It’s not much, but it is kind of interesting that it can do this. I keep thinking that maybe I’ll try and write some code to run on it, but if I’m honest I’m unlikely to get around to that for a while.
Author: ashleyelsdon
Storyteller - Poet - Explorer
Colas I have enjoyed
This might sound stupid and perhaps it is, but I thought I would write about some of the alternatives to the original cola that I have tried. A couple of which were quite recent.
I always try to sample different things when I travel (not just cola to be clear), and whilst in Scotland recently I tried these too. The bona cola was not to my taste at all. In fact, I would characterise it as fairly horrible. The Karma Cola on the other hand was quite good. Not the best, but good and I would happily have it again.
Fritz-Cola was really good. I had this in Berlin a few years ago. Sadly I haven’t been back to Germany since, but I would gladly have it again.
One variation that I miss a great deal is Dalston’s Cola. That was lovely, but unfortunately now discontinued. So I have to content myself with Fentiman’s Curiosity Cola, which is lovely.
The Isle of Mull
I had the good fortune to spend just over a week on the island. I had never been before and it was tremendously beautiful and peaceful.
And we got to see some dolphins too.
I would highly recommend it as a place to relax and unwind, which is exactly what I needed.
Tom Waits for no man
This was the last show I saw at the fringe this year and it was a truly great way to finish off the trip. I have been a fan of Tom Waits since my teenage years, which is why this was of interest. It was brilliant and reminded me just how much I love his music and lyrics. It prompted me to listen to his music again, and since then I’ve been making my way through his entire back catalogue. It has been a very enjoyable experience.
If you get a chance to see this show, I would thoroughly recommend it.
Edinburgh Fringe 2022
The last time I was at the fringe was in 2018, before the pandemic. I was looking forward to coming back again as it’s something that I’ve enjoyed for a number of years.
But this year it felt smaller, much smaller. Probably because it was smaller, and that’s likely to be because of the pandemic. It’s a shame, but I take some comfort in the fact that it is still there. Plenty of other festivals and events have fallen by the wayside.
Even so there were some good shows. Some less so, but I won’t focus on those. I enjoyed the good ones and also just the ambience of being back in Edinburgh after a long time.
I’m not sure when I’ll go back to the Edinburgh Fringe, in the current climate it’s hard to know what will happen next, or indeed to plan ahead with any certainty, but I think I’d like to do it again at some point. It’s a good festival and one worth supporting.
Shriekback, the lyrics
I have enjoyed the music of Shriekback since I first heard ‘My Spine is the Bassline’. I think it was on John Peel’s radio show. Which tells you how long ago that was. I have mostly kept up with their music and also backed the last couple of their crowdfunded albums.
When I found that they were releasing a book of their lyrics I knew that would be something I would enjoy, and I was right. When I got it I have to admit that I was a little disappointed as the lyrics for my favourite songs weren’t included. But never mind, I’ve enjoyed it nevertheless.
It’s not just the lyrics though, it’s the stories behind the lyrics that make it really interesting. Overall I would say that this is a great book for anyone who has enjoyed their music. I’ve certainly enjoyed reading it.
3,000 posts and 12 years
This is post 3,000 and it has been 12 years since the start of this site or blog or whatever the correct term is. I think that is a fair amount of time for something to be running. Not that the level of activity has always been consistent, and it certainly isn’t at the moment,even so, it feels like 12 years is something of an achievement.
When I started writing this it was a way to talk about stuff that I was doing that was nothing to do with the mobile music world and PalmSounds, but since PalmSounds shut down it feels like it has lacked something. I’m not entirely sure why that is. I often think about what I want this site to, what it could be, but somehow that never really becomes a reality.
In part I wonder if it could be because of DayOne, the journalling app, which I have used a lot, and of course has been acquired by the same people who run wordpress. It is possible. It seems strange to have both of these things running at the same time, but perhaps it makes sense.
After 12 years I don’t feel like I want to give up on the site, but I do feel like I need to have a reason to for it to exist. I think that’s important.
Sleepwalkers
If you’ve been to this site before, then you are probably aware of my fondness for the music of David Sylvian. Sleepwalkers was and is a compilation that came out years ago. A few months ago a new updated version was announced, and I decided to get it. Here are some pictures of the release.
There is only one additional track on this new version, but, even so, I think it was still worth getting.
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
I have liked OMD for a long time, and seen them live a few times as well. I’ve read interviews with them, but I have never seen them talk about their work. So it seemed an obvious choice to go to this event at the British Library.
To be clear, this was back in March of this year.
It was actually a really good event overall. They talked about their album ‘Architecture and Morality’, then we listened to the whole of the album. We just sat there, in silence and listened to a vinyl version on a really good system. After the album finished there was a question and answer session, and that was really interesting too.
Events like this are too infrequent. They provide such a useful insight into how and why the music was made, and increasingly I find that as interesting as the music itself. It provides an insight into it that gives depth to the music.
Escape from New York
I first saw this movie when I was in my early teens. It made a very big impression on me, as did the soundtrack. Since then I’ve watched it a few times.
Recently I have found myself listening to the main theme track so I decided to buy a copy of the DVD. It is still good, at least it is in my opinion anyway. I remembered most of the movie, so nothing really came as a surprise. I actually think that the original movie is better than the remake in 1996, although I did enjoy that too, albeit to a lesser degree.
After watching the original I kept hearing the theme tune for days, so when it turned up on record store day I knew I had to get it.
It’s a lovely record and a great piece of music, from a great film.
I am Ashley Elsdon 