Andermtc

I went to the show a couple of years ago and got into the car park, just. From reading the Cranmore park website it says 350 on-site parking spaces, looking on google maps, there looks to be 200, does anyone know where these extra 150 spaces may be?

Unlike some it seems, I actually enjoy RSD, I get there early, usually around 4am, meet the same hardy souls who are there every year, never see them any other time of the year, (for the record, mostly men but not all). Stand and chat rubbish about all sorts of music for 4 hours and then spend too much money, go to McDonalds for breakfast and then drive home. I have a good relationship with the store so have already sent them a list of what I'd like, said shop will order in everything on my list, there have been occasions where they wouldn't have ordered a copy if I hadn't asked. I'm not guaranteed to get it if I get there late but the others in the queue in the 1st 10+people will have done the same. As such it's usually okay and I get everything I'm after. They can also order in US releases if they have enough warning and your prepared to pay silly money for the import. I've done both where I've got US release, but also where I'd got the price and said no, don't order for me. Where I am becoming more disillusioned as the years go on is what the actual releases are. I used to enjoy random live albums like the REM Bingo Hand Job release a few years ago, or records never released on vinyl as it was from when no-one was releasing vinyl. However, you now get a release that's in a different colour vinyl. Probably 3 releases on the list this year from bands I like that I would normally try and get but as I already have it as a black LP, as such I have no desire to pay an inflated price to get it again as it is an identical release except the vinyl colour or a picture disc.

Have 2 nights at the Hydro in Glasgow soon, 1st is the Hoolie, a night of Scottish trad music with Skerryvore, Manran, Capercaillie and others, then the following night its Vampire Weekend.

Last weekend saw They Might Be Giants at the O2 Academy in Bristol, band as great and lively as ever and they played the whole of Flood, saw them do Stellub live for the 1st time, Stellub is the short song Sapphire Bullets which they play backwards, they record it and in the 20min interval they reverse the sound and video to play it forwards on the screen at the back of the stage, it bizarrely works. As for the venue, 1st time I've been there and I don't think I'll rush back, as a O2 subscriber got priority access so went for the balcony front row, its all standing, glad we got there early as visibility otherwise would be poor as it is not very far from the stage quite high and and angles mean you can't see much. Saw lots of people complaining online. It also meant we had the lights in our face at times.

I have a Bose companion 3 which was a nice set-up but using the PC today it seems to have packed up so plugged in my Meters cubes I've had connected to my work laptop when WFH. Need to do a proper check on the Bose to see what the issue is. If it's dead then the replacement plan will probably be something like the Douk valve amp mentioned above as I have a spare pair of Mission bookshelf speakers.

If you can find a 2nd hand Ashdown B-Social they are excellent, there is also the B-Social lite a lot rarer and smaller.

They are apparently due in stock in a few weeks.

They had a few prototypes at the end of last year that they put on reverb, so there are are a few out there. I tried to buy a green one but due to a mix up missed out, waiting for them to come in, I think they were hoping to have them by now although not spoken to them about them for a while now.

Get ready everyone, this weeks newsletter says they hope to have the new site live this week. Sweepstake time?

Probably this at Guitar Guitar, as it would probably have been my my Betsy bass that I left at home.

Another vote for Pinegrove from me, picked up another one at the recent Birmingham guitar show (also got a free leather cardholder they were handing out in the morning).

My Translucent Teal Stingray will be with me forever.

He was on one of the 1st Rockenteurs podcasts with Guy Pratt & Gary Kemp, and a great listen it is, they have also done a short tribute this week, seems Guy knew him quite well and it was due to this friendship he was on one of the 1st podcasts.

Love this video of her playing Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go

On BBC Alba the other night, and now on iPlayer. Barrowlands Roar, a potted history of the Barrowlands venue in Glasgow. Is a touch Scottish Trad music, not a surprise as it's on BBC Alba, and some subtitles but a good program.