Aeroplanes take off

From Aeroplanes

What a great gig last night. Bristol's Blue Aeroplanes played a pre-SXSW gig at The Thunderbolt. The line-up was Max Noble (guitar), Dave Chapman (guitar), Chris Sharp (bass), Wojtek Dmochowski (dance), Gerard Starkey (guitar and vocals), John Langley (drums), Garard Langley (vocals), Rita Lynch (guitar and vocals) and John Stapleton (DJ). I don't know how long it is since John Stapleton has performed with the 'planes but I don't think I've seen gim since I saw the 'planes play the Hope Centre back in the year dot.

From Aeroplanes

The band played a great set ("Raise The Roof", "Warhol's 15", "Sulphur", "25 Kinds of Love", "Angela Carter", "Play On Empty", "Oak Apple Day", "Police 38 Divinity", "Lover and Confidante", "One World Passport", "Tied To You", "Nothing", "Birthday Suit And Badge", "Jacket Hangs", and "Bury Your Love Like Treasure") and great encore ("Your Own World", "Too Drunk To Fuck", and "Breaking In My Heart"). The new material sounds great - "Sulphur" is excellent on a first hearing (I think - maybe they played it at Christmas) and "25 Kinds of Love" is not enough. (Sorry, I mean is fast becoming a favourite).

From Aeroplanes

This gig was so much better than the sad years when the Christmas show seemed like a "Gerard Swaggers - a Blue Aeroplanes Tribute Band". It's great to hear the good new material and the old stuff being revisited. It's as though the "Swagger" is no longer weighing down the band and they have moved on to pastures new and old.

The Next Prime Minister

Thursday's local elections in the UK have shown that people are prepared to vote Tory again. The possibility, neigh likelihood, of the next Primer Minister being David "Lord Snooty" Cameron, is being treated seriously by the political commentators.

However, I think the elections have started the process that ensures Labour's fourth term. Step One (taken): Ken Livingstone frees himself from his mayoral duties. Step Two: Ken re-enters Parliament (Gwyneth Dunwoody's safe Labour seat is up for grabs, although I think Ken really wants a London seat). Step Three: Ken forces leadership election in Labour party; Livingstone beats Broon - Ken becomes PM. Four: "In the interests of democray" Ken calls snap general election and achieves Labour's fourth term.

Thanks to Topsy Grewlike for the photo which in published under a creative commons licence.