So Peel is dead. So many words from so many in tribute, so much love for the man most of us never spoke to. I'm planning a wee gathering sometime to watch my 'Harder They Come' DVD with take away curry and red wine. I think he'd approve. I'm still kind of hoping for an Ian Anscombe obituary, cos he writes better than me, but I may be waiting in vain. And he is a very busy man these day's dontcha know. Acknowledging I've probably said half of this before, but, I was lucky to hear 'The State I'm In' on my mate Damon's radio at the end of 1996. Peels Festive Fifty. I was walking past in the hall and came over all a quiver. Working out well it's not Donovan voice, it's not so-and-so etc, then finding it was this 'Belle & Sebastian'. The very end of the year as it happens, new years eve I think, and went out to Berwick Street and bought Sinister an hour or two later, foisting it upon my mate Cassie that evening. If I hadn't heard that then, I guess I'd have got into them sometime, but I imagine I'm not alone in savouring my "who's voice is that?" Murdoch moment. Peel brought me mine, and I suppose it was very literally life changing. Not quite in the same way as my University being selected on the basis of an open day in London meaning I could get to a gig, but... good friends, visits to new cities and foreign lands, the closest of relationships have shared a love of B&S... #28 in 1996 was the entry. sigh. and of course the same song was picked by Peelie to represent the year in his mighty Peelenium, bless him :) http://www.rocklist.net/festive50.htm will take you to the lists if you fancy a bit of F50 perusing. It's funny searching back through the archives. check out September 1997's 'Peel is an old git' debate. There's some (if unintentionally) entertaining comments. I just discovered how to search so it showed old stuff first. http://www.missprint.org/sinister/mhonarc/199711/msg00148.html reports Peelie's copy of tigermilk for the register I vaguely remember being organised... so did he play em before Radcliffe? and the fact that it was debated! Peel. bless him. waking up earlier than I planned on a Saturday to be soothed/smile listening to Home Truths can never be the same. A bit like Elliot Smith, deeply loved but under listened when he was still around. sigh. I'm itching for the chickfactor gig days to be announced as I can't really miss my work Christmas curry on the Friday :( ah well, team building important and all that, especially when you're lucky enough to have a team you like. erm there's a lot of stuff I could ramble about. blimey it's been an interesting year. and there's plenty of it left too. well wishes to a good friend who should read this. jim x currently listening to Jeffrey Lewis 'the history of US Punk' (9mintues 41...nice) [on Tangents online radio :) ] +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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! +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+