Friday, April 09, 2004
today i bought the new graham coxon album 'Happiness in magazines'. I really really got to stop spending as I'm rapidly screwing myself out of cash. However i picked up the cd as a promo for 6 quid and it isn't officially released untill the 17th of March so it was a bit of a bargin. Album is very good. Having heard three out of Coxon's five records I'd argue that this is his best and most accessible...but only so to the indie market. He seems to have completed his 'Lo-fi' period and is edging back, ironicly, to his Blur past. 'Happiness...' sounds very much like Modern life is rubbish/popscene era blur. On one track (bottom bunk) he even revists 'great escape' era blur. The addition of Stephen Street on production duties perhaps edged him in this direction but nonetheless even his vocal sound is alot more polished and bluresque. First single 'Freakin out' sounds like it could have been writtin by The Buzzcocks while'bittersweet bundle of misery' is a relation of 'coffee and tv'. Graham Coxon said earlier this year that he would not be returning to his previous band, but in a way he's done just that.
Happiness in magazines is released May 17th and I highly recommend!!!
Happiness in magazines is released May 17th and I highly recommend!!!
Wednesday, April 07, 2004
Larry Walters - The Lawn Chair Pilot - 100% true
One day, Larry, had a bright idea. He decided to fly. He went to the local Army-Navy surplus store and purchased 45 weather balloons and several tanks of helium. The weather balloons, when fully inflated, would measure more than four feet across. Back home, Larry securely strapped the balloons to his sturdy lawn chair. He anchored the chair to the bumper of his jeep and inflated the balloons with the helium. He climbed on for a test while it was still only a few feet above the ground. Satisfied it would work, Larry packed several sandwiches and a six-pack of Miller Lite, loaded his pellet gun-figuring he could pop a few balloons when it was time to descend-and went back to the floating lawn chair. He tied himself in along with his pellet gun and provisions. Larry's plan was to lazily float up to a height of about 30 feet above his back yard after severing the anchor and in a few hours come back down.
Things didn't quite work out that way.
When he cut the cord anchoring the lawn chair to his jeep, he didn't float lazily up to 30 or so feet. Instead he streaked into the LA sky as if shot from a cannon. He didn't level of at 30 feet, nor did he level off at 100 feet. After climbing and climbing, he leveled off at 16,000 feet. At that height he couldn't risk shooting any of the balloons, lest he unbalance the load and really find himself in trouble. So he stayed there, drifting, cold and frightened, for more than 14 hours.
Then he really got in trouble.
He found himself drifting into the primary approach corridor of Los Angeles International Airport. A United pilot first spotted Larry. He radioed the tower and described passing a guy in a lawn chair with a gun. Radar confirmed the existence of an object floating 16,000 feet above the airport. LAX emergency procedures swung into full alert and a helicopter was dispatched to investigate. LAX is right on the ocean. Night was falling and the offshore breeze began to flow. It carried Larry out to sea with the helicopter in hot pursuit.Several miles out, the helicopter caught up with Larry. Once the crew determined that Larry was not dangerous, they attempted to close in for a rescue but the draft from the blades would push Larry away whenever they neared. Finally, the helicopter ascended to a position several hundred feet above Larry and lowered a rescue line. Larry snagged the line and was hauled back to shore. The difficult maneuver was flawlessly executed by the helicopter crew. As soon as Larry was hauled to earth,crashing above a house, he was arrested by waiting members of the LAPD for violating LAX airspace.
As he was led away in handcuffs, a reporter dispatched to cover the daring rescue asked why he had done it. Larry stopped, turned and replied nonchalantly, "A man can't just sit around."
