A Short Promotional Interlude

The misery still lingers. Hoping it's out of the way by sunday because I shall be playing a short set at the Goatclub. If for whatever reason you have nothing much else to do and are in the vicinity, your prescence will be most welcome. Tell the person on the door you're there to see Mr Nicolson. Cheers.

Yuck

That little tickle I was on about last week, well It finally hit me. My throat is raw and my sinuses are throbbing like buggery. Just feel like shite in general. An early morning conversation with the automated sickline was obviously in order and then back to bed. I'm not completely fucked or anything, but I seriously don't want to be in work tomorrow with this crap. Anyway, i'm away to get off me tits on Lemsip and Strepsils. Woohoo!!!

Save The Coach House Trust

Just wanted to draw attention to The Coach House Trust and it's shop, both of which are situated a few hundred meters from my house. The project seems to be under some threat. Naturally. It's been on the go for a good number of years now and seems to provide a fine service. They've also made great use of what would otherwise have been a derelict building and a piece of wasteland. They also seem to have been responsible for landscaping a bit of land round the corner. This has provided a fine viewpoint on the river's south bank.

Edinburgh

That's Clairwil and I back from our latest Gyp. Jolly nice it was too. Just as an aside, does anyone else periodically have problems with uploading photo's to Blogger? This is making me insane and my desire to do a Keyser Soze on someone is growing by the hour. Help?

I think i'm obsessed. Can't go a day without a wee peek at what the troubled populace of west central Scotland are up to on a daily basis. Utterly vile, but utterly compelling. I think Joan will probably become my 'guest blogger by proxy' now. Tonights little recording session went quite well. A big thankyou to Gerry for being very patient with me as I fucked up my guitar parts with monotonous regularity. Halfway to a decent demo cd I think. Also, another hearty 'good luck chaps' to Partick Thistle this saturday as they take on a very, very good Hearts team in the quarter finals of the Scottish Cup. Can't see us winning though. If we get a replay i'll be delirious. Bye!

Shite!

Tons of it. From all directions. Work's getting pretty hellish right now and i'm drowning under backlog. Hope they find me soon..................... Maybe it just looks worse than it is. I know I certainly don't care enough to burst my arse clearing up other peoples fuck ups. Happy days. Anyway, I liked these for about thirty seconds. A bit like an American take on 2DTV. But funnier. Which wouldn't be too hard. I'm being harsh, 2DTV was great in ten minute bursts, but the moment they went to 25 minutes, they regularly started running out of steam.

Right Click And Select 'Open In New Window'............

....................To view full size.

By Jove!!

Days lengthening perceptibly now. Nice to come out of work in something approaching daylight. A Mischief Of Magpies has just recieved it's first award nomination, over at the brilliant Tampon Teabag. Ironically it's an award for the best award feature on a blog. I know Clairwil's chuffed to bits and so should everyone connected with the blog. I know I am. Into the studio on thursday. Can't practice much as my throat and sinuses are a bit tender. Just hope this little 'tickle' passes quickly. The idea of turning up and running dry after about an hour is too horrific to contemplate. In other news, I see Mogwai, in particular Barry Burns, have been launching feet first into various Brit nominated acts. Normally i'd condemn such behaviour, but most of the targets are entirely deserving(James "Fucking" Blunt, Coldplay, Kaiser Chiefs etc) I also love Mogwai to pieces. It seems the meat of the story in todays Daily Retard was culled from the band's own website, which makes one wonder why that halfwitted bint Beverly Lyons is paid a wage. Ooh, a few snide remarks. There are classrooms of twelve year olds that write better than that. Meanwhile, let's all have a hoot at what Old Mother Burnie has to put up with. No wonder the dried up hacket faced old cow is such a sociopath.

And the winner of the poll was.................unsurprisingly 'All Of The Above' I feel like shit right now and think i'm on the verge of coming down with something rather revolting. I'll say no more, but if I disappear for a few days you'll know where I am. Currently mesmerised by the Ice Dancing. Don't get me started.................. It's awful. This week's Mischief BOTW poll is up. Three fine entrants in the race for our prestigious weekly award.

Give them all a look over and do the necessary.....................

Nightnight.

Bollocks!

Well, that was a bag of old shite and no mistake. The record that changed my life, Nevermind by Nirvana, got the 'Classic Rock Albums' treatment tonight. There is nothing more tedious than documentaries about the making of an album. FACT! At best they offer some good live footage but that's the lot. Old men flatulently reminiscing about probably the most tedious chore a rock star has to go through. It's just an excuse for "Commentators" to attempt to "re-contextualise" the given piece of work and for wanky techno bore producers to explain in mind numbing detail how they recorded everything from drum sounds to vocal effects to the bloody bass player farting. Thanks folks, thanks for making the music really come alive for me....................... They did their best to ruin a good memory, but nothing will ever take away the absolute buzz I got on hearing Nevermind for the first time and realising how powerful music can be. It also made me realise I had been in some sort of trance for the first fifteen years of my life, which was helpful. Yes, I know, I'm not much better now than I was then, but it's always good to know that theres something in this shadowy old world that you really couldn't live without.

