Darling sinisters I have to admit, I’ve been withholding information. I know, it’s disappointing – and just when you think you know someone… I’m sorry, really, but I spent January holed-up with conjunctivitis (seriously, I only just pulled through), and since I turned 26 everyone expects me to work like a grown-up. Psht. Anyway, excuses excuses. To the news: *Just a baby, baby girl?* Now I’m not sure if it’ll be the first (correct me), but there’s a sinister baby on the way. That is to say, two people who were brought together by this very list are breeding the next generation of listees. And no, it’s not mine, as I’m about as maternal as a mince pie. Besides, I’m barely even having sex at the moment, let alone reproducing. No, this bump is the work of our very own Joe and Florence Sinister, ex of London, now of Bristol. (For those who don’t know, these two first flashed eyes across another sinister’s bedroom – the rest, as they say, is all a bit of a blur.) Technically the kid’s already been to its first gig (Bath Pavilion), and its Mum and Dad intend to brainwash it with the entire back-catalogue from an early age, mwah mwahahaha. In fact, I’m even hoping it might get a Belle and Sebastian name. Like Belle. Or Sebastian. Or Judy, Anthony, Lisa, Dylan, Mary Jo, Nancy, Emma, Laura, Joe, Phil, Jane, Jenny, Jonathan, or, indeed, David. Not Seymour though – that would just be stupid. On New Year’s Eve we were discussing how marvellous it would be if there could be a Sinister Christening, with Struan in a smart suit giving blessings, Wee Sarah serving tea and the band doing a cover of ‘Baby Love’. Now that would be worth being born for. So there. All being well, it’ll be here in the summer – can’t remember the exact date (Flo, set me straight), and I’m hoping we can feed it stewed apples at a picnic near you. More on those later though. *Nice surprises*

From kleine kindern to Kinder Surprise – those chocolatey eggs with toys inside. I can’t get enough of these at the moment. So far I’ve gotten a mini fish magnifying glass, a coyote on a motorbike and a glow-in-the-dark lamppost. Oh, and about 4 pounds heavier. Anyway, that’s not really news, so…

*Stuart Murdoch’s Home Movies* Do you remember a while back I posted about Stuart M making a star appearance in my friend Dave’s kitchen? Of course you do. Well, it turns out Dave’s flatmate Melanie is the Melanie in the I’m A Cuckoo video! She and her friend Isabelle are the poor girls who get dunted by a running Struan. (“Tsk, who does he think he is; Richard Bluddy Ashcroft?!”) Well, according to Dave, Melanie’s in the next video too, and it’s a collection of shots, filmed by Stu on his handycam, of “random friends of the band doing random things” (this is as much as I could get out of Dave). Melanie will be drumming, apparently, in Dave’s flat. Does anyone know what song it’s going to be? Dave had forgotten – he really is quite a fecking useless source. I’ve told him if his flat’s in the video I’m gonna organise open-days, so Sinisters can hang out there and relive the moment. And I’m gonna sell his kitchen chairs for silly money on ebay. So that was the news. And now for the weather. *Session and List Neglect* When I read the upset about not enough people posting or reviewing radio sessions and the suchlike, I felt quite choked, really. And so should you. This is how it feels to be loved and missed when you’re away, and it doesn’t happen to just anyone. Are you welling up yet? Jolly good. But I’m sensing there are perfectly good reasons why you’re keeping yourselves to yourselves. Some of you have got busy jobs or fallen in love or found other distractions that stop you from speaking up. For me though, and surely I can’t be the only one, it’s simply because Belle & Sebastian are born now. The longest gestation period ever is finally up, and after pushing and straining and puffing ourselves half-daft, the labour’s paid off. We’ve handed them over to the authorities. Trever Horn is Daddy Warbucks and we’re, well we’re just, er… (sorry, this metaphor is falling apart). The point is, now B&S have made it, I can finally catch up on all music I’ve been neglecting over the past 8 years; devoting more time and energy to sourcing obscure EPs by bands that were just a twinkle in a someone’s eye when B&S cut their teeth. It’s very rewarding. I was there when Franz Ferdinand needed me, and how proud I am of those boys now. And I frequently have Lampchop clenched to my breast, while carrying U.N.P.O.C. on one hip and The New Pornographers on the other. These bands need the kind of nurturing people like us can offer. Aww, I mean, just look at their cute wee faces. It doesn’t mean I don’t love B&S any more: I do. I love them as though they were my own. And judging by the warmth in Stuart’s simply beautiful online diary, he still loves us too. Maybe what we all need is a group hug, with mini scotch eggs and swiss rolls. First sniff of sunshine and we should all get into groups, get drunkish and remind each other what this was all about in the first place. Oh, and anyone who remembers what that was, please let us all know in advance. Much love and a fiver on your birthday, Auntie Lorraine _________________________________________________________________ Express yourself with cool emoticons - download MSN Messenger today! http://www.msn.co.uk/messenger +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the 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 +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-+ Snipp snapp snut, sa var sagan slut! +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+