Author Archives: Alasdair

Memento

“You can just feel the details. The bits and pieces you never bother to put into words. And you can feel these extreme moments, even if you don’t want to. You put these together and you get the feel of a person. Enough to know you much you miss them. And how much you hate the person that took them away.” – Leonard, Memento.

Rock VI

Today is Friday. Things that rock today:

Ninth Art. It’s kind of blowing my own trumpet a bit, since I’m one of the editorial board, and the tech monkey for the site, but still, I’m proud of the site. One month old, updated twice weekly with first class content, and we’ve not missed a trick yet. Sure, it took us a year to get from initial press releases to launch, but it’s been worth it. All the feedback we’ve gotten has been positive, and we’ve got plans to make the site bigger and better in slow and managable stages.

This must be that “sense of achievement” thing I’ve heard so much about.

Lust

Y’know, much as I love my Psion, I look at a Handspring with Omni-sky wireless access, and I drool. But the odds of having the spare cash between now and next year are small indeed. Anyone want to give me 500 quid to spend on toys?

Rock V

Today is Thursday. Things that rock today:

My Psion. Even if I can’t currently plug it into my Mac, I can still make notes on it. Given my habit of going for a walk when I want to think something out, this is immensely useful. It also means I can get some work done on the tube. Huzzah for my Psion!

Early Draft

“The heat is oppressive, lying over everything like a blanket. The air crawls up your skin, a strange crackle in it, a muted energy. You can see it reflected in the faces of people are they hurry by – anticipation, concern, maybe even a little fear. The skies darken. Your jacket snaps against you and your hair ruffles in the breeze as the wind rises.

The first patter on the leaves of a tree as you pass under it. You quicken your pace. Then you hear it. That first rumble before it all starts, and you know you’re not going to reach shelter in time.

Stormbreak. The second before the knife slips in.”

Rock IV

Today is Wednesday. Things that rock today

The Auteurs. Paul O’Brien made me a tape of Luke Haines projects a little over 18 months ago, and it blew the top of my head off. I head he’s playing in London tonight and tomorrow, but I don’t have the time to go, and anyway, I confess, I’ve heard he’s shit live. Still, if you like Black Box Recorder, then you ought to give the Auteurs, and the other Haines project Baader Meinhoff a listen. Soon.

Master of the Obvious. Steven Grant’s weekly column on comics. Far and away the best internet column on comics out there. Steven’s a clever chap with years of experience at the sharp end of comics, and what he has to say is always interesting and informative.

And, because I forgot to mention it in yesterday’s list of things that rock, You’ll All Be Sorry, Gail Simone’s unfailingly hysterical humour column.

Barbelith

Tom Coates has got Barbelith up and running again, as a webzine/community site for the kind of people that like The Invisibles. The community there is interesting, and one I occaisionally think about particiapating in, but remain put off by the fact that they’re using UBB. The ‘zine looks like it’s going to excellent.

Rock III

Today is Tuesday. Things that rock today:

The Pixies. Late eighties, early ninties. Guitars, drums, shouting and strange bleeding melodies. This is what Kurt Cobain wanted to be, only ten times better than he ever did it. I’ve heard it said of the Pixies that they were a Velvet Underground for their time – not everyone bought their records, but everyone who did started a band. I don’t think that’s right, but still, they sounded like nothing else out there when they started. They still don’t sound like any other band you’ve ever heard.

Wax Lyrical. I don’t set my store by the mystic bullshit bits of Feng Shui, but it seems pretty obvious to me that if you like the environment you’re in, you’ll feel better about yourself, and generally be a more useful and productive person. I’m also aware the scent is one of the easiest ways to manipulate your own head – it’s an easier shortcut to memory than most of the other senses. So, scented candles and suchlike score highly with me. Strawberry, vanilla and cinnamon, in particular. Between Wax Lyrical and a local shop called Greencades, I’m a happy person.

Integrity

Things that don’t rock today: e-mails like the one I have just received (yeah, serves me right for making it easier to drop me a line from this page). Because I quite like the person in question, I shan’t quote them verbatim, or publish their name or e-mail address. I am kind like that. They’ve already had a private mail in response, but I tend to operate on the assumption that if one person actually says it, then another bunch are thinking it.

Gist of the e-mail: They like Sequential Tart but think that I was just recommending my friends articles. Their contention was that I was just being nice to my friends, and my recommendation of ST was debased as a result. So full disclosure: I’ve known Lee Atchison on-and-off for years, on-line. I have never actually met Lee and look forward to doing so in San Diego this year. Lee has been very helpful in providing hosting and assistance for Ninth Art. I like Lee.

Back in January, I described Andrea as “intelligent, attractive, and generally pleasant company”, having only met her a few times. I’ve since got to know Andrea better, and I remain more than happy to stand by that. In all honesty, I probably wouldn’t have read the review (because the link to it didn’t mark it out as being a review of Nick Cave), but I went to the concert in question with Andrea, she sent me an early draft of the review to read, and I wanted to see what had changed between that draft and the final version. I like Andrea.

I don’t recall ever having had any contact with Katherine Keller. She’s been described to me as a decent human being. I am entirely prepared to believe this.

My point, though: None of any of the above matters. Not a bit of it.

I said it the other week: I don’t say things I don’t mean. I certainly don’t pay insincere compliments. It’s a revolting fucking habit that cheapens both the person giving and worse, the person recieving the compliment. It’s a rotten thing to do. Likewise, when I link to something on here, and say that it’s worth your attention, I mean it. I don’t mean “You should be looking at my friend’s work”. I don’t mean “I think I ought to be paying my mate a compliment”. I mean exactly what I say: I think it’s worth your attention. You may not agree, which is fair enough. If you’re reading this even semi-regularly, I’m sure you have a fair idea whether you like the same sort of things I do, and can make your own call about whether or not my opinion is worth listening to.

If all I wanted to do was pay my friends compliments, I could do it much more easily that by posting on here. I have their e-mail, phone numbers, and other means to get in touch. Doing it via a blog that they may or may not read seems like a pretty fucking stupid way to do it. Besides, I try and assume that they’re not reading, as much as I can. I’d be a fool to say that the knowledge that a few people I know read this doesn’t affect what I say here, but that means I tend to ignore certain topics entirely, rather than water down what I would have to say on the topic. But I certainly don’t alter what I write in order to please them or anyone else. This is my rantpoint, and if I’m not honest in what I write on it, then what’s the point of having it?