I know that come February my thoughts on snow will be contrary

[alexsarll]

We had decided there'd likely be a bit of a queue (and there was, albeit with only the one paparazzo), so we made sure to get to the Garage with time to spare. Except that, alas and alack, generalkhaki have been scissorsistered, so we hear only the bottom end of their first few songs from the lobby. But once we're in we get rock'n'roll. And I use that description very carefully; I think the only other modern band I enjoy who I'd describe as playing rock'n'roll are the Flaming Stars. The only time I've seen the General before was a covers-heavy set in a South London living room, from which I knew that I liked them, but didn't really know what they were like. Now that I do, I like them even more.

The muppet who got them bumped on so early is, apparently, the guy who got arrested with Pete recently. He dresses like a bargain basement Tom Baker, but his music isn't as interesting as that suggests. Then it's the Cazals, who appear to be an offshoot of Punk Rock Karaoke.
"Is this one the Adverts?"
"No, it's...'I was shocked to find what was allowed'...it's Magazine, isn't it?"
"Oh yes."
These chancers are really not being helped by their intro and outro CD; it's Tom Waits' Mule Variations and it's outclassing them horribly.

And then, it's Babyshambles. A band where one is not damning them with faint praise if one notes approvingly that they were both present and competent. I expected some gruesome spectacle, a snapshot of a man on the way down, and in this I was disappointed. They're a passable little indie band. We were discussing Doherty over Sunday lunch and I think the consensus was that we could see why teenagers liked the Libertines. They're the sort of band you get into when you need a cult and there's no real cult bands on offer, just like King Adora were, or Mansun. The only odd thing is how much mainstream attention they've got compared to the rest of that lineage. Last night's performance really cemented this for me. Like when I saw King Adora, it was...*OK*. My toe would tap along for a few songs, then get bored. Hell, I probably don't even wish imminent demise on the guy anymore. But I still think we've come to a poor situation when he's the closest thing to a hero some people can find.

What with his curfew, there's plenty of time to hit the pub afterwards, and have a snowball fight en route. We discuss Frank Ferdinand and the exact details of the law on wrongcoqery in a manner which, with hindsight, might easily have been misinterpreted were we overheard. And then I get a call informing me that the contingent we believed returned to South London have actually just returned to the Wetherspoon's. Well, it's easy enough to confuse South London and Wetherspoon's, after all. We relocate there with some trepidation, because her handle notwithstanding, missfrost is the World's Biggest Straightlord when it comes to snow.

I wake up with a green cheek. As ever, my first thought is that the secondary mutation's kicking in at last. But in fact it's just a fun new variation on what happens when I brush my teeth while drunk.

The chances of anything coming from Mars...are suddenly looking a lot better.

I am convinced that my beloved Walkers Max Salt and Vinegar must contain Sudan 1; they were always a bit erratic on the distribution side, but since Saturday nowhere has them anymore. Damn you, I want my tasty carcinogens!

Comments

[p-dan-tic.livejournal.com]

I though you could pick them up in most branches of boots?

[london-imp.livejournal.com]

I'm bitterly disappointed that you didn't set phasers to stun and shoot the little oik.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

The bigger branches certainly used to carry them; I shall be giving that a go later.

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

One can confirm sightings of those rubbish Max Salt etc crisps in the Boots up t' top end of TCR. I don't know why you'd bother tho because they're rub.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

He was just...harmless.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Was this sighting within the last two days, though?
And what manner of crisp do you favour then?

[kiss-me-quick.livejournal.com]

The chances of anything coming from Mars...

...are a million to one, he said! Oh good, now I have that stuck in my head for the rest of the day :)

They've got Max salt 'n' vinegar in our local shop.

[violentbec.livejournal.com]

thing is, the last song tom baker dude played was really GOOD i thought but then again i <3 harmonica. yes yes oasisfan, move along.

[london-imp.livejournal.com]

You're going soft.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Fnarr fnarr.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Yes, peacockpunk mailed me with that subject line yesterday, and suddenly it's even more appropriate!

Have you seen them in said shop since the weekend?

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

That was this morning, when I popped into Boots for green shadow and eyeliner, none of which they had. Whilst wandering past the food aisle to look for "Rumblers" instant cereal doodad, I couldn't fail to notice those silly Walkers things lurking. There weren't many though. I'll have another look at lunchtime in the other branch of Boots at the other end of TCR.

atommickbrane favoured crisps = Ready Salted/Cheese and Onion Squares, Hula Hoops (all flavours), Walkers generic ready salted/cheese and onion, Thingies, Wotsits, Taytos, roast beef monster munch (RIP), Kettle chips, death by Pringles actually pretty much anything that isn't salt and vinegar although for some reason I like Salt & Vinegar Discos. Not very fond of Chipsticks. Oh my god!! Scampi flavoured Nik Naks.

[angelv.livejournal.com]

Roast Beef Monster Munch are BACK! The newsies by my work stocks them!

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

It seems that, Discos aside, our crisp tastes are opposites.

Thank you for the Boots information; it would seem that they have not been withdrawn, they're just avoiding me. B@st@rds.

(Though I do also like the Worcester Sauce flavour, and they were definitely contaminated)

[kiss-me-quick.livejournal.com]

Come to think of it, I haven't looked, I had different ones yesterday for a change.

[p-dan-tic.livejournal.com]

well if you wanna venture as far as liv st there are cetainly many packs there

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

Oh my life. Oh my LIFE! Oh my life! Oh my life!! I haven't seen them yet, I'll investigate the big newsies this afternoon, oh my goodness.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

It was only after a moment's hesitation that I realised I wasn't quite that desperate for them. I am scarily addicted, though.

But thanks for the reassurance that they are still out there.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I suppose I should have known the crisps would get all the comments.

[violentbec.livejournal.com]

and bizarrely worcester sauce flavour crisps are vegetarian whilst real actual worcester sauce is not. go figger.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

See also: prawn cocktail flavour.

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

It's true, I rock the ready salted/cheese axis.

OH MY GOD.

Best crisps ever of course = Seabrooks GARLIC AND HERB flava.

[darkmarcpi.livejournal.com]

But I still think we've come to a poor situation when he's the closest thing to a hero some people can find.

It's this thinking that sees me now reluctant to wish Doherty would speed up his ultimate demise, because if he dies a tragic junkie death, those people will make him a martyr, an icon a la Kurt, or Richey, and that's a level of status he simply doesn't deserve. And can you imagine just how even more tiresome the whole thing would become?

[stu-n.livejournal.com]

Real Worcester sauce has anchovies in. Fake Worcester sauce has fake anchovies. Anchovies or cancer? You decide!

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

I would recommend cutting his smack with pure lard so he can die a demeaned and lardy death sitting at home watching daytime TV, unable to get out of his armchair to lift a guitar. Oh such heavenly imagined bliss.