My past has come back to haunt me, not in the ethereal or peripheral presence of a spectre, but in the imposing, solid physicality of books. Two anthologies are to be released this month that include my own juvenilia, alongside the fully-formed, mature works of others ( Read more... )

Several weeks ago, I wrote a few brief paragraphs on Jacques Brel, none of which you will remember. Amongst the searing insights, I said many things: “At least, though” for example and “a perversion of himself” for another. Most lamentably, I concluded with this most off-hand statement:

“Incidentally, the most accurate translation of Brel’s works ( Read more... )

Mr. Bailie and I had no debate over the last figure we would discuss on his radio show. I suggested Nile Rodgers and heads shook in agreement around the room. In the intervening month, I had almost entirely forgotten about it, until it was announced, via Mr. Bailie to me, that Mr. Rodgers would appear in Belfast the week after our broadcast. ( Read more... )

A guest-post made at the New Escapologist blog, with an illustration by Ms. Samara Liebner.


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I first met Mr. Wolfgang Moneypenny through his second or third wife. It is no matter which, as revolutionary convention has it that spouses round concurrently, not sequentially. He, and they, had recently moved to Belfast, following an incident in, then, South London, which I may not yet be at liberty to discuss.


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The lovely Mr. Andrew Croskery is soon to move to London (North or South, I’m not sure) and, to close accounts here, he wanted to put together his directorial debut. It was to be (and, by Jove! It is!) a heart-rending tale of sepia-tinged sentiment, scored by no less a composer than Mr. Chopin, and telling the story of lovers torn apart by death ( Read more... )

“I want someone to make me music I can live in like a house ( Read more... )

The Tales Of The... anthology website is a multi-media, genre fiction doohickey, brain-birthed by Mr. Stephen Downey, Mr. Andrew Croskery, and myself, along with some notable (but here, unnoted, due to space requirements) others. The idea is no more complex than this: various creative individuals from about the place would work in one-or-two-off ( Read more... )

To add to nothing that I said when discussing Mr. Van Dyke Parks on Mr. Bailie's show the other evening... and originally posted over hereTo give Mr. Mike Love credit where he has earned it (and, if others followed this example, I doubt he would have made anything from royalties in his whole career), he had the decency to ask Mr. Parks to explain ( Read more... )

You may have missed it last night, if you went to a late vigil mass, but beebeecee 4 broadcast Robin Ince’s 9 Lessons & Carols for Godless People, a Christmas celebration of science and Christlessness, which is now available on iPlayer. Although notable for short (or heavily-edited) turns from scientists, comedians, and neither (musicians mostly), ( Read more... )