After listening to Shonen Knife on 6 Music I was excited to find this. Their promo album which they gave us in Tokyo had one of those little vans with a needle that runs around the top of your record playing it! They must have given Dave Grohl a box set too as he was wearing the t-shirt from it in a photo I once saw!

It’s been a poor year for me doing music after my 4 eye operations (anniversary on Aug 11th to celebrate the start of the hell!), and intend on bugging the hell out the Bis boys to do something :) Failing that, I’m also hoping to start on my 2nd solo album in the near future. In the meantime, I’m excited to be doing some things with Texas band Hyperbubble. There’s a song we’ve started working on together, and hopefully there’s more things in the near future ‘til we come up with a nice wee plan of what to do. I was trying to double track some vocals I’d sent them last month but the mic stand is in the loft (I don’t go there ‘cos there’s too many things with 8 legs up there), so created my own version. 2 lego tubs, a make-up box, button badge cutter to hold the pop shield, and a Beta 57A on top!

I remember getting them a giant personalised Mambo Taxi cookie when they played King Tuts (I think 1993?). Bis tour manager/amazing pal Stuart is one of the guys in the suits in it! I actually think I properly cried the day I found out they split up.

Listening to the Andrew Collins and Josie Long radio show on 6 Music last week, they were playing jingles people had sent in. Knowing that Josie (fantastic comedienne!) had mentioned being a Bis fan in the past, I thought I’d send something in. I used a section of my song Guilty Pleasures and put new vocals/lyrics onto it. They played it yesterday!! There was also some lovely chat about Bis too, so it really made my day while painting my bedroom and getting in a right mess! You can hear it here for the next 7 days, and it’s near the start of the show. It’s Saturdays 10-1pm, but no Josie for a month while she goes to Edinburgh to perform for the Fringe throughout August. I look forward to seeing her when I go at the end of Aug and recommend you check her out if you’re going along yourself!

Imagine being on a late bus home in Glasgow. I’d had a great night at the official opening for cafe/bar Heavenly. Ned/chav type guy at back says loudly to a female passenger “what kind of music do you listen to just now? Like, get home from work, kick your shoes off, what do you listen to? Foo Fighters? Coldplay?”. She replied “JLS”. He responded “NO WAY. JLS HAHAHAHAHA. MAN. JLS!” and continued in loudly laughing ‘til she got off the bus. It was such a funny conversation and I wish I got this recording sooner, but this was what he said after this. Ah, Glasgow buses! Ned on Glasgow bus loves Foo Fighters and hates JLS by manda rin

Enjoying looking through many sketchbooks to find the best things for the Popfest exhibition. Finding lots of things, and some are very odd and no idea why I came up with them!

This is the amazing Popfest that’s taking place in Glasgow on 8th-11th December. Many bands will be playing like BMX Bandits, Tender Trap, Amphetameanies, and Cineplexx (full line-up here). There’s also DJs for a club in the evening (great DJ called Manda Rin on the Friday!), and a premiere of Serious Drugs - The Film about BMX Bandits. Documentaries will be shown on the afternoon of Sunday 11th at The Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT). The venue for the Welcome Party (free entry!) on the 8th is tbc where Park, Asleep, The Understudies and Cineplexx are playing. I’m very excited to announce that I’ll be exhibiting a collection of my artwork at Popfest. There will be some art that I’ve made over the past few years, but also a bunch that will be specially made for the event. I’ll also be selling pieces too. I’ve not been able to do much artwork recently due to my serious eye problems. With learning how to adapt with just one eye, and with Impressionist artists like Monet, Degas and Pissaro having had serious eye problems too, the aim is to get back into it in a big way! Any suggestions of ideas/things you’d like to see me try, please let me know. Early bird 3 day passes have sold out, but you can get standard tickets here You can also follow Popfest activity on their

“Computers are incredibly fast, accurate and stupid. Human beings are incredibly slow, inaccurate and brilliant. Together they are powerful beyond imagination.”

Today was the start of the new Curb Your Enthusiasm series on HBO in the USA (I’m pretty sure anyway!). While walking around 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica on my honeymoon I witnessed the perfect plug for the series!

Had a fun wedding rehearsal today. All is looking good to be an extremely enjoyable day. Really hope it stays dry! There’s going to be so much to report afterwards I’m sure with all our friends’ antics and entertainment! There’s always a scandal at a wedding too - who’s going to split up, who’s going to get punched type thing?! Can’t wait! We have a week in Santa Monica to look forward to too, but 2 days at home before that (even going to the US themed wine tasting which I’m looking forward to!). Best Coast play LA which I’d love to see, and we’ve reserved audience tickets for Craig Ferguson and Jay Leno which may be interesting. Then up at 2.30am for hols!! First time in a year (apart from me Never Mind the Buzzcocks appearance) Mr soon-to-be Rin will have taken time off work that’s not accompanying me to a hospital appointment or Optical Express meeting. No more “boyfriend” soon!

Ahem??

A page in Select magazine many years ago. Another magazine that Bis had better longevity.