15th December 1979 and members of Sheffield bands Clock DVA, Stunt Kites, I'm So Hollow & Vice Versa gather to have their photo taken by Pete Hill, ahead of the release of "1980: The First 15 Minutes" on VV's Neutron Records label. Remembering Judd and Steve Chapman. Long gone, not forgotten.

December 1967. Sheffield boutique Lift Up Your Skirt And Fly, at the junction of Howard St. and Norfolk Street. (Photo: JR James Archive).

Thank you folks for checking out my latest blog & podcast about Marc Almond's visit to The Leadmill in October 1984. If you haven't dipped in yet, here are the links: Apple - bit.ly/4rtcl0G Spotify - bit.ly/4pdo4yQ YouTube - bit.ly/47KfCQ6 Blog - bit.ly/3Mvj89S

Saturday morning plug for my latest podcast and blog episode. October 1984 and a trip to see Marc Almond launch his solo career at The Leadmill in Sheffield. Links: podcast - pods.to/ex8mxwr blog - www.mylifeinthemoshofghosts.com YouTube - bit.ly/47KfCQ6

Really enjoyed catching up with Mal & Chris at their Cabaret Voltaire gig in Manchester this week.

New blog & podcast! Marc Almond kicks off his 'Vermin In Ermine' 1984 tour at The Leadmill in Sheffield, which has just been blown to smithereens in the BBC TV film 'Threads'. Interested? Follow the links: podcast - pods.to/ex8mxwr blog - www.mylifeinthemoshofghosts.com YouTube - bit.ly/47KfCQ6

New blog & podcast up. October 1984 and Sheffield has been destroyed in 'Threads' on the BBC. A trip thru' the fallout to The Leadmill to see Marc Almond offers some light relief. Links: podcast - pods.to/ex8mxwr blog - www.mylifeinthemoshofghosts.com YouTube - bit.ly/47KfCQ6

Before my time with the band, but nice to share nonetheless. Back to November 1978 and ZigZag magazine heads up north to Sheffield to meet a bunch of weirdos called Clock DVA.

Merano.

Bolzano, Italy. Where it has all gone a bit Hawkwind.

Venice night-time.

Venice at night.

Very happy to see and hear 'Brigade' back out in the world. Recorded at Western Works with Cabaret Voltaire on September 28th, 1979. The day before my 19th birthday. Links to listen here: Apple - apple.co/4gXlQ3m YouTube - bit.ly/4nFEvTV Spotty - bit.ly/4h5CdLm

1952 Fiat 500 Belvedere. Spotted in the NH Lingotto, Turin.

Night people, Cafe Des Arts, Turin.

29.08.1980. DVA / PTI / De Tian at The Leadmill, Sheffield. DVA played 2 sets. The main one being: North Loop, Uncertain, Sensorium, 4 Hours and Piano Pain. An earlier first set was a semi-improvised piece called 'The Clock DVA Theme', also known (briefly) as 'The Psychedelic Angler'.

News: Mute Records announces remastered edition of debut album from Clock DVA, first reissue in 35 years regenmag.com/news/news-mu...

On 26.4.1980 these 5 fleeting figures recorded an album in 1 day. 'White Souls In Black Suits' by Clock DVA is being re-released by Mute on 7.11.2025. Pre-order the album here mute.ffm.to/clock-dva-ws... Here's a taster: Apple - apple.co/47h62FL Spotify - bit.ly/47hTUV0 YouTube - bit.ly/3UOeg0E

Good times with Oasis at Croke Park. Liam G: "Where would be all be without 'Wonderwall'? Selling carpets or summat."

70s counterculture, Sheffield-style. Frank White & his hairy hippies vs the Brylcreem'd City & Guilds lads. I bet this was LOUD. I saw Frank a few years later, on 12/8/78. My memories here - Blog - bit.ly/3t6quSp Apple - apple.co/2OF7rjj Spotify - spoti.fi/3cgFiah YouTube - bit.ly/3X0vSZg

Last plug for the current blog & podcast episode. Echo & The Bunnymen at York Racecourse in 1984. Thanks folks for all your support! Up next: Marc Almond at The Leadmill, Sheffield in October '84. Blog - bit.ly/457K2vy Apple - bit.ly/4muZ2tg Spotify - bit.ly/4ftWxVQ YouTube - bit.ly/4lMnPJv

Midweek plug for my latest blog & podcast episode. September 1984 and a trip to see Echo & The Bunnymen at the first (and last) York Rock Festival. Links - Blog - bit.ly/457K2vy Apple - bit.ly/4muZ2tg Spotify - bit.ly/4ftWxVQ YouTube - bit.ly/4lMnPJv

A little bit late with this but just to say that Mari Samuelsen playing Arvo Pärt and Max Richter at the National Concert Hall in Dublin last Tuesday lunchtime was terrific.

Dame Judi wishes you all a Happy Yorkshire Day.

