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Sea of Stars is the first video game I’ve properly fallen in love with since Breath of the Wild
Hark at me with my zeitgeist blog posts, but I’m really enjoying 2023’s charismatic tribute to the golden age of Japanese RPGs, Sabotage Studio’s Sea of Stars. I bought it for my quiet Christmas in suburban Luton, as part of what’s become a bit of a theme the past few months; an attempt to relearn Read more
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Thomas Crapper and a toilet seat made from the Elgin Marbles
I’ve been up and down to London like a cockney yo-yo the past few days. Thursday: a sketch rehearsal at Theatre Deli in the city, followed by a show at Hoopla Impro in London Bridge with some visiting pals (one a big improv enthusiast) from Istanbul. Friday: an improv session with an experienced improviser, Melissa Read more
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The Highchurches (or: The Threechurches) record a live session at BBC Maida Vale
Thanks so much to my very talented friends for making this happen. Maida Vale shuts its doors for good (as a BBC institution, at least) in a few months, so it felt faintly miraculous to get the five of us (three members of the band, my friend the sound engineer, and my friend the photographer) Read more
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An evening with John Lloyd and Steve Pemberton
Tonight was an End of the Pier show – not in the traditional sense, but these talks with comedy greats did take place at Horatio’s, the old karaoke bar at the end of Brighton pier. It was an interesting place to be on a dark and stormy night, and the waves looked garish in the Read more
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Eric Idle live at The Royal Albert Hall
There’s a kind of person who loves Terry Pratchett. A hoopy frood who always knows where his towel is. They could be neurodivergent, or maybe not – it doesn’t matter. They respect Brian May, as an astronomer. They’ve dabbled in steam punk, know Alan Moore better than he knows himself, and could quote any scene Read more
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The Magnetic Fields play 69 Love Songs at Brighton Dome
In the future, will there be nostalgia shows? Or will we run out of past to celebrate? Thoughts such as these always go through my mind when I battle myself over whether I want to see a band sing songs from back when bands could still have careers. You can’t see anyone as spectacularly weird Read more
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The Threechurches take Shoreham
A lovely gig at a friendly open mic in Shoreham. The Welly is a pub that quite clearly plays a crucial role in the town’s music ecosystem – here you find local teens (underage, but allowed to play), wizened singer-songwriter hobos, and a backbone of regulars who add percussion, piano, and even flute to anyone Read more
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