Music

OK. I own up. Although I have superb taste in music, I can’t help but hum along whenever I hear No. 2 on this list. ‘Don’t Fear The Reaper’ by Blue Oyster Cult also falls into the same category.

‘Far, far away’ by Slade, from 1974, as the music used to entertain customers placed on hold. Hats off to Vodafone corporate. I was actually a little disappointed to miss the end of the song when my conversation with the agent resumed.

Buzzocks - What Do I Get ? The Clash - What’s My Name/Garageland Sex Pistols - EMI Siouxsie And The Banshees - Love In A Void Joy Division - She’s Lost Control The Chameleons - In Shreds The Fall - Smile (John Peel on intro) Nirvana - About A Girl

A video of ‘Jean’ (unplugged) with Sandie Shaw on vocals and Johnny Marr on acoustic guitar in Kew gardens surrounded by Morrissey, Rourke, Joyce and assorted children. I think I might wake up tomorrow morning to discover I dreamt all this. If so, I apologise profusely in advance.

Maybe I am obsessed with dead pop stars but I agree with the sentiment of this blog (skip the comments).

On Monday, I received two DVD’s (’Ascension’) containing 225 minutes from some of the last shows by The Chameleons in San Francisco from October 2002. Great songs, great lyrics, great artwork. Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. PS. Don’t bother commenting that this contravenes rule 3. I know.

I have a video of Pete Doherty’s, err, duet with Elton John at Live 8. It is clearly marked and I have removed the write-protect tab. I am not a fan of The Libertines or Babyshambles. I just want to use it to show my children that’s what drugs do to you.

I don’t know whether this is genuine but, if so, I am gravely disappointed that I missed it. I wonder if Smith was in the same state as his infamous (incoherent) appearance on Newsnight after John Peel’s death.

Kurt Cobain. Seattle. 8 April 1994. Cremated and ashes scattered into the Wishkah river. I vividly remember hearing the news of Kurt Cobain’s death. I was listening to the radio sitting in a hospital car park about to see my son who was born on the same day. One door closes. Another one opens.

I happened to be in Macclesfield at the weekend and went over to the Crematorium to see Ian Curtis’ plaque. I was never fortunate enough to ever see Joy Division live but I vividly remember returning from a United game and watching them perform ‘Transmission’ and ‘She’s Lost Control’ on a local TV program ‘Something Else’. Ian Curtis was a very ill man and hanged himself on the eve of a US tour....