Rock N Roll and Cheesecake

As you may have heard, Euros Childs will playing live with Teenage Fancub on our upcoming shows.

Here's a wee gem from the man himself...

And this is another one from the album he made with Norman.

Say - Tracyanne & Danny are heading to the North American West Coast soon.

Tickets links here.

Tell your pals.

Maybe they'll play this:

I dug these docs on the drums and bass. Roll on Lenny Kaye's guitar.

Stewart Copeland made me want to be drummer after my big sister took me to see The Police (supported by The Cramps) at Glasgow Apollo. May 1979. I was 8 years old (!!).

This is the back of the body warmer I used to wear to primary school:

 

This lemon cheesecake recipe is a doozy, by the by.

I've written some piano music for a pianist and some quiz show music for a quiz show.

And that's about it.

Erm...As Ringo once ad-libbed on an episode of This Is Your Life when his guest anecdote wasn't quite hitting the bullseye: "I'm dying up here".

Toodle pip!

It's January...

Fine. And you?

Watching "Raymond Briggs: Snowmen, Bogeymen & Milkmen" was a good way for me to close 2018. I specifically remembered the panel of Santa on the lavvy in the Father Christmas book from early primary school days.

And my big sister had Fungus The Bogeyman. But there was lots I didn't know, about both Briggs the man and Briggs the artist, until I was invited to provide music for this programme. It was brilliant to work with director Louise Lockwood and editor Jonathan Seal on such an interesting, complex subject. Funny, moving, inspiring. I can highly recommend watching this doc - even if you don't like the music.

And I began 2019 by watching "In Sight Of Home - The Iolaire Diaster".  This was another learning experience, having been asked to compose the music by mighty director Kath Pick. I was fortunate to be able to call on the services of  two great musicians - John McCusker (violin/viola) and Sharron Griffiths (harp) - to help with my music. There is something so very poetic about how Gaels choose their words; a kind of sparse wisdom. Again - I would recommend this one hour of documentary television to anyone.

Now is a good time to flag up another year highlight. I enjoyed working on the story of homeless couple Tara & George. If you haven't heard it, here's the podcast.

I have finally seen Mrs Doubtfire and I am enjoying Neil Brand's Sound Of Musicals series.

I've also been loving the Billy Connolly programmes on TV and I am going to read his Made In Scotland very soon. But for now here is slice of a very different, dark humour from Hans Fallada:

"On the eve of the trial he hanged himself again, and this time it was his wife who saved his life. As soon as he was able to breathe, she gave him a sound thrashing. She didn't think much of his new hobby."

PS: Anyone coming to see Teenage Fanclub in 2019?