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Deeply Interesting (or nerdy) Links

Here are three really cool sites about the London Underground. I am generally fascinated about the tube, so these make good reading:

www.starfury.demon.co.uk/uground/ - this site is all about disused or 'ghost' stations on the tube, stations you've never heard of like York Road, Bull and Bush and Northern Heights.

london-underground.blogspot.com/ - this is the well known blog of Annie Mole, a tube commuter with a big audience and a wide range of tube related blogging.

www.geofftech.co.uk/tubechallenge/ - The Tube Challenge, travel round all 275 stations on the London Underground in the fastest time possible. Could be a bit dull, eh?

www.animalsontheunderground.com/ - this is nice and in the vain of Poetry on the Tube. Funny pictures of animals found within the tube map. Not about the various wildlife found amongst the tracks, as I'd hoped.

Enough of the Tube sites.

www.publiclettering.org.uk - This site is unbelievably interesting if you are me, which obviously you are not. It is about Public Lettering and takes you on a tour through London pointing outs lots of interesting facts about lettering and everyday things you just don't consider. Really well coded and beautifully laid out site too!

www.angelfire.com/extreme4/kiddofspeed/ - And this is a spooky as hell site, about a motorcyclist driving around the highly irradiated area of Chernobyl. Very scary but absolutely fascinating. Really well written. (Hat tip LargeHeartedBoy)

Chips and Pin and Spam and Eggs

So they are finally introducing pin ID to replace signatures. Hmmm, took 'em a long time to figure this one out. I remember seeing this system being used in France way back in 1990.
So why the delay?? Nothing on the website about it. Nothing much on the website at all in fact. Apparantly it is being introduced now to counter fraud. I guess card fraud hasn't been too bad up til now then.
It must be that France and the USA, who've had the system for a while now, are better at these kind of things. Well, maybe not the Americans, who have alsorts of wierd banking restrictions and were particularly crap at adopting the mobile (oops, sorry, 'cell') phone.
But the French. Phew, those guys are street ahead. Look at their TV system, SECAM - only a couple countries use it, but one of them in Japan, so it must be good. And Citroen cars used to be, and perhaps still are, very innovative. And they've had various types of electric cars knocking about for ages, but not causing a song and dance about it. But most of all, the French genius must lie in the age old technology, the mastery and craftmanship needed in any civilisation, that of baking the best bread. The English have some ok bread, but far too much limp sliced, evil bread. And the yanks, well, don't even think about what they call bread - its all sugar. But the French bread, ahhhhh the baguette, the mark of true advanced civilisation!

Did I ever complain...?

I don't think I complained about this....

So I made a record. And I mailed a bunch out to people for review. 80% of those people did not review or even acknowledge the receipt of the cd.

I'm happy to admit that perhaps the cd is no good / not their cup of tea / not worthy of review / whatever. But you'd hope that sites that are set up to review 'the small unsigned guys' or promise to review everything they receive would honor their bullshitting, lying statements. It would seem not to be the case.

Top marks go to Donewaiting.com whose Steve Miller conversed on email with me, politely, interestedly and interestingly. He also pointed people to my mp3s from his blog. Thanks Steve.

Top marks also go to Splendid who, in their blurb, say that they will review almost everything, but it'll take some time. Well, it did take some time, but thats ok, and they did review my records. You can read it here. Thanks Splendid.

Bad, bottom of the class, marks (or top of the class for lying, ignoring, being rude and thinking you are too good) go to Drowned in Sound. I mailed the cd to a chap there who promptly ignored me and every email I sent him once he'd received the record. So I sent him a paper letter, just asking for acknowledgement of the cd, even if he wasn't going to review it. Nothing. Maybe he died. Who knows. Guess I should give him the benefit of the doubt. Shame though, would have liked to know what he thought of it.

75orless also failed to come through, despite them saying they review everything. They got put up for some webby type award. Perhaps they've become big and corporate and self important. Its a great site with great writers. Shame they don't review everything they receive, like they say they do.

Maybe they'll review the next single...

The Debut (in pictures)

The Holloway Tyre Service played its first show ever in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canadia. Albert tooks some photos on a big fat digital camera that he borrowed from work. You can view my bald head right here
www.yeeloy.com/marineclub.html
(just click the front photo to go in and see more....)

I've taken to using the term 'show' for a live performance by a band. I picked up the habit from my Canadian friends. I've never really liked the term 'gig' unless it is being applied to either a comedy show (gig) or when something patently is not a gig (show). For example, when someone is successful at a job application and one can them say 'hey! I got the gig!'.

It is true... that the woman in the Black Eye Peas is a classically trained ballerina. Or is Helen shitting me?

Immaculate Machine

We were in Vancouver BC to play a show with our friend Marnie. She took us down Main St. to some restaurant where we saw the band Immaculate Machine. I am back in London now and listening to the cd that Kevin picked up at the show. I have to tell you, friends, that this is WICKED.
They are three folk from Victoria, which is on Vancouver Island in Canada (some people have *no* geography) and they play guitar, drums and keyboard. They do not sound like the Doors (I agree) but they DO have similarities to the Talking Heads - I thought this even before I read that on their website. And there are not many bands out there that sound like the Talking Heads these days.
I think they are brilliant. You should check 'em out.

www.immaculatemachine.com

Our Show Poster

This is the poster that Marnie made for our show in Vancouver. Marnies real band is the headline act, New Years Resolution.

Steve the Shrub

This is Kev in Vancouver, holding Steve the Shrub. Steve did sentry duty on stage during our show at the Marine Club in Vancouver. Just before our last show, Kev dontated Steve the Shrub to a random audience member who was extremely happy to take on the responsability of Steve.

Steve, we hope you are doing ok.