What better reason to haul oneself out of semi-blog hiatus than to announce, eyes shining with joy, that erstwhile Libertines Pete Doherty and Carl Barat played a set together last night? While the prospect of a Libertines reunion doesn’t enthuse me as it might once have done – such a tour would doubtless descend into a baying media circus, with Kate Moss pole-dancing in the background – I still have much love for the band who broke my heart and it’s sweet to see collaboaration between them again.
It’s difficult to know where to start in your first post for a week. Obviously most of the deadline pressure is off again (I’m just waiting on the final proofs coming back), and the truth is I’m posting for no reason other than because I can. So, at the risk of turning this into some dull “wot I dun on my holidays” style update, here’s what I’ve been doing recently in bullet point form:
- I went to the tenth-anniversary-of-the-first-album bis show at King Tut’s on Friday night and ran into pretty much everybody I’ve ever met. I wasn’t really into music when they were about, so didn’t really know many of the songs that were played. That didn’t stop me dancing though, and noting that I’d never seen so many people so happy in one small space;
- Also on Friday I, er, chaperoned a friend who was taking photos of a local band. Said band were all a bit wasted and thought it would be a good idea to crawl into some bins round the back of the 13th Note. Rock and roll glamour all the way, innit?
- Despite my fluctuating weight necessitating a last-minute change of outfit (and so my lateness at going to get the hall set up) my sister’s 21st birthday was a resounding success. As was my karaoke take on “Wicked Game” (my uncle has never heard of Giant Drag, and so had no idea I ripped it off) – we ran into some kid on Shuttle Street at 3am, one of those ones who sells dead roses to over-enthusiastic teenage suitors (and lovely boyfriends), and he remembered it. The birthday girl herself had such a good time that she wandered off to find a club half an hour before the party actually finished;
- On the one day of bank holiday we actually had to spend together, Stringer and I went to the seaside. It was freezing, but we had chips and that made it all better. We also visited Vikingar!, Largs’ award-winning “viking experience” centre, where real vikings taught us how to make bread and which way to hold a shield. And I tried on a plastic Viking helmet, only it’s not a real Viking helmet as real Viking helmets don’t have horns, and I made a selection of meh faces, as the above picture shows.
My new favourite band are called Herman Dune, they’re from Sweden and they make sweet music with cutesy harmonies that references the Ramones. And they sound like plastic building blocks and eating ice lollies with mittens on and going sailing on a summer’s day. They are, you could say, a little bit twee but that’s alright if you’re from Sweden and not a city that’s got more TB than tea parties.
Also, Glasgow types – I’ve got a spare ticket for their Tuts show on Monday night as my partner in crime will be somewhere in England building towers out of office furniture and other such escapades. Let me know if you fancy as company is always good. PS it’s a freeb as I will be With The Press.
I thought those two – Doherty and Barat – hated each other. Perhaps they’ve made. up.
Was the former at least semi-conscious?
The NME, as to be expected, have a typically hyperenthusiastic blog on the subject (complete with YouTube clips I can’t watch at work, so I can’t comment on how they sounded together yet).
I do note from the photographs Carl only put one arm round him though
I don’t think they’ve ever hated each other. They’ve been spotted together in public a few times recently, usually by the Sun’s 3am Girls (now that kate Moss is involved otherwise dirty jakes are considered tabloid superstars), but I think this is the first time they’ve played together in a good long while. It wasn’t announced though. It was billed as a Pete solo show.
There truly is an X-Files clip for pretty much everything.
I thought you’d appreciate that one…
I just had a Very Important Call on my work DDL from my dad.
He had a pal needing to know how TXF finished. It upsets me that I couldn’t really give him a clear answer.
I know there was spooning? And David Duchovny is doing his usual “there’s going to be a movie” thing every six months. Since I’m dlding the classic stuff, I may actually watch the last three seasons. Not that it will clarify much, but Reyes!
I think he was following me right up until I started talking about super soldiers…
God, Jim would be so jealous of the Vikingar thing.
Oh God, Shuttle Street. That’s where my old Union used to be! I think it’s a nursery now.
FYI — the Libertines suck, and Doherty taints Barat’s talent.
yes. and every time anybody plays a libertines song, the baby jesus dies.
Tis true.
Um, well… I like them??
Heh. How do you respond to that? Although, Gemenaga – we are on the same page for about a third of your point.
Bob, we should totally take Jim to Vikingar! when she’s up. Fafa wants to go too.
I know what you mean about working out what to put in your blog after you’ve been away from it for a week. I can’t think what the hell to write apart from kittens-exploring-garden and getting-results-for-assignment-back.
Go me, eh?
KITTEN POST. Did you see Doctor Who at the weekend?
..and YES! I did see it. The Boy has learnt to remember it’s on also and managed to time my mealtime so that I was just ready to watch it while I ate.
Of course, he then sat there mocking it, but you can’t win them all.
Kittanz!