I'm wondering if rain is the characteristic weather condition for sinister. Certainly, it's often mentioned, and seems to be regarded in these parts as something sensual, rather than an incontinent cloud-load of small and inconvenient bits of water to moan about. I'm sure there are thousands of songs featuring rain, but all I can think of off-hand is The Silencers with *Scottish Rain* and *London Rain* by Heather Nova. And, of course, *Rain and Tears* by Aphrodite's Child, featuring that Barry White of the Agean, Demis Roussos. This being a Sunday, I'm listening to the Sundays' album I bought on Saturday. Evidently David and Harriet first got together on a Friday. Anyway, the album is *Static and Silence*, released in 1997. Back then, I recall 'phoning up for tickets to see them at Islington's Union Chapel, but then they cancelled. Then zilch. I've looked them up on the web, but all I can find is a promo site for that album, and a date for the concert that never was. The sinister archives contain references to people lucky enough to have actually seen them live, but years ago. Does anyone know what happened to them? It isn't raining here. It's getting dusky, but the afternoon has been heavy with grey; a kind of torpor in the atmosphere. I've been struggling with a short story I'm trying to write, finding words like 'effulgence' and 'tenebrous' in the dictionary in lieu of a continuation of the plot, which started with a story but has descended into the recall of nightmares and a slough of speculative metaphysics. Still, Harriet's lovely voice is soothing, and it's time to pull the curtains and light the church candles, which always feature in my autumn season. Which is about it. That and the day job, which is currently a pleasure: slightly creative, technically achievable, friendly colleagues... I wish I could identify what always seems to be missing. Gordon "This world is a comedy for those who think and a tragedy for those who feel" - Horace Walpole P.S. An especial SQUAWK! to Christiaan for his brilliant post recently. +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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 +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+