beck, Juliana Hatfield, Lolita Storm, The Pumpkins and - yes - Juliana Hatfield by that point. I hated S Club 7. The ‘S’ clearly stood for ‘shite’ and I resented how happy they seemed. In hindsight, the smiles… Continue reading Songs To Lose Your Wig Over #2: Overload by Sugababes
The Ryu Murakami Fan Club
Ryu Murakami is not Haruki Murakami. Not even close. Their books are filed together in bookshops, but that’s about as close as they’ll ever be in any way whatsoever. Ryu Murakami’s bleak tales of destructive youth in dystopian Japan are unlike any other books I’ve ever read. I’ve read a lot of books. His writing… Continue reading The Ryu Murakami Fan Club
Hall Of Fame: Sexplosion by My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult
There's alternative and then there's alternative. My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult make music for whenever you feel like venturing out into the night-time neon streets of the rain slicked city of sin, places with go-go dancers, and secret Satanists. Trashy? Most definitely. Fun? Always. Satirical and smart, My Life With The Thrill Kill… Continue reading Hall Of Fame: Sexplosion by My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult
Hall Of Fame: The Real Ramona by Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses made everything better. Their music, all awkward patterns, assumed a disordered beauty once you fully immersed yourself in their world, an introverted and often surreal place full of drama, horror, beauty, and wonder. I lived there quite a lot during my years at school. What set them apart from other bands during… Continue reading Hall Of Fame: The Real Ramona by Throwing Muses
