Bloodsports- Suede

The new comeback album by Suede is out. If you read this Blog you will already know that I am a big fan of Suede. 

Bands reforming and making new material have become a commonplace thing  over the last few years. Not very rock n roll, but then again bands ( e.g. The Wedding Present, The Fall etc.) hanging around for 25 plus years isn't very rock n roll either. I mean in my younger Punk days I used to mock bands like  Status Quo because they were old and had been around for years doing the same thing.

Times and perspectives have changed now that I  am 52.

Anyway this new Suede album is everything you would want from the band. Great sound, slightly surreal and sleazy lyrics and Brett's Bowie- like vocals. It Starts and Ends With You is my favourite song but there is some really good stuff on this album.

If they tour I am going this time- definitely.

It's Spring!

Yes it is now Spring and the days are flying by in a blur. The weather is still cold and snowy and depressing. But today the sun has come out and is shining. There is a proper warmth to it as well. Spring is on its way, really. Almost time to to plant my potatoes out and get the tomato plants started in my mini greenhouse.

Running has been going well although I have a slight hamstring twinge so am taking it easy this week and walking not running until my long run on Sunday. I don’t need any problems six weeks away from the Half Marathon in Sunderland.

The welfare reform changes start in less than two weeks and we are  planning changes to deal with the predicted 100% + increase in workload for housing officers dealing with rent and rehousing enquiries and related work in collecting the rent. The rent notifications have dropped through the doors and we are busy telling people that they have to pay rent now..

Worst case scenario is that we will lose £4m in revenue as people struggle to pay their bills. That’s  a lot of jobs. The "bedroom tax" ( or "spare room subsidy" depending on your political view) has featured in the national and local news. Worst case scenarios are being touted as fact and Housing pundits ( yes there are some) are  mostly against it.

Its a one size fits all approach to dealing with the soaring Housing Benefit bill  and will have some unintended consequences which could lead to an actual increase in the benefit bill as people move out to (smaller) private rented properties as private rents tend to be higher. But the principle is right, its the detail that's wrong.

Posh Update and Cloud Cult

I went to see Posh last week. Another 2-2 draw this time against Charlton. Another draw (0-0  on Saturday against Ipswich and again on Tuesday against Leeds (1-1) means we' re running out of time and games to turn this round. The Leeds game was our game in hand.

We are almost certainly down, unless that is Wolves really do completely lose the plot as they look like doing.

Cloud Cult have released a new album. It is as always rather good. Here is a link to their website where you can learn more about this excellent band. I have written about them before and how I discovered them via another music blog.

Reg Presley R.I.P.

I know this is about 1 month late but four Reg Presley songs have been part of the soundtrack of my life for as long as I can remember. The four songs being Wild Thing, Love Is All Around . With A Girl Like You and I Can't Control Myself.

The Teenbeats' 1979 version of the latter song is a particular favourite of mine and reminds me of London Pubs and clubs I saw them performing it in at the time. 

RIP, Reg. 

The snow is back and I have been clearing the drive and the extension roof of the 5 to 7 cm of snow that fell on Friday night and the white-outs we have had since. Friday was particularly cold before the snow came.

I was in East Boldon though on Saturday night and there was no snow, nothing. That's only 10 miles away. I was at a pub The Grey Horse. A nice place although the beer wasn't up too much and it wasn't a cheap place ( almost 12 quid for a pint of Carlsberg, a coke and a glass of merlot).

In past days this time of year was a frantic rush around organising parties, visits from relations and present buying because this last week in February holds the birthdays of my son and daughter.Now they are all grown up. I no longer have any teenage kids as my daughter turned 20 on Friday. I feel quite sad about that.

I also feel sad, mind you, because Posh lost to Birmingham at home 2-0. Less than a week after thrashing Millwall away from home 5-1.  The games are running out and in this post Boyd world I doubt our ability to survive in this league. I am next down there on 5th March watching us (probably) lose to Charlton. My wife says I shouldn't go because I'm a jinx as I haven't seen them win since the League 1 Play Off Final almost two years ago. Neither had my son until last Tuesday at The Den, I tell her and anyway I don't believe in all this superstition nonsense.... touch wood.

Music wise I have been listening to Absolute Radio. This is sort of a guilty secret, cos this is not a cutting edge station. I don't like the adverts though so no doubt I will be returning to the 6Music fold shortly.

Out with the dog late last night after returning from The Grey Horse, two New Order tracks popped up on my Mp3 player, which is always set to shuffle unless I am listening to the latest  offering from some hot new young band ( ha!). The first one was Temptation the 7" version which is one of all time favourite songs and imediately transports me back to our flat on Lingbeck Crescent in early 80's Manchester. It's one of those records I remember buying, putting on the Record Player and being completely blown away by. Along with Blue Monday this record got me into electronic dance music in a big way. The next, which came on straight after, was Procession. I had almost completely forgotten this one. Its quite charming in its way but not a classic.

Procession