Three more from Sigur Rós tonight: - Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust (2008) - Valarie (2012) - Kveikur (2013)

Reasons To Be Cheerful, 1, 2, 3…

Four hour online chat with EE yesterday went round and round in circles and achieved nothing. Managed to reach a human by phone today - full resolution in eight minutes.

Two from Sigur Rós ahead of their Royal Albert Hall shows next week. - Takk… (2005 - how is this 20 years old already?) - Átta (2023)

Currently in a 3.5 hourchat with EE customer service. Mrs Mac asked how my blood pressure was doing so I thought I’d check. Still not resolved.

Tonight’s selection from Bowie’s I Can’t Give Everything Away box: - Blackstar - No Plan EP Some people say they can’t listen to Blackstar because it’s too painful. I’ve listened to it dozens of times and - yes - it is painful but it’s also utterly beautiful. Retired my clear vinyl copy long ago

I met these two lovely people today. They have spent the last 62 years looking after the Forest of Dean - he was a forester then a manager, she was a fire spotter, including watching out into Wales. They still return to this favourite spot even after seeing the view thousands of times.

Good day out in the Forest of Dean.

I’m not the biggest pop culture hound but I like to feel I have half an eye on things. That being said, I’ve just discovered that the Ant who is running for London mayor is not the Ant from Ant and Dec.

#𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗟𝗲𝗱𝗕𝘆𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗸𝗲𝘆𝘀

Tonight’s visit to the Bowie I Can’t Give Everything Away box set: - The Next Day - The Next Day EP Hard to believe that this album is 12 years already, it still feels like “the new one”, even though we had another “new one” after it. BTW - James Murphy’s Love Is Lost remix is a monster.

Nothing screams power move like losing to a talking candle on late night TV 👌 #Colbert #Kimmel #LateShow #MAGA #Disney #FCC

Another lost Enid Blyton classic:

Tonight’s dip into David Bowie’s I Can’t Give Everything Away box set, Reality and A Reality Tour. I saw this tour at the Murat in Indianapolis, reportedly the smallest venue on the whole tour. A tremendous show with one of his finest bands. Gail Ann Dorsey channels Freddie on Under Pressure.

The 3 stages of grief: denial, anger, ballroom

Next up from the I Can’t Give Everything Away box set: David Bowie Live At Montreux Jazz Festival (2002). Just look at that set list across 4 LPs - yep, he played the whole Low album as an encore.

“Everything has changed…nothing has changed.” David Bowie: Heathen - from the last box set, I Can’t Give Everything Away.

Slightly diminish a book A Passing Thought for Owen Meany.

…and when we got there the cupboard was bare. @memorialdevice.bsky.social

Next read:

The Lion at Blakey Ridge on the North Yorkshire Moors. Mrs Mac and I were last here in 1989 as we came through on foot doing the Coast-to-Coast walk. I’m delighted to say that nothing appears to have changed except the prices on the menu.

63 years on this planet and I’ve never before felt the urge to sneeze while brushing my teeth. I thought I could make it to the end of my two minute brush but, sadly, no. Messier than you might expect.

My son is visiting from the US next week and the nation is rolling out the red carpet…or the blue and yellow one. There’s a @greggs_official right at the BHX arrivals too…

Dear weirdo who I met on the hills today: If you start your pitch with “You can trust me, I’m the only person outside the government who knows this”, I am not going to trust you.

Good morning! How’s your day going? Wordle 1,527 X/6* ⬛🟨⬛🟨🟩 🟩⬛🟩🟩🟩 🟩⬛🟩🟩🟩 🟩⬛🟩🟩🟩 🟩⬛🟩🟩🟩 🟩⬛🟩🟩🟩

The legendary Mad Professor tonight at DEYA Brewing Company. Magnificent set.

My first piece in alabaster:

Still true:

Old cassette night: - The Monochrome Set - Eligible Bachelors - Joe Jackson’s Jumping Jive Still sounding remarkably good.

Who remembers Spaghetti Hoop flavour Spangles?

@memorialdevice.bsky.social and @weare1of100.bsky.social in chemical-free trippery.

Wille and the Bandits - Kernow Sessions These guys were unknown to me this time last week, but they played a blistering set at Lakefest and I had to pick up an album. Psychedelic blues rock from Cornwall with top class guitars, bass, drums and - essentially - Hammond organ.

Don’t Honk If You Love John Cage

Slightly diminish a band: A Certain Patio

AB B♭A

@bunnymen.com playing The Killing Moon tonight at Lakefest while Mother Nature re-enacts the record sleeve.

Nine years on and still valid:

Two more from the Brilliant Adventure box set: - David Bowie: Earthling - David Bowie: ‘hours…’

I’m playing my way through all the Bowie boxes ahead for the release of the last one in September. Starting in tonight on Brilliant Adventure (1992 - 2001): - Black Tie, White Noise - The Buddha of Suburbia - 1.Outside

We’ve lived in this house for 6 years now & it’s always bugged me that the bathroom taps don’t look symmetrical. I decided to change the taps today (for unrelated reasons) and found the root cause. I assume this is just shoddy quality or is there a reason why they would have been placed like that?

Let's just clear this up once and for all... youtube.com/shorts/oUccS...

Last two albums from Bowie’s Loving The Alien box set: - Dance - a 2xLP collection of 12” and alternate mixes from 1983-88 - Re:Call 4 - each box set includes a Re:Call album of singles, non-album tracks, odd mixes and rarities. This one is 3xLP and also includes Bowie’s tracks from Labyrinth.

Next read. Even if his writing is only half as good as his drumming, it’ll be a cracker.

Next piece. This was just a lump of limestone from the garden center. No power tools, all by hand.

You snooze, you lose. I snoozed, I lost. Record collectors will understand.

Evening all. Sleep well.

Four years ago today, Frank Turner was my first gig after an 18 month COVID-induced drought.

All systems down at the local Post Office just now. DownDetector says it’s happening all around the UK.