Two gigs, surprisingly different vibes this weekend #TestDepartment - #Whitstable and #SnappedAnkles - #Margate

Playing I Like Trains - #Kompromat It’s probably 5 years old but just as excoriating and blissfully bleak now as it was then. #ILikeTrains #BandsWhoShouldBeMassive #HowDoYouSleepAtNight #TheTruthIs

Tonight’s gig was Index for Working Music, who played Ramsgate Music Hall to an audience of about 25 people!

My Nan is 105 today. Bless her she’s not so terribly well but until just before the pandemic she walked everywhere, was never a drinker & as miserable as sin. Make of that what you will! I never was that close to her but I do admire the old bird. Happy birthday Nan

Today I’ve really done art in a big way Grayson Perry ✔️ Leigh Bowery ✔️ Electric Dreams Exhibit ✔️

A little poem I wrote last week whilst procrastinating. Abridged for the character limit here. #PhDLife #Academia #poetry

My procrastination first began with a packet of biscuits Followed by some urgent cleaning Then time was spent thinking about, overpainting that mark on my ceiling And by the time I was finished & tidied away I realised that the chapter I’d intended to write, would have to wait another day. #PhD

Thus Love at Ramsgate Music Hall was epic. Last night of the tour and they were in a jubilant and celebratory mood #ThusLove #RamsgateMusicHall

A week since I was visited by the duck, he’s turned up again and was quacking through the patio door. I wonder what he is trying to tell me? 🦆

Tonight I saw Helicon at Justine’s in Margate. It was a bit surreal though because when I arrived at Justine’s I realised that the venue was formerly the Pisces Club where 32years ago I played a gig and the other band performing that night was my husbands. As they say… the rest is history.

Thanks @captainlibatron.bsky.social for the cake! That was the most delicious cake I’ve had for a loooong time #GlutenFree #TwelveTaps #Birthday

What a week, and it’s only Thursday!! Redundancy Risk on Tuesday Locked out of the House on Wednesday (and told redundancy risk isn’t happening ) Diverted by a Duck today Off out later for a well deserved beer and to celebrate the Twelve Taps birthday tonight

What a week. HE is a mess and I’ve suddenly got a new PhD supervisor. Additionally my Chair of Studies is taking redundancy leaving in the summer, and I’m a bit discombobulated. 😕 #AcademicLife #PhD #FinalYear

Another superb concert with a more respectful crowd tonight. #AnnaErhard #ElseWhere #Margate

65/100 Hit a major breakthrough today analysing social media’s role in shaping artist identity. Excited to keep writing! #EurekaMoment #100daysofphd #arthistoryandvisualculture #socialmediaresearch #AcademicSky #PhDResearch @exeter.ac.uk @suaw.bsky.social @writingpartners.bsky.social

LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER will be live at our 3rd annual International Drone Day event on Saturday 17th May @thegulbenkian supported by Coastal Electronauts @shapenavigator @sophiesirotaviola and @analoguemechanic Live visuals @diz_qo #electronicmusic #experimentalmusic #dronemusic #synth #canterbury

Saw Squid tonight in Margate, they were exceptional but the crowd was not. So much talking during the set. I can’t get my head around why you’d do that! #Rude

A very primitive red-wing black bird, I’m waiting for them to come back. Also I love him. #embroidery #birds #art

Current Life: Concurrent #Recruitment #fieldwork #analysis #PhDResearcher #PhDLife #Academia Vibe:

I’m supposed to be analysing my data but thoughts are with planning and celebrating the forthcoming spring equinox with friends. #PhDProcrastination #AcademicLife #Ostara #Celebration #MaskMaking #DressingUp

Have spent most of the week with either squid or heartworms new albums on repeat but today feels like a ‘listening to the entire Midlake back catalogue’, kind of day.

