Two-thirds of Hagar The Womb on Tuesday night at the Hope & Anchor. Bloody marvellous.
Mini-Mekons (also featuring wee Mitch...) also stonkingly good value... especially the tiny 'Three Johns' sub-set at the end...
...happy, happy, happy... ❤️
Prospect of seeing the Waco Brothers at the Lexington in July is almost painfully thrilling. Last spotted (by me, anyway) at the Camden Underworld circa 'Wacoworld' around a quarter of a century ago (and blisteringly fine they were...).
'S been too long...
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Went all a bit louche, today, at Letchworth's premier grotto of ancient timber-y treats... some A Tom Collins this morning, a little Frank over lunch, and then Isaac Hayes and Serge Gainsbourg as the shadows over the G-Plan recliners grew teasingly, invitingly lengthy.
Sold heaps. Hurrah..!! 👍
Received the pointy end of a sofa to my windpipe this afternoon (and aye, they do have pointy ends - usually underneath). Not yet possible to ascertain whether this may improve singing voice? (Bit more 'Leonard'?)
Fateful soundtrack - FMB, campus faves from my Uni days - and my own agonised gasps 🤕
No shop soundtrack news from yesterday - spent nearly all day in Lister hospital A&E with injured colleague (flattened hand - timber, however beautiful, is heavy and can do dreadful things to fingers).
Today... was Bill Pritchard Day. Amused self by speaking with W.Mids twang while selling sofas. 🙂
Am generally not one for dispensing scattergun endorsements, but this is rather fine... and 's on that thar Bandcamp:
billpritchard.bandcamp.com/track/lillie
Filling..? (As in, "What's the filling, Aron..?" rather than, "Did it meet your manly requirements..?")
My suspicion is that there's a very pleasing textual mix going on, there - external crispiness, internal goo..?
Managed to coordinate today's 5pm shooing-out of customers with the end of Bob Marley's 8-minute 'Exodus' - a stroke of subtle genius, I fancy.
Previously, it'd been wall-to-wall Jimmy Cliff, Toots, On-U and a 3-hour late 60's ska mix. Sold a LOT of mid-century teak. Oh yes - a LOT. 🙂
Fleeting moment of 'soundtrack concord' @ the Letchworth Furniture Mausoleum yesterday - all four furniture undertakers (me, P1, P2 and K) decided we "quite liked" the New Order mix on the shop iPod (bear in mind that P1 is addicted to Clare Teal, and P2 to Motorhead).
PAYING ATTENTION, DAVOS..?! 🤔
Yesterday, someone donated three elderly 'ottoman' beds which they'd been storing in... a greenhouse. Today, I attempted to piece the buggers together (success rate: 2 out of 3) and de-mould them (success rate: 1 out of 3).
Soundtrack..? Cardiacs. It was very much a 'Cardiacs' sort of a day...
Spent much of the day revealing the Darke Secrets Of Thee Letchworth Store to my new Emmaus boss. Didn't elaborate on my music policy or reveal the PIN to the shop iPod... but DID notice that my Magnetic Fields mix had been replaced by SHERYL CROW when I returned from luncheon.
MOST troubling... 🤔
Reading Ed Tudor Pole's autobiography - and realise now, for the first time, that Tenpole Tudor's 1981 hit, 'Wünderbar', was NOT, in fact, entitled 'Won The War' (as literally *everyone* in the 2nd Snaith Cub Scouts troop believed, at the time).
Was this purely a localised misconception..?
🤔
A fidget-y day, soundtrack-wise, at Thee Ancient Furniture Shoppe on Saturday... couldn't seem to balance 'a nice, chewy sense of challenge' with 'retail environment enhancement'.
Early Elvis Costello and the Dave Howard Singers scarcely worked their conventional magic. Hester Goodman did, tho'...
We are mighty sorry to hear it. They are beyond precious. Am certain you gave Monty a wonderful life.
