Rather surreally, Mike from 60ft Dolls phoned me up a couple of evenings ago to complain at an article I wrote in 1996. He seemed somewhat inebriated, and refused to tell me precisely who he was for at least 15 minutes - I gathered he was Welsh, drunk and almost certainly a former musician with cause to dislike me, but I was thinking, “Eh? Stereophonics? How the hell did THEY get my number”. He wasn’t making much sense, to tell the truth: he was complaining in a very genial way, too. It was kind of sweet. The article in question I wrote the day after a friend killed himself, and no I wasn’t best proud of it - it portrayed three likeable Welsh lads, who played a form of rock music I was very fond of, in a very bad light indeed: boorish, laddish, over-the-top almost thuggish… But I wasn’t really in a fit state to write, and was like, “Oh, so all these rock bands think they’re so punk, do they? I can fucking out-punk them…” There was a rumour the resulting article was investigated by the Obscene Publications Squad. I know I did wrong, but was 10 bloody years ago, Mike! It’s kind of sad it took him so long to phone. I liked that band. Sorry mate. Sorry for fucking up your life. It wasn’t deliberate.

Haven’t been out. Missed Le Tigre with Gravy Train!!! and Miss Pain last night because I’m not in the mood to drink right now, and you kinda need to drink to witness Gravy Train!!! live. Missed Josephine Foster because I was DJ-ing at my mate Jamie’s 40th birthday party - and that was fun. Everyone stood round and clapped at the end of my set, which is a first for me. Cheers, Jamie.

Here’s my set, much as I remember it:
Dexys Midnight Runners - Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In Heaven When You Smile)
The Tams - Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy
The Nightingales - Idiot Strength (Jamie had a fanzine in the early Eighties named after this song)
Laughing Clowns - Theme From ‘Mad Flies, Mad Flies’
The Saints - This Perfect Day
Sparks - This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us
Buzzcocks - Love You More
Frank Sidebottom - Anarchy In The UK
Ian Dury And The Blockheads - What A Waste
Otis Redding And Carla Thomas - Lovey Dovey
Irma Thomas - Wish Someone Would Care
Nina Simone - Trouble In Mind
Husker Du - Eight Miles High
Sonic Youth - Youth Against Fascism
Eddie & The Hot Rods - Do Anything You Wanna Do
Blondie - Dreaming
Shop Assistants - All That Ever Mattered
The Specials - Ghost Town
The Beat - Tears Of A Clown
T.Rex - 20th Century Boy
The Undertones - My Perfect Cousin
The Jam - Beat Surrender
Buzzcocks - Everybody’s Happy Nowadays
The Specials - Too Much Too Young (live)
Johnny & The Hurricanes - Red River Rock
Dexys Midnight Runners - Show Me
Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers - The Morning Of Our Lives

Been contacted by Courtney Love’s manager a couple of times, briefly - re: Nirvana book.