_ch_

surveying the year of our lord 2025 i realise that i never reported back on the @speech.muse fest in August. which was grand. and a lovely venue as you can see. myself and the esteemed @haribo_voodoo_ritual performed our catatonic chat show charades rather well, and i finally broke a glass jar which for some reason i’d apparently conceived of as indestructible. my apologies to the barefooted performer who came after. my memory is blurry now, but Maggie Nichols was amazing and i think Thurston Moore was there. @etco1 was a perfect host as ever. we have audio and video evidence of proceedings and one day who knows etc.

after industrial strength levels of anxiety at the weekend, last night was such a great event. my thanks to @etco1 and @speech.muse for inviting myself and the ever glorious @haribo_voodoo_ritual to perform at @yourxyzworld . i enjoyed meeting Mari Matsutoya and shaking the hand of their tiny companion. and i apologise to Egg Meat (@georgiemcvicar et @upper_crust_punk ) for missing their set 🙏🏻 but there was a train with my name on it back to the southern wastes. sorry 💚 if it’s any consolation i really enjoyed going to work. i also enjoyed butchering Bonnie Prince Billy’s ‘Horses’ on the way to work in my cracked baritone, and then singing it successfully on the way home. but most importantly: JAM. BLACKBERRY & BAY LEAF JAM. FROM @etco1 . i love jam. I grew up on jam sandwiches. i will do (nearly-ish) anything for jam. future promoters please. take. note. we gave very little thought to our performance last night, in fact we almost deliberately didn’t prepare, like we were daring each other - or just pulled along in despair. (yol/ch ‘dare & despair’ shirts are on their way ✨) but i think it went well not least considering it’s six years since yol et moi last met (?) and seven since we lasted performed together (?). it’s like riding a bike. then falling off. into a ditch full of losing scratchcards and empty Monster cans. in three feet of water. on the Sabbath. my belated and rudely undeclared on the night thanks to the sound persons and all involved. twas a bla’st 🙏🏻❤️🖤

yiiiikes, history hits you square in the face. monstrous hardback tome compiling @idwalfisher ’s Just Glittering and Idwal Fisher zines, from Korn Plastics. from back when we wrote each other letters and didn’t know what a download code was. it’s packed, there’s a whole world in there. a proper portal to a different time (late 90s, 2000s). so weird to see so many great names, projects, and people, a real jolt to the memory banks. i’m still in touch with some of those people, others have drifted into the distance, a few are no longer with us 🙏🏻 lovely to see DDD, Sun Goes Out, @joincey , Lee Culver, and others weaving in and out of the issues. i’ve only flicked through (to find where i’m mentioned, obviously 😄) but it’s a wealth of STUFF. i have my original copies somewhere, but i definitely missed a few issues… anyway, what can i say…? Mr Fisher might have some copies, he might not, or try @pressingmattersrecordshop , orrr off to Korn Plastics in the NL you go. narcissistic pics of reviews of my Canister zine and Paperboy project present and correct.

in a month’s time, assuming i’m still breathing, i will be gracing @speech.muse no. 6 with my presence, accompanied by the esteemed @haribo_voodoo_ritual on throat and sundries. this joyous evening will be shared with Mari Matsutoya and Egg Meat @georgiemcvicar @upper_crust_punk and will be followed by an open mic, during which i will possibly perform the entire works of Thergothon a cappella. shenanigans will occur on thursday May 8th, downstairs at @yourxyzworld , 5 Gray’s Inn Road, WC1X 8PH. doors at 6:30. bring whispers and echoes.

found some old footage of moi from about ten (?) years ago, really cheering up a pub on a friday night with some weekend vibes… the dog enjoyed it anyway. thanks to @deadinaboat for the invite

winter solstice means Fragments issue 4 from @fragmentspress , huzzah, etc. just realised that i never got around to writing PR words for issue 3, so let me tell you that it was, and remains, ‘a cracker’ also etc. issue 4 has the usual meandering spew from my good self, and the usual warmth of @mark_ranger_ ; we are accompanied this time by an interview with @meeeeeg_of the illustrious @honeyjoyband , and some photography from @bh1photography . this issue was a difficult one to write due to my insistence on being governed by that HMV compilation. no more. the spell is broken. freedom, horrible freedom. etc. indeed, this is the last issue of Fragments as is, but we will return, with a more community based and hopefully community building zine at some point near the start of 2025. watch this space. we are currently having a sale, so grab those old issues or a bundle for someone you love/hate: / my eternal thanks, as ever, to Mark for doing all the things my ‘erratic creative’ brain is confused by. peace and goodwill and so forth.

annnnnnd je suis back - reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated etc - got a track on the new day long @grand_declaration_of_wall comp from @mima_kass celebrating its solid greatness. this is phase a of ‘start doing crap again’, phase b will be a small label that i definitely started doing a year ago (ughhhhhh) and i *will* put those initial releases out soon. ‘how exciting,’ you say. go give mima some coins

it’s bandcamp Friday and all that jazz, buy our shit etc. we’re recording more guff soon and yr pennies will help finance this and continue the cycle of misery we have decided to inflict on ourselves. and you. sorry. clickings upon the @ididid666

we had the quarterly @fragmentspress board meeting recently and with my fellow CEO @mark_ranger_ we’ve plotted new directions going forward. all very exciting. in the meantime, the third issue of Fragments will soon be upon us…

a couple of pieces i’ve been working on. going to sell all my gear and just enjoy the degradation of material reality.

well, a tremendous time was had at the weekend, thank you @apublicdisserviceannouncement , @funcrusherrr and @philchokeword . @scab_band , @vhspunkrockuk , @f.emasculata , monolithian, @prey.hardcore annnnd @lifeforms_falmouth , were all great, and even though @s0ddsband had to sadly pull out they still supplied delicious brownies. this should possibly be required etiquette at all future gigs ever, worldwide. also, i always forget to thank Emily the sound enabler on stage: thank you, Emily, wherever you are. it was an accomplished enough @ididid666 recital, beyond the tech shenanigans at the start which will be schooled out of the offending instrumentalist. it was too hot, my body still hurts, and somebody else was wearing the same Gimic shirt as me, punk rock fashion faux pas. however, i did manage to chuck the mic in the air and catch it - i’m slowly gaining all the skills i need to be a top class vocalist. working on scissor kicks for the next gig. energy is eternal delight, y’all.

aug 10th, saturday, 2-10, @apublicdisserviceannouncement bring you a plethora of fine bands for yr delectation, and @ididid666 . there will be thrills, spills, and no room on the stage when we play. it’ll probably be too hot as well, so i’ll be complaining about that. we’ll have copies of our charming new 10” and purchasing will be mandatory. come marvel at: @prey.hardcore , @f.emasculata , @lifeforms_falmouth , @vhspunkrockuk , monolithian, @scab_band , @s0ddsband et les id. good vibes only.