Last night was a fantastic evening for music with Anna B Savage supported by Cubzoa at Elsewhere in Margate. Unfortunately as I’m a short girl and the average audience height seemed to be 5’8 - 6’6 the pictures are non existent as I didn’t see much #ShortGirl #Music

Two days and brilliant nights in Brighton and now it’s the weekend! 🙌🏻 Big love to Bella Union and @mrsimonraymonde.bsky.social Excited to have seen two of my favourites - Plantoid and BC Camplight and a host of new bands too. #SupportLiveMusic especially in grass roots venues

Blimey, that was a great weekend for music. John Grant at the De La Warr in Bexhill on Friday evening - simply sublime. Tonight Keg at Ramsgate Music Hall. Genuinely one of the best sets I’ve seen there!

Fascinating article on our sleep patterns. Biphasic sleep was once completely commonplace 💤 www.bbc.com/future/artic...

Just found this book and already touched by the first page. For those saying ‘why are they all men?’ here’s a simple explanation👇 #Syria #Refugees

I wanted something recently for my PhD thesis. I knew exactly what I wanted, took me ages to find it. I was offered things that didn’t seem to exist. At the time I thought I’d done something wrong but now I realise it wasn’t me! It was the AI! #AcademicSky #PhDResearch #CurseAI #GoogleIsNotMyFriend

For anyone that followed me to see it finished… #embroidery #journaling #2024Done #phew

After the week I’ve had, this feels like the most perfect Christmas song #MentalHealth #Christmas

Just had the most stressful and relentless of weeks but the out of office is on for two weeks and I’m now in the taps! 🍻

Midlake keeping me company today Unlike the lyric, I’m not wanting a day of honest work. Just my bed or a side hustle

#ResearchAdvent Day 15 My favourite place to study is somewhere where I have space to pace, a great cup of coffee, a pretty view from the window & can chose whether there is music in the background. This is often home but the university library works well, as does the harbour (weather dependent)

#ResearchAdvent Day 14. In three years I’ll look back and think of 2025 as having been significant in shaping the CLIO study intervention #Cancer related #Loneliness

Currently in one of my happy places. Cheers 🍺 #TwelveTaps

Day 13 #ResearchAdvent The thing I love most about my research is the opportunity to make a difference within the system and maybe improve people’s #Cancer related #Loneliness

Sickened and horrified. Angie is right, we have to fight this. I stand with trans people everywhere.

What a way to end the year musically speaking. such a brilliant line up of three bands. #Memorials were particularly sublime.

Off out to see Bevis Frond, Islet and Memorials at Ramsgate Music Hall … and that’s how I roll 🤘🏻

Last year I loved doing #ResearchAdvent I forgot until just now. Quick summary, I’m a PhD student (with multiple hats) exploring #ComplexInterventions for Cancer-Related Loneliness. I’m running out of time to collect data & write my thesis. Most days I look like this 🤪 Now back to #RealistSynthesis

Exciting news - Coastal Electronauts Vol 1 CD is out soon featuring live recordings from performances over the last year including Gagarin, Sophie Sirota, Ghostyhed, AnalogueMechanic, Field of Dreams, John Gallen, OSVoS, Sebtic Smile and myself - Shape Navigator youtu.be/5etR9yChV6c?...

A great night at Where Else Margate watching BC Camplight. As always I’m left with a sense of the humour and heartbreak. Thoroughly entertained and reminded of his incredible talent

I was going to stop embroidery after my daily journaling embroidery but now I’m inspired by this and feel a smaller seasonal one coming on for 2025. Mission to fill every space with a riot of colour and different stitches.

Today was about self care, so I walked across the fields, did crafting and ate out at lunchtime. All with my best friend and so much laughter

Today I made a saucy gothic faerie. I’m itching to make her a hat and cane too. #GothicNotGoth #Faerie #Fairy #Felting

Introducing the forty-second Starter Pack with all the bands, orchestras, independent labels, and musicians I can find on Blue Sky! Please have a look, follow some or all of them, and share this pack here and in other places! go.bsky.app/LHxGJig

Waiting for Immersion to set up… #RamsgateMusicHallm

Today our band Black Opal recorded two more demo tracks. We’re hoping to gig next year. It’s all rather indie pop energy or scandi-noir soundtrack feels. We just now need to find the sweet spot in the middle. Anyway, we’re on Soundcloud if you’re curious. soundcloud.com/blackopalband

Great advice!

Photographer Kathrin Swoboda captured amazing images of a red wing blackbird's song, visible via the bird's breath in cold air and early light