Y'know... like... if you're interested and stuff...

This is one of those blog posts that's only really of interest to some and might appear a bit presumptuous to others. Apologies if you're one of the others.

One of the comments I've had a lot since we announced the impending end of the radio show - there are still two more weeks that we hope you'll join us for - is "please tell us about whatever it is you're up to next?"

Which of course, I always try to. After all - there's little point in performing live, publishing books, making TV or radio shows and not telling people about their existence.


But one of the things that twitter makes very apparent is that it's incredibly easy to miss things. When I was on tour earlier this year I would tweet my tour dates. No matter how many times I did so I would always get tweets from people saying, "I wish I'd known you were coming to [wherever] I'd have come if I'd known." Twitter is a fast moving thing... you're either online at the time or you're not.


Anyway... a far more reliable way is to sign up to my mailing list. You can do so here:

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I can't add addresses personally... you have to do that yourself. It sends an email to the address in question with a link you click to confirm that you want in. That way I can't be accused of spamming people with stuff they haven't asked for.

I don't use it often. I only use it when there's something to say and of course I don't share your email address with anyone else. But it does mean you definitely get to hear about tour dates and stuff and when it comes to tickets for recordings etc - which are normally free - I always try and give the mailing list a day or two's notice first.

Anyway. It's there. Y'know... like... if you're interested and stuff...

Absolutely November 4th

If you listened to this morning's show then you'll already know that we're going to end our run on Absolute in a couple of weeks.

I'll explain more - not that there's really much more to explain - further down, but our attitude to the show is that it'll be business as usual for the final two weeks and it's business as usual here as well, so first of all I'll run through the show and the songs-from-home as per usual.

First up, was this track, Never Knew Your Name, from Madness's new album, Oui, Oui, Si, Si, Ja, Ja, Da which came out on Monday.

The fact that Madness have returned, not just to reunion gigs but as a creative force turning out great new material is a source of great joy to me - and I feel very much the same about the return of Dexy's Midnight Runners - or Dexys as they're now known - whose latest incarnation has been a triumph.

We were thrilled to have two of the band - Jim Paterson and the amazing Kevin Rowland in the studio for an interview. Facinating, charming, funny men the pair of them and the new album, One Day I'm Going To Soar is a thing of magnificence.

Incapable Of Love is the latest single from the album... here it is:

And finally... a second tune from the band, Grouplove who were also on the show a few weeks ago. This is Tongue Tied.

Of course the hardest link of this morning's show was the one where we broke the news that the run was going to come to an end in two weeks' time. It's difficult to pitch that kind of thing in the right way because we know that all sorts of different people are listening in all sorts of different ways. If we act as though it's a tragedy of some kind - which it isn't - we come across as self-regarding egotists of the highest order. The very thought makes me shudder. At the same time, it would be weird and kind of impolite to just not mention it.

I don't have a bad word to say about Absolute - it's been an amazing place to work. The last three years have been a blast and I know I'll miss it when it's gone. But it feels right to move on all the same. I don't know what will happen next... but then I've always enjoyed not-knowing what life has in store. I think a bit of uncertainty is good for a comic.

So the story is simply that there is no story... just a bunch of people deciding that it's time to bow out gracefully in order to see what new challenge will come along.

As it happens, Michael won't be available for our last show so next week - November 11th will be his last appearance... and the week after - November 18th - will be the last for me and Danielle. We don't want to get mawkish about things so it'll just be business as normal for our last couple of shows. It'll be more fun if more of you join us. After all, the show was never about us.

My Spotify playlist of (nearly) all the songs I've brought in from home this year can be found here... and the podcasts for the show - which contain all the talky content from the Sunday morning as well as loads of extras - should be here.

Some Men Like Looking At The Sea And Some Men Don't

Some Men Like Looking At The Sea And Some Men Don't, originally uploaded by Dave Gorman.

Absolutely October 28th

Sydney was fantastic fun. I don't know if there will be more performances of that particular show - I certainly wouldn't rule it out - but there are none in the diary at the minute and if it does turn out to be the last of them, well then the Sydney Opera House is no bad place for a run to end!

Being there for only six days meant I'd barley adjusted to the ten hour time difference when it was time to come back and putting the clocks back an hour on Saturday night seemed like a cruel trick to play on an already confused brain.

Still it was good to get back to normal with the radio show... and so here, of course, are the two songs-from-home for this week.

First up, Kerry Leatham. You might recognise her from the video to Dogtanion's Islam that I played a few weeks ago, she also sings as one half of Peter & Kerry and as you can see she does solo stuff too. Solo stuff like this... it's called Crash & Burn. (Don't worry, it isn't a cover version of the Busted song of the same name.)

Secondly, Mode Moderne. Their Canadian although you could tell me this was made in Manchester in 1984 and I'd happily believe you. I've been enjoying their album, Strange Bruises, and this track in particular. Foul Weather Fare.

My Spotify playlist of (nearly) all the songs I've brought in from home this year can be found here... and the podcasts for the show - which contain all the talky content from the Sunday morning as well as loads of extras - should be here.

I'm Not Saying I Can Walk On Water...

... I'm just saying here are a couple of photos from my recent trip to Cyprus...

Sydney

On Sunday I'll be doing my Powerpoint Presentation show in Sydney.

If you look closely, you can see the venue I'll be performing in in the background of this photo. 

It's just poking up behind the boat.

You can get tickets here if you like.

Absolutely October 14th

There've been no posts on the blog for a wee while because... well, because I've had nothing to say and because I've spent a little while without the internet. I took a holiday. I've never done it before. Except for my honeymoon. It turns out it's great fun. You should have said!

But I'm back now. And that means that I'm back on the air on Sunday morning where I brought in another couple of songs from home.

I've played a few tracks by The Robbie Boyd Band since they first came up on my radar a couple of months ago... and they seem to be releasing new stuff at a rapid rate... this is released tomorrow... it's called Spring Generation.

My second choice this week comes from Grouplove. They're American. They're hipsters. I didn't realise it was them when I first heard it and the sound didn't make me think of American hipsters. Instead my ears were nudged in the direction of Mud's Tiger Feet so all I could picture were flared trousers and simple - but synchronised - dance steps. How wrong I was. I think I might prefer the images in my head though. Not that it matters - it's a good tune.

My Spotify playlist of (nearly) all the songs I've brought in from home this year can be found here... and the podcasts for the show - which contain all the talky content from the Sunday morning as well as loads of extras - should be here.

One of the reasons I've come late to the idea of holidays is that my working life gives me plenty of travel... and next week is a case in point. I've a gig at the Sydney Opera House next Sunday so we'll be having another week off. Sorry! (I'm not really sorry. I mean, I'll miss the show for sure... but come on... it's the Sydney Opera House!)

But we'll be back on the 28th.