Sinister: the kids are pairing off in front of me

[Mark Hester]

Hi everyone,
I'm feeling a bit under the weather today.  I have a bad cough and just 
don't feel like going out or doing anything remotely strenuous.  If things 
don't improve I might have to give work a miss tomorrow, which is a pain coz 
I've been out of the office for a couple of days on a course and also coz 
I'm supposed to be selling tickets for our Summer Party (which is this 
Friday) and it's not exactly helpful that there'll be locked in my cupboard 
where no-one can get them.


I started to feel unwell last night at the Pleasure Unit at Bethnal Green.  
It was an all-dayer organised by our sister/rival (delete to taste) forum 
Bowlie, and/but (ditto) there were lots of sinisters there, including 
Dimitra Daisy, Dirty Vicar, Rener, Paul Healy, Annie Tremp and Stefano.  The 
venue was incredibly hot and although I enjoyed the two bands I'd really 
gone to see (Language of Flowers and Wintergreen) and chatting to the 
aforementioned people the rest of it was a bit crap really...there was a 
Blondie tribute band called Brunettie (I kid you not) and I can only recall 
one song played by the djs which made me inclined to check out the band in 
question (A Certain Smile, which I have been unable to find on google).  
Dimitra gave me a little booklet of Friends of the Heroes writing which has 
been lifting my spirits somewhat on this damp and dreary afternoon, but I 
can't help thinking about something that has been making me sick with worry 
over the past week, for which, read on.

I'm really worried about a friend of mine called Ruth who was supposed to be 
accompanying me to the Somerset House gig last Sunday.  At about four 
o'clock that afternoon I receieved a text message from her to say that she 
was unable to come as she was in hospital under observation.  I tried to 
ring her back but was unable to as her phone was by then switched off 
(you're not supposed to have mobiles switched on in hospital anyway) and as 
I don't know anyone else who knows her - we met via Idelberry's Corduroy 
Smoke yahoo group - I have been unable to find out any more info.  I tried 
calling at her house on Monday and yesterday but there was nobody in.  I can 
only hope that she has recovered now and that I'll hear from her 
soon....arrghhhh.

I totally agree with what Emma Cooper said about gigs in US bars.  Making 
gigs over 21 only is an incredibly stupid thing to do.  Fortunately the main 
venue here in Oxford has a more enlightened attitude, with quite a few gigs 
which are 16+ or even 14+, which start really early (which means they can 
slot in a club nite afterwards).

I understand large numbers of people don't have a lot of time for Your 
Cover's Blown, seeing it as some kind of sell-out or whatever, but I really 
like it.  Even if you don't like the style of the song, he lyrics are still 
up there (the 'houses' and 'mouses' couplet notwithstanding).  I've had it 
on repeat on the stereo and have been humming it everywhere.  Legal Man was 
*as big* a departure from the band's previous work, but I don't recall that 
causing so much fuss (although that might be just my bad memory, maybe a 
trawl through the archives is in order).

Mark.

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