Going off grid for a month to get something quite difficult written. DM only if urgent. Find me on WhatsApp if your life depends on it. Take care. x

All those people telling you there's no money but they can promise exposure, forget that you can die from exposure.

Centipede at the Lyceum Theatre, London, Sunday 15th November 1970. The band premiered Tippett's "Septober Energy". Concert poster via Stu Wilding

🎉Join us in wishing a very happy 90th Birthday to visionary writer and friend of New Perspectives, David Rudkin. We were honoured to work with David on PLACEPRINTS, tales of haunted landscapes & hidden stories brought to life by a stellar cast. 🎧Free to listen to, find out how 🔽 bit.ly/4gLxa4r

Penelope Keith in her pomp being made to look even more fabulous by Angus McBean (Nationwide 9.11.76)

Penelope Keith RIP

Hartnell-tastic post from @obversebooks.co.uk . The one on the right is off to a good start with quotes from Rachel Carson, spotted in the flick through.

This screenshot ticks boxes I didn't even know I had.

A happy 90th birthday to David Rudkin, visionary writer of Afore Night Come, Penda's Fen, The Sons of Light and so much else besides. I am immersed in another of his plays for an upcoming book project. The sheer abundance of things to say about his work and what he himself says never fails to amaze.

Eight years ago today, I interviewed Mel Brooks. Currently playing my phone interview with him on @noiseboxradio.com. #BarfeNight noiseboxradio.com

Extended jazz metaphor ahoy.

Posted this before but I love it. Mel Brooks’s story about ghosting Cary Grant must have been told by Mel on every other talk show appearance he made, it was one of his standard “bits” but I especially like this version with Clive James. youtu.be/9QbATFlTaZs?...

"We got beat up/Just for holding hands." 🌈 youtu.be/pX31ksi5k3s?...

Must admit, I didn't see this one coming: the first ever repeat of a 1965 edition of Music 625, this Sunday on BBC Four. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Michael Hampton has sent me Brion Gysin's actual knife. INCISIONS—A Micro Anthology by Michael Hampton "a beginner’s guide, and recueil for fans of damaged codexes and distressed paper." uniformbooks.co.uk/uniformpamphlets.php

GLARC is one of the best things to come out of Glasgow: a stylistically omnivorous, politically radical DIY tape label who introduced the world to Still House Plants, Quinie & more. Had a great chat with founders Joel White & Gordon @thequietus.com thequietus.com/interviews/s...

Congratulations to 6Music on booking John Waters for an hour and somehow making it dull and stilted.

They've created a product that's too expensive to use on trivial things, but not good enough to use on important things. Oh no.

Fuck it. Going to water my lawn and if anyone complains, I’m going to say it’s a data centre, that it’s inevitable and you’ve got to get on board or get left behind.

Beat off the heat

There won’t be a midnight news bulletin. Was one person reading the news and throwing to pre-RX clips *that* expensive? Yesterday, BBC News had a helicopter hover above the train Andy Burnham was on — in case… what? It turned into a fucking butterfly? — at a rate of £4,000 per hour.

I am BEGGING people - think tanks, governments, random organisations - to DATE YOUR REPORTS WHEN YOU DO THE PDFS. It should not be THIS HARD to find a BLOODY PUBLICATION DATE. You might think everyone will remember the magical day you published it years later. But you are delusional.

God. I could really do with Emu throwing me bodily into a supermarket freezer right about now.

Bluesky hive mind, I need your help! I am revising my book edits, this week is my opening Derek Jarman chapter, & I would love to confirm that these shivering flowers in a wintry Dungeness are…viper’s bugloss? Unlike Derek, I am no expert – keen to get this detail right!

Exclusive interview with music writer Andy Beta, plus many rare tracks selected by Andy, unavailable elsewhere. bsky.app/profile/obso...

A tortuous segue by Nick Robinson from Cape Verde to Keir Starmer, there. And you can look forward to much more of that bollocks when Today Programme presenters have to present alone for three hours after the next wave of BBC cuts. Hopefully more LBC than QVC.

Corrie 1.11.61 There’s trouble at Amalgamated Steel, as boss Mr Wentworth (Barry Letts) gives a ticking off to Mr Schofield (Barry Lowe) who office assistant Ken Barlow is sticking up for.

More from Severin: this stacked release of king shit Peter Watkins' The War Game (1965) was put together by the almighty @kierlajanisse.bsky.social (who very kindly invited me to do a video essay for it, edited by Stephen Broomer!)

Saw some cool art at Modern 1 but this is one for the Who fans - Daphne Oram, co-founder of the Radiophonic Workshop, by Victoria Morton (2014)

Great to see the mighty Calling All Pensioners being celebrated.

The Steve Reich referencing intro to the excellent Portraits in Absentia was a bit of a duff steer. I thought it had massive Robert Ashley vibes, perhaps via Laurie Anderson.

theeeee archival edition of the year has been re-pressed, praise the lord boomkat.com/products/dal...

Or my English tutor at sixth form.

Fresh cut in the post today. The first in a new series. #NowPlaying

A bit of a forgotten National Theatre of Brent appearance for you all: sharing their musical inspirations on Private Passions back in 2000. youtu.be/WPsyn4gUuAs?...

4Extra has finally commenced a full weekly repeat of I, An Actor. It's a lovely radio production, including very good fakery of a 1980s Channel 4 drama workshop. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

What is overlooked in the BBC Radio 4 cuts is a simple fact: 94% of people use BBC content but only 80% of people are paying for it. Until that funding gap is closed through Government charter negotiation, cuts like these are inevitable.

If there was one thing missing last night, it was this... youtu.be/taIDeQ4--Ks?...

For Vini: A Tribute to the Durutti Column, at London's very cosy Purcell Room. They didn't have Vini, but they did have Mr Manchester himself, Bruce Mitchell. 😀 Got to hear his distinctive performance over some of my faves. Now that's how you do a tribute act. Crossposted with @openvibe

I've just seen a surprise appearance by Bruce Mitchell, 86, on drums, at Meltdown, and I am extraordinarily happy about that. Never thought I would see that again. Durutti Column forever.

New Gen Z slang just dropped. If something is very bad, it is both "toast", and "chopped", and henceforth will also be "soldiers".

BREAKING – BBC CUTS: Radio 4 to end The World Tonight, Midnight News, Money Box Live, AntiSocial, The Law Show and Crossing Continents next year. Newshour will replace The World Tonight on Radio 4 and World Service.

This on Saturday night on Radio 3 has a lot going for it.

Now into our tenth day of this shot. Every frame a winner.

Free ticket going for this tonight @cafeotodalston.bsky.social , drop me a DM if you're interested. TONY OXLEY: THE ANGULAR APRON ← Cafe OTO share.google/7SxoPg2HyvR8...

Lovely post. @routebooks.bsky.social

Having to do a severe edit of an old talk. Came across the best slide I ever made, about The Albion Manifesto. It's basically art.

“It’s a long way from anywhere…” Just heard that Dave Greenslade has died. Currently greatly enjoying again his superbly witty and inventive scores for A Very Peculiar Practice on BBC4. His work on Gangsters too was brilliant, both of and ahead of its time. “We’ll always love you.” RIP.