As Promised

Charing Cross looking South West

Garnethill Viewpoint and Graffiti

M8 off ramp at Junction 17 Woodside.

Bit's and bobs I shot last week. The viewpoint wall is just one of many blank canvases local spraycan bams use in this area. The view from this point is brillaint, as shown in the photo on my last entry and the first shot on this post. The final shot was taken from the rather seedy pedestrian pathway under the M8 offramps at St Georges cross.

Something that has concerned me abot the recent Hamas victory in Palestine.

Hamas Radio Clampdown- Worth downloading.

Where Did The Day Go?

Got more than a little blitzed last night and didn't wake up until half three. Much to celebrate and so little time to do it. I'm off out for a birthday drink or two tonight but i'll pop back in lateish and put some more photo's up. I also have a small acoustic spot at The Goat Club lined up soon. I'll let y'all know nearer the time. If you're in the Glasgow are you can always come along and offer some encouragement/abuse. Must go, I have to wash, eat and navigate my way into town in the space of half an hour. Cheers!!

Beyond Happy.............

"We Can Count You, We Can Count You, We Can Count You All From Here...................." Caley fans do their best to make the wee stand at Firhill look huge. Currently in the process of coming down from the absolutely mind boggling high of the game tonight. This is all a big blurt so excuse the poor syntax and bad grammar. The best time i've had at Firhill since they hauled the terracing down. A poor crowd of about three and a half thousand, but the Thistle chorus dusted itself down for it's annual home showing. The place is usually like a morgue to be honest, but tonight, there was a bunch of guys constantly starting songs. The repertoire is pretty good, in fact the miserable band of sneck sheep worriers ended up nicking some of them to much derision. Also spent about 70% of the game standing which just added to the buzz. I could see fuck all at the back of the stand right enough, my eyesight is deteriorating at an alarming rate. Wouldn't have swapped it for the cheap seats though, even if they do generally allow me to identify one player from the next. It was 1-1 in normal and extra time. Inverness carved us up a bit early on, and when Thistle scored, they came back with a vengeance. Thing is, once they scored, Inverness forgot to finish the job, and as the game wore on it became more and more even. There was absolutely nothing to seperate the teams at the conclusion of the game. Save for two divisions I suppose......... The denoument? A penalty shoot out in which we scored all our penalty kicks and they didn't. From the final penalty hitting the net to arriving home was pure joy. Hugging strangers, singing like a loon even though I was fading to a hoarse croak, floating home............. We had slain the dragon as it were and the money from the Sky coverage more than made up for the shoddy away support. Thistle can maintain full time status next year and then some, as I believe our Quarter Final tie against the Mighty Hearts(TM) will not only give us a share of a decent gate but a slice of some more live tv cash. That'll be a few decent players on top then Mr Chairman? For these little things I am thankful. Partick Thistle haven't made me this happy in about four years.....................The Bastards!!! For all the betters out there, put yer money on a home win for Peterhead this weekend. It's a fine old Thistle tradition to hump superior opposition and then proceed to get walloped off someone you really ought to beat................. Right now, I don't care.

YOU CUNTS!!

Welcome to Airstrip One Very clever. It's not compulsory...........except if you want to go abroad. Summer in Bognor Regis doesn't sound so bad anymore. Looking forward to all of this going absolutely tits up. Which it will. If it doesn't, remind me to drink myself into a coma nearer the time.................. Seems nobody's listening

Twenty Nine For Another Year Then............?

It's my birthday on thursday. I'll be thirty you know............................. Anyway, having a wee hoot watching the Winter Olympiad. A lot of it's great to watch. The Luge, Bobsleigh, most alpine events and things like speed skating etc........ Then theres Ice Skating/Dancing. Here was me thinking it's just a poor excuse for old pervs to look at birds arses. Apparently they have a new "fairer" scoring system in place. Fuck off you pricks!!! Don't insult me with what is essentially Come Dancing on ice. I have a problem with any sport that relies on someones opinion to decide who wins, but ice dancing takes the biscuit. It's also mind numbingly dull. At least the Snowboarding provides the possibility of some docile twat in baggy pants breaking his or her neck.

Charing Cross/St Georges Cross

St Georges Cross Subway station is on the left. Maryhill Road runs across the way with Great Western Road stretching into the distance. From the footbridge over the M8 at Charing Cross. On ramps, off ramps and dozens of blurring headlights Charing Cross. The return leg of my jaunt. Dusk falls and photography get's a little 'creative'.

