CAREBEAR LUVVA

Dunno, that thing Freddie Starr used to do where he's pretend to rewind himself was quite funny, wasn't it. If you're mentally subnormal, at least.

I used to have a CD by the Ping Pong Bitches - I bought it for 50p in the Vinyl Exchange in Manchester, purely because I enjoy shite and the band name made me think they were probably stupid and / or terrible. To my absolute delight, they were both stupid and terrible! I'd love to have seen them live. I can imagine they were fucking dreadful.

Nearly, but not quite. (Any excuse to post this)

This afternoon a pal told me we're going to see Electric Six at the Brudenell in Leeds in July. I knew their pretty much annual tour of O2 Academies is happening later in the year, but I had no idea they were doing a tour of tiny venues before then. A truly delightful gift.

Saw The Hives again last night, for the second time in a fortnight (fifth time overall). It was a last-minute show that sold out in less than a minute, which meant the crowd was made up of hardcore fans who knew all the songs and were all happy to be there (it was one of the most good-natured crowds I've ever been in), and being in such a small venue (the 900-capacity Leadmill in Sheffield) made everything feel so much more intense. I love how the band has been around for 30-something years but they still all seem like a bunch of lads just enjoying themselves and having a laugh - there's no pretentiousness, they all seem like they'd be perfectly affable if you bumped into them in the street, yet all together they make some of the finest and most entertaining punky rock n' roll imaginable. They really are an absolute treasure.