"Arlott-a shakin' goin' on"

31.07.1983. One of those nights when you wondered: "what the f*ck are we doing here?" My memories of Killing Joke fans chucking things at us recalled here: Blog - bit.ly/45835Vf Apple - bit.ly/4lXpThR Spotify - bit.ly/4mkPKzN YouTube - bit.ly/3H8kAwO

Hello Folks, A fresh taster for my latest podcast. A day out at York Racecourse in September 1984 for Echo & The Bunnymen, Sisters Of Mercy etc. (Sisters' live pic by a chap called Jim B.) Link to the full thing here - pods.to/ex8mxwr Blog - www.mylifeinthemoshofghosts.com YouTube - bit.ly/4lMnPJv

Start-the-week plug for my new blog & podcast. A smashing pic of Mac, Will & Pete of The Bunnymen live at York Racecourse on 22nd September 1984 (Credit Nick Robinson.) My memories of a grand day out here: pod - pods.to/ex8mxwr blog - www.mylifeinthemoshofghosts.com YouTube - bit.ly/4lMnPJv

Sunday afternoon plug for the new blog & podcast. 22nd September 1984 and a trip to York Racecourse to see Echo & The Bunnymen, Sisters Of Mercy etc. A grand day out. (Love the lad riding the bin.) Links here: podcast - pods.to/ex8mxwr blog - www.mylifeinthemoshofghosts.com YouTube - bit.ly/4lMnPJv

New blog & podcast up. September 1984 and a trip to see Echo & The Bunnymen, Sisters Of Mercy etc at York Racecourse. Also stuff about working at Virgin in Sheffield. Links: blog - www.mylifeinthemoshofghosts.com podcast - pods.to/ex8mxwr YouTube - bit.ly/4lMnPJv

I've just verified my age by saying "It's frothy man."

It’s only taken fifty years but I finally saw Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Barry Lyndon’ at The Light House in Dublin. I think teenage me would have been bored silly, but - hey - with age comes wisdom (apparently) and I absolutely loved it.

15.07.1983. The Fall, live at the Ace in Brixton. (MES photo by Harvey Johnman.) The Box supported, my memories of the night here: Blog - bit.ly/46treIr Apple - bit.ly/46FhWJ9 Spotify - bit.ly/44HrtNm YouTube - bit.ly/4lXQriE #thefall #markesmith #postpunk #musicblog #musicpodcast #onthisday

Good fun last night for Bastille Day at The Big Romance in Dublin. Here's a link to a Spotify playlist of what I played: open.spotify.com/playlist/6fd...

5/7/80. Borg beats McEnroe in a 5-set thriller at Wimbledon and Cabaret Voltaire headline at The Leadmill in Sheffield. My memories of the evening here: Blog - bit.ly/3ytIEQV Apple podcast - apple.co/3yrzGTV Spotify podcast - spoti.fi/3jJxRO8 YouTube - bit.ly/4eCvEOX Photos by the great Jon Downing.

28th June 1983. Murrayfield, Edinburgh. David Bowie watches the rain pour down. My teenage memories of growing up with his music, and of a grand day out in Scotland here: Blog - bit.ly/4aOi6x9 Apple podcast - bit.ly/3QcFQ5R Spotify podcast - bit.ly/3WaJe5a YouTube - bit.ly/40plviK

27/06/1980. A quite extraordinary gig by Fad Gadget at the old Clarendon ballroom on Hammersmith roundabout. What a showman. My memories here: Blog - bit.ly/3hdqtro Apple Podcast - apple.co/3x0AD5z Spotify Podcast - spoti.fi/3jjfdww YouTube - bit.ly/4lvarc8

Very much looking forward to being back at The Big Romance in Dublin for a vinyl-only set of French artists to celebrate Bastille Day on 14th July. If you happen to be in Dublin please pop in and say bonsoir!

21st June 1979. The day I left school. Went to see the mighty John Cooper Clarke at The Limit in Sheffield. My memories of the day here: Blog - bit.ly/3y2qjNm Apple podcast - apple.co/3QwNRkA Spotify podcast - spoti.fi/3bguH2p YouTube - bit.ly/4ndHW46 #sheffield #johncooperclarke #poetry

19/6/1981 Florian, Karl & Wolfgang of Kraftwerk give it some 'Pocket Calculator' at Sheffield City Hall. (Photo: Iain Leslie.) One of my favourite gigs ever. My memories of the night here: Blog - bit.ly/4aWgOQe Apple podcast - bit.ly/43XsMXy Spotify podcast - bit.ly/49I8imR YouTube - bit.ly/40aXCv6

10.06.1980. Cabaret Voltaire & Throbbing Gristle, live at Sheffield University. My memories of the gig here: Blog - bit.ly/3v8TUQx Apple podcast - apple.co/3pEhi7b Spotify podcast - spoti.fi/3gbMkjY YouTube - bit.ly/3FT1MAT #sheffield #industrial #musicblog #musicpodcast #onthisday

1/5. Some things I liked at the new RHA exhibition in Dublin. Fiona White - 'Beggars Belief' (detail)

My recent history with Wes Anderson. The French Dispatch, really didn’t enjoy it at all. Asteroid City, not seen, scared off by how disappointing The French Dispatch was. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. Wonderful indeed. I enjoyed The Phoenician Scheme, almost as much as the cake and coffee.

In the National Gallery, Dublin yesterday and it occurred to me that all galleries should have an empty exhibition space where you can mentally project whatever pictures your imagination can conjure up. 🙂

22.05.1981. Cabaret Voltaire guest at Cabaret Futura at Sheffield Poly. "a sooty black sock into an otherwise pale wash cycle." My memories of the night here - Blog - bit.ly/4cMOm5f Apple podcast - bit.ly/43OBbN9 Spotify podcast - bit.ly/3xu8uZF YouTube - bit.ly/4mq3bzh

Llanfairfechan

En route back to the ferry at Holyhead, I was thrilled to discover a terrific record shop in Abergele called Noise Annoys. Well worth a visit.

Some pics from the Cabaret Voltaire celebration at Sheffield University on 16th May. A splendid evening was enjoyed by all. #sheffield #cabaretvoltaire #electronicmusic