Future Events and Appearances

 

An event and a radio show in the next month or so.

I shall be hosting a FREE talk by the wonderful Max Decharne on the evening of 8 September at Westminster Reference Library. He has recently revised and added to his book on the history and culture of the King's Road, which will be the subject of the event.

See here. SORRY BUT THIS EVENT HAS HAD TO BE POSTPONED DUE TO INDUSTRIAL ACTION. MORE DETAILS SOON.

Probably best to book in advance through Eventbrite.

Also a recent interview I did for a radio documentary, together with the always-entertaining David McGillivray hosted by Radio 4's reporter, writer and Any Answers presenter Anita Anand about the 'queering' of the magazine Films and Filming. Fascinating stuff. 

It's for a radio series called History on the Edge produced by Sara Parker on Radio 4. The first programme was on this morning (Monday 24 July) at 11.00am. I think the Films and Filming episode will probably be the third on 7 August, although it hasn't yet been listed on the website. See here.

In Memoriam

 

I just wanted to mention the passing this year of a couple of people I met when I spent more time in London hanging out with writers and publishers in pubs (those days are long gone now it seems). I was very sad to read of their deaths. 

Christopher Fowler was a successful novelist (detectives Bryant & May were his most famous creation) and short story writer who kindly wrote the preface to the second edition of my Subterranean City and reviewed Decadent London favourably in the Independent on Sunday. He was always supportive and a really lovely man who will be much missed. He was especially brave writing about his terminal cancer on his blog, where he was always interacting with his readers. See here and here.

Alastair Brotchie I met on a few occasions and spoke to on the phone when he had a query about a location in 1890s London. The founder of Atlas Press, he was an indefatigable writer and publisher, expert on pataphysics and Surrealism and biographer of Alfred Jarry. One of those rare people who make things happen. Obituary here by Peter Blegvad.

Recent Concerts

The talk at the Horse Hospital went well I thought and I hope to organise one or two more events before the end of the year.

I have been devoting so much of my free time to writing my next book that blogging and other activities have had to take a back seat.

The Yes gig in a previous post never happened, so I probably won't bother again in future. Some interesting concerts in the space of one week recently:

Hatfield and the Health Wednesday 5 July The Piper St Leonards. A group of great musicians playing a selection of the Canterbury Scene repertoire by Hatfield and the North, Caravan, National Health and Matching Mole. While reading the transcriptions there was room for improvisation and it was lovely to hear Tenemos Roads, Oh Caroline, Nine Feet Underground, Binoculars, Share It and others. More here.

On Saturday 8 July I caught the second half of the Seaview Festival outside the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill. Fortunately the rain held off and I really enjoyed this well-organised event. Local supergroup Aircooled's mix of krautrock and disco is a surefire hit and I hope they do well. I knew nothing about BC Camplight but was very impressed by the unusual structure of the songs and the fact that he was playing for the first time with a very young band who performed brilliantly. Topping off the evening Warmduscher were very entertaining, echoes of The Fall and The Birthday Party at times, relentless for over an hour. You can find other reviews here and here.    

Sunday 9 July Off to London to the Hammersmith Apollo to see Daryl Hall, only because his special guest was Todd Rundgren. I arrived at 7.30 and Todd had already started, so I missed 'Real Man.' It was very much a crowd-pleasing set - not something he always does - heavy on the blue-eyed Philly soul side of his oeuvre - understandable in the circumstances. Three out of thirteen songs were covers, set list here. I hung around for Daryl Hall although I've never really been a fan of Hall & Oates. I'm old enough to respect his music these days - I didn't realise he had written Every Time You Go Away.  I thought his voice was reedier and not as strong as Rundgren's which still sounds remarkable for a man in his seventies. 

Tonight I hope to get to Anthony Moore (from Slapp Happy and Henry Cow amongst others) playing at The Beacon in Hastings. See here.