Darlings, I'm back and it feels good. I went to Oireland last weekend for the first time in moy loyfe (Irish people, Im sorry. Ill stop it now) and it was lovely. That is, apart from the fact that Ballina, County Mayo welcomed me with the mother of all thunderstorms, a power cut, no hot water and the phone lines down. How on earth was I going to make myself lovely for my friend's wedding the next day? Fear not, I did not skank about with flies buzzing atop my head a la Pigpen - by one o'clock on Saturday I'd found a hot shower (my B&B still had a blackout, not that it was dark, but you know what I mean) and I even painted my nails, before stepping inside a church for the second time in a week (both for weddings, but blimey!) then stuffing my face with good food and bouze, climbing on a castle roof in my three-and-a-half-inch heels and then getting caught by the owner of the castle while up to no good in the cellar*. I also danced like a mad thing and, for a change, watched other people falling over on their arses. Later on, I got into a conversation about weirdo internet communities, so naturally I mentioned that I was on Sinister. The person I was talking to furrowed her brow, then raised her eyebrows, then just looked a bit puzzled. Arent Belle & Sebastian a bit gothy? she enquired. Oh dear. Did somebody mention deja vu? Systa Disko spake of the Cutter, which reminded me that I heard it while awaiting the arrival of the significantly delayed Ryan Air flight 803 into Knock so I could take the significantly delayed Ryan Air flight 804 back to Lunding. I also heard Elliott Smith when I went into Dunnes Store to buy some socks. Somebody has been doing rather a good job of choosing muzak, rather like those cock-sucking corporate coffee whores at Starbucks. Tim Ellsworth, you aren't the first to hear B&S whilst downing your mocha (see archives). Sightings (or rather soundings) of everyone's favourite scottish seven-piece on their compilation tapes in various cities would suggest it's all a part of Company Policy or something. But are royalties being paid here? Have they SOLD OUT? Did somebody mention deja vu? Incidentally, the best muzak I ever heard was in Standa in Milan, where they played a pan pipe version of Spice Up Your Life. Yes, really. Heather Humble, who has a great name, wrote about somebody (a journalist?) saying that FISHYCLAP is one of her essentials for the beach. It's funny, I've never thought of B&S as the sort of thing I'd choose to accompany me on a week sun, sea, sand and, er, sweat. I feel it belongs in more temperate climes. Blue skies dotted with cotton wool clouds and leafy trees, rather than dazzling mediterranean light and cicadas. Another funny thing is that, while I associate most music with certain times of year (try the first two Suede albums on a rainy November night with your room lit only by the orange streetlamp outside your window, or maybe that's just disgracefully pretentious), B&S really seems to be a band for all seasons. Even Fox in the Snow sounds OK in July. Especially if you live somewhere mountainous and antipodean of course, but you know what I mean. Don't you? Paul Arathoon, a while ago, you wrote a lengthy opening sentence to your post, which was lovely, but if you reckon youve written the longest this year, go check out anything the Pinefox has ever posted. He takes some beating, yknow. That's all folks! Juicy Lucy ps. you are Stephen Trousse and I claim my five pounds pps. hello to Tamy, who would earn a crush vote from me, if I had more than one *pulling flowers out of flower arrangements actually, you dirty-minded little buggers __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send instant messages & get email alerts with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com/ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister@missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo@missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "peculiarly deranged fanbase" "frighteningly named +-+ +-+ Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+