Larry Walters - lawn chair legend 1949 -1992
Larry's flying Lawn Chair
One day, Larry, had a bright idea. He decided to fly. He went to the local Army-Navy surplus store and purchased 45 weather balloons and several tanks of helium. The weather balloons, when fully inflated, would measure more than four feet across. Back home, Larry securely strapped the balloons to his sturdy lawn chair. He anchored the chair to the bumper of his jeep and inflated the balloons with the helium. He climbed on for a test while it was still only a few feet above the ground. Satisfied it would work, Larry packed several sandwiches and a six-pack of Miller Lite, loaded his pellet gun-figuring he could pop a few balloons when it was time to descend-and went back to the floating lawn chair. He tied himself in along with his pellet gun and provisions. Larry's plan was to lazily float up to a height of about 30 feet above his back yard after severing the anchor and in a few hours come back down.
Things didn't quite work out that way.
When he cut the cord anchoring the lawn chair to his jeep, he didn't float lazily up to 30 or so feet. Instead he streaked into the LA sky as if shot from a cannon. He didn't level of at 30 feet, nor did he level off at 100 feet. After climbing and climbing, he leveled off at 16,000 feet. At that height he couldn't risk shooting any of the balloons, lest he unbalance the load and really find himself in trouble. So he stayed there, drifting, cold and frightened, for more than 14 hours.
Then he really got in trouble.
He found himself drifting into the primary approach corridor of Los Angeles International Airport. A United pilot first spotted Larry. He radioed the tower and described passing a guy in a lawn chair with a gun. Radar confirmed the existence of an object floating 16,000 feet above the airport. LAX emergency procedures swung into full alert and a helicopter was dispatched to investigate. LAX is right on the ocean. Night was falling and the offshore breeze began to flow. It carried Larry out to sea with the helicopter in hot pursuit.Several miles out, the helicopter caught up with Larry. Once the crew determined that Larry was not dangerous, they attempted to close in for a rescue but the draft from the blades would push Larry away whenever they neared. Finally, the helicopter ascended to a position several hundred feet above Larry and lowered a rescue line. Larry snagged the line and was hauled back to shore. The difficult maneuver was flawlessly executed by the helicopter crew. As soon as Larry was hauled to earth,crashing above a house, he was arrested by waiting members of the LAPD for violating LAX airspace.
As he was led away in handcuffs, a reporter dispatched to cover the daring rescue asked why he had done it. Larry stopped, turned and replied nonchalantly, "A man can't just sit around."
Larry Walters - lawn chair legend 1949 -1992
Larry's flying Lawn Chair
Monday, April 05, 2004
never rains but it pours....................trying since November to sort out some work experience and today I get two offers back within 2o minutes of each other! Am doing a week and a bit in Hot Press from Wed 14th of this month till 25th and then The Irish Post here in London for 3 weeks in June. Not bad not bad.
Friday, April 02, 2004
it's just gone 5:30am on fri 2nd and I have just got my Glasto tics!!!!!!!!! Been on mobile and net since 8pm last night. nine hours+. Mad you might say, but then you've never been to glasto. Those who've been - you know. It's worth it. Fuck though. amazed at the speed and demand for the tickets. two years ago they took two months to sell. Last year a day. This year it looks like 12 hours. just listening to radio 1 and 80,000 of the 120,000 are gone already. they're selling 100 tickets a minute. crazy.
you may say thats nothing compared to some gigs but you got to take in to account they're not on sale in shops. only one site and one telephone number dealing with sales and you can only use debit card, cheque or postal order.
real hard to get them on line as well. kept getting to the order page but kept telling me not enough tics left or some shit. sometimes timed out. listening to radio theres lots of pissed of people unable to get through and site not functioning proper, etc
fuck it though. I'm goin. I'm theres. Macca, Oasis, damo rice, et al here I come. GLASTO BABY.
just hope some of the rest of them got through.
you may say thats nothing compared to some gigs but you got to take in to account they're not on sale in shops. only one site and one telephone number dealing with sales and you can only use debit card, cheque or postal order.
real hard to get them on line as well. kept getting to the order page but kept telling me not enough tics left or some shit. sometimes timed out. listening to radio theres lots of pissed of people unable to get through and site not functioning proper, etc
fuck it though. I'm goin. I'm theres. Macca, Oasis, damo rice, et al here I come. GLASTO BABY.
just hope some of the rest of them got through.
