Just had a lovely stomp up the hills to inflate lungs twang a few tendons and crank the pump up a few notches. Spring is in the post.

Had a day in a studio with Joe Stingray and Dave Hulatt in Staffordshire. Anticipating problems with our car’s SatNav, I set off pretty early. There weren’t any delays, so was, parked up way too early.I messaged 6Music show about it. As a result, Darmus got their first national radio shout out!

Ludlow, last night

A shed day

FOUR YEARS

I’m recording drums for a few musical thingies at the moment. Mixing new tunes for Thought Bubble has made me have a bit of rethink about the track-listing of the album we thought we’d put to bed too.

Slightly hippy

I also have copies of ‘Goatshead’ by Brain Pills available on my Bandcamp site. It’s dark grunge, pressed on yucky yellow vinyl and features Blown Out guitarist Mike Vest, Pound Land’s shouty man Adam Stone and little old me. Get as many as you can!

I still have a couple of copies of this album available on my Bandcamp site. It’s loud and nasty, pressed on vulgar violet vinyl and features Blown Out guitarist Mike Vest, former Acid Mother main man Mitsuru Tabata and little old me. Get one.

I see the Gaye Bykers On Acid & Crazyhead book ‘Grebo’ has been reprinted and getting the promo push again. I contributed a few memories to it.

It’s now part of a local friends tradition. The post Christmas Long Mynd yomp. For one reason or… sadly, another we were missing a few faces, but we put in what for me was a pretty exhausting effort.

Sadly, there’ll be no Tannerfest for 2026. One less mad weekend

I'll be reconvening with Dave Hulett and Joe Stingray for a set as Darmus, for a gig in Leek, Staffs. Jan 31st. I'll be bongo bothering. And the lovely thing is we're opening for Rosalie Cunningham and her five piece band. Gonna be a full house! Tickets and details: wegottickets.com/event/674854

Phwoooaaar!

Just back in from a damp and very misty yomp over the hills and far away

Ooh, a couple of favourable mentions in dispatches! The ‘Asura Airavata’ I did with Mike Vest and Mitsuru Tabata, earlier this year gets a thumbs up from Radio Khiyaban main man Marc on the socials - And, a Q&A I did with Oscillator Blog on Substrack with fellow Somnambulance members is out there

Bongo bothering plans for 2026 include reconvening our Darmus trio to open for #rosaliecunningham at #foxloweartscentre Leek, at the end of January. Love this shot by Pam Pinkness

I’m just getting started…

Mashed avocado on crumpets?!!? Phwoooaaar!

The sun was already low at noon, when popped out for a scramble about the Long Mynd hills today. The rain that much of the UK is getting somehow missed our bit of the West Midlands, so much so that it actually got quite warm! I even saw a peacock #shropshirehills #longmynd #peacockbutterfly

Ludlow, this afternoon

I don’t really do tribute bands, but T.Rextasy are a bit of an exception, for myriad reasons. They turned in a stormer of a show, in Bilston last night. Two sets of meticulously arranged and rehearsed hits, b-sides and obscure nuggets. Marvellous stuff. #kalmiyh #marcbolan

Yes, it’s #bandcampfriday - and I’ve records and recordings - physicals and files for sale! Please check out #thoughtbubblemusic

There are too many layers of failed paintings on this canvas to abandon it quite yet. A couple more should do it, though

I’m not sure this is going where I’d envisioned, but… okay, let’s see what happens

Me and good friends Lazzo and Uncle Harry at the Wingy Thingy festival a few years back.

Doodling Day

Special offer for Black Tempest Friday! Folding Space reduced to £17 - get stuck in folks... blacktempest.bandcamp.com/album/foldin... "A rousing, immersive album that makes space rock less a genre, and more a destination" Electronic Sound magazine (@electronicsound.bsky.social )

A quick dash across the border to collect unsold works from Oriel Davis, in Newport - and then to lunch and mooching about the gallery at Mid Wales Arts Centre.

An old clip I’ve just found on my phone.

A flying visit to #midwalesartscentre

In the shed.

The current pile

A chilly saunter into Batch Valley and over Plush Hill. #winterwalk #bracing

Bongo bothering with our little occasional trio DARMUS, I will be opening for #rosaliecunningham at #foxloweartscentre in #leek at the end of January 2026. Come!

An ink drawing which I finished digitally.

Smudging…

I’m working in charcoal again. No big thing usually, but this is quite a big sheet of paper. I didn’t start with any pre planned idea. That’s not particularly rare either. Let’s see where it goes. I’m listening to the new Snorkel album as I carry on smudging.

This one’s called ‘Organic Coding’ and is 400x400mm on vm an as in acrylics. It’s a kinda long-winded meditation on how flora and fauna grown in a slightly random and wonky way, in spite of what was probably supposed to be a uniform coding.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away…

A new Thought Bubble record was released today. It’s an EP and comprises four new songs. Each quite different in their style and moods they might evoke, but somehow not, too. bubble.bandcamp.com/album/a-made...

A new painting. I’m calling this dazzling thing Capital Wow! It was also the name of a great band I was in, back in the early 90s.

Yesterday’s quick yomp.

@orieldavis Newtown, Wales. @willbarnesquartet album launch where I currently have a few old life drawings exhibited

It’s already been out for a few weeks, but word is getting around about ‘Goatshead’ by Brain Pills among the noise-rock networks! Alongside guitar brute Mike Vest and throat throttling vocalist Adam Stone, I made some big noises for this vinyl LP. You’ll find it on Bandcamp. Creepy Crawl Records.

Here’s a track from the forthcoming EP Thought Bubble are releasing in a week or so. Give it a listen, eh? youtu.be/uAduUgc6tOE?...