Bit of a shite day, today, all things told (musically, especially) ...was pressed into ad hoc 'van' duties again which meant my soundtrack - by default - was Heart FM (brrr...). Then was mostly in the warehouse back @ the shop, with Radio 2. Elton John seemed to be their top pick... Brr, brr, brr...
A 'back to basics' day at the shop today - sanding, clamping, slapping epoxy resin around like it was going out of fashion. Strong 70's vibe to the shop soundtrack; Sparks this morning, Bowie this afternoon, smiles all day (and a mild 'glue' hangover this evening...).
No 'Emmaus Letchworth' soundtrack today - my Luton van crew didn't turn up, so I spent the day belting around Herts myself in an overladen Transit, collecting 1980's repro sideboards and depositing sofas with manic abandon.
Knackered, now.
Van soundtrack..?
"Conversation."
'S a lost art, y'know. 🙂
Am delighted that an all-action starring role has FINALLY been found to meet the talents of the mighty John Robb...
...and that his hair's grown back at the sides a bit.
'Robb for Bond', I say. 'S never too late.
Gestern habe ich im Laden den ganzen Tag Ralley und Klee gehört … und warum auch nicht?
Anscheinend kaufen die Leute Sofas gerne zu deutschem Indie-Pop. Wer hätte das gedacht?
🤔
Had to pop into work (on m'day orf...) this morning... only to discover the Friday mob were UTTERLY DISRESPECTING the store music policy.
No Smiths; no Fall; no dub; no Mekons.
So anyone in Letchworth who wants to buy a secondhand sofa while listening to Clare Teal... well, you know where to go. 🤔
'Properly' back in t'saddle @ Emmaus after a seasonal hiatus... during which, the world went absolutely fucking insane.
1st track off the shop iPod today (random shuffle) - the FB3's 'Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum.' Last track (also random) - 'I Fought In A War' by Belle & Sebastian.
Spooky.
A hearty "Cheers..." to everyone who gave us a fiscal bung for 'Paint, Sing...' these last couple of months. As promised we've passed on the (vast, vast) profits of £57.52 to UNICEF... and topped it up to something more festive on your behalf.
Gawd blezz y's all, and all best for '26...
Amanda x 🍷
You don't know what day it is.
You're eating countless meals a day with lots of snacks in between.
You're napping throughout they day.
Either it's the time between Christmas and New Year or you're a cat.
Gawd blezz 'ee. We - t'SpanAm - project hearty festive vibes in your general direction, and the kindliest wishes for The Year What Is To Come.
🙂
...and a very merry Christmas from the SpanAm/Chickpea Darlings collective. Do drop by if you're passing - 's sherry around about now, then a DVD of 'The Great Escape', and we'll be carving the Waitrose (yes, Waitrose..!!) vegan roast around 4-ish. All goodhearts welcome. Love to youse all. X
Mostly Robyn Hitchcock (in many guises and from many periods...) in Emmaus today... much to the chagrin of m'Dolly Parton-favouring companions. Robyn had to compete with a choir, bagpipes & full brass band outside, in any case. Sold a load of sofas... but am now a tad broken. Wine, I think. Wine...🍷
'Too Shy'.
'S a girls' song, and I despised it when it came out... but it has a completly stonking bassline. No contest.
General mix = about right. Vocal clear but an upper-mid boost might give it more cut. Seems guitar-dense in the instrumental outro (clustered in the mid-range). I'd go for a toppier snare and more compressed bass guitar, both slightly raised in the mix... s'all subjective, tho', innit? Nice song...🙂
Commanded HMS Emmaus Letchworth rather like a latterday Nelson today (what with me only having the one functioning arm n'all...), directing the young 'uns as they shoved sofas about the place, assembled reluctant beds and built wardrobes.
And, like Nelson, I did it all the strains of the Weddoes. 👍
It now occurs to me that (silver lining...) I now have a one-off opportunity to post this:
"...and the ONLY THING that would cheer me up would be a FEW MORE LISTENS to the new Spanish Amanda long-player on Bandcamp..."
thespanishamanda.bandcamp.com/album/paint-...