Port Dundas

M8 motorway cuts it's way through Woodside with Stowe College on the left and Charing Cross in the distance.

Dank underpass beneath the M8. The area is riddled with the things.

Took a walk up to Port Dundas on the Forth and Clyde Canal today. Weather sucked, but the murk just added to my subject matter(the concrete hell that is the M8 through Glasgow)

The canal is in the process of having a basin added to it, which should in theory allow barge owners to park up within minutes of the city centre. Canal Commuting!! Brilliant!!

Saturday Afternoon At Firhill

The old main stand at half time. Now closed in an attempt to cut costs. Sad.

Action from the first half. Away stand in background with a healthy Morton support(around 1200) Most teams in the Scottish 2nd division only manage a few hundred at best.

View from Jackie Husband Stand across disused terracing towards Charing Cross and Glasgow City Centre.

Cheap stylised action shot. I'm good at these. Someone with the shakes would be good at these...........

Munns Vaults on Maryhill Road. Right click and open in new window to see notice behind bar.

The game, against Greenock Morton ended 1-1. Thistle led for much of the match but after a good first half, proceeded to allow Morton to take the upper hand and gain the inevitable equaliser. Also a big thankyou to Lawson Speirs for bringing the maps. I'l have them back to you at one of the upcoming home games.

Post-Pub Post

Tumbled out of work and into the rather lovely new pub next door on North Street. 'Repetoire' I think it's called. M. wouldn't shut up as usual and decided to venture into a bit of clueless anti-semitic banter. Going by his half arsed justifications for this nonsense I would say he's no real danger to anyone but himself. Just wish he wasn't so fucking loud though.................. Looking forward to the football tomorrow. Haven't been in a while and a big(ish) crowd and decent atmosphere should make for a decent day out. If anyone wants to know, I ought to be in The Star and Garter at about 5pm either celebrating or drowning my sorrows........ Cheers.

I Fell Asleep.............

The Mitchell Library, Charing Cross, Glasgow Last I remember was coming in and watching The Simpsons at around 6pm. Awoke about half an hour ago and i'm mildly pissed off to say the least. I like my kip, but that is ridiculous. Ok, the weekend looms and I should be thankfull, but fuck me if the evenings aren't my own time and I can do without sleeping through them. The result of all this is that i'll be awake until about 4am or something. Aren't I lucky? Anyway, I found some intresting illustrations here. Ah what grand and foolish plans. If only they knew their utopian and well intended designs would turn out like this and this One of the busiest but worst designed sections of motorway in Britain. Also found some photos regarding what might have been. Roads To Nowhere. Many regard the M8 through Glasgow as an ugly concrete tomb. Don't mean to sound pseud-ish, but I beg to differ. Theres something majestic about these over lapping and spiraling arteries that only really grabs you when you get up close to it and take the history of the road's construction into account.

Never Blog Whilst Making Your Tea.

Oh what a shitty, shitty evening. Fell asleep at about six o'clock and awoke in an 'ill man patented' post kip strop. I inherit it from my mother. Then the internets starts fucking me about just as i'm making my fish and bloody chips. The results were most disappointing. Anyway, a few links for all you boys and gurls. Alex was obviously as mad as a bag of hammers and SAHB only made one truly decent album in my mind (Framed), but I wish I had been about to see Alex and his band perform. Fact! One brilliant album can be constructed from the six studio albums the band released. Sad but true. Finally. Write your own Bollywood Movie script. Goodnight.

Be Careful What You Ask For, You MIght Just Get It.

I go into a studio in roughly a fortnights time to record some songs and I'm absolutely bricking it. I'm beginning to realise i'm distinctly disorganised regarding what I actually want to do in said studio. I also have the following recurring internal dialogue: "The songs are shit" "No they aren't, they're fine" "How would you know?" "C'mon, you've heard James Blunt, haven't you?" "He's a godawful tuneless twat!" "Exactly, everything's fine" "I want My Mum!!!" Not ideal. I mean, i've stood on stage with nothing but an acoustic guitar and a few sketchy songs to showcase my lack of talent and come through the other side unscathed, so what fear should a studio hold for me..................? Don't start me..............

The first Gyp was a roaring success. All that remains is to get a few more bodies to come along and we'll be laughing. Of course, on returning from the south side of Glasgow, a little drunk but quite happy, I realised the world had just turned a few degrees more mental than usual, what with our Islamic chums in Syria and Lebanon setting fire to the Danish Embassies. Is this the new fashion in religious fervour? Very tiresome if you ask me. Where does one find the energy to be so angry over so little? In other news- Sneck Sheep Shaggers 2 Partick Thistle 2. I knew we'd pull something like this off. Now to finish the job at Firhill..................

Mr Honda's Impossible Dream.

"Success Is 99% Failure" (Soichiro Honda) Why does this advert give me goosebumps? Honda Story If You're Interested.