try glasgow more

We had a lightning postal strike at work on Friday - no collections all day.

hmmmm - http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=19052

Unofficial postal strikes on Friday and Saturday and the official one today. It's going to be messy for a while.

Right, so. Have any of you lot ever been accosted in a city pub by a guy who looks suspiciously -- and I mean so much so that you're looking for the hidden camera -- like Ford Kiernan in a ginger wig, who proceeds to harangue you about pub-quiz questions?

Because me and my mate Gaj were last night, although I'm now beginning to wonder if we hallucinated the entire thing.

Awesome night, though: from the world premiere of Space And Light Revisited at the RSAMD via a sea of wine to the Pot Still and surreal "hang on, even your mate looks a bit like Boaby the Barman" comedy japes. Apparently the chap's name is Alan, and he's a regular on the pub-quiz circuit (notable also for never winning, according to another of his pals).

Not me, since I have opted out of the Glasgow pub quiz circuit.

Have any of you seen the whale then? I work right next to where it was, but nothing on my way home last night.

I saw the whale before hearing about it, so the experience was very strange. While walking home from work down by the Clyde in front of the STV building going towards the squinty bridge I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Looking over just in front of the City Inn I saw for the briefest of moments the back and fin of a whale submerging into the river. I stood there confused for a few minutes scanning the water but I couldn't make out any trace of the whale, the water being fairly cloudy, and it didn't reemerge. I don't watch TV and I was without internet in my new flat so I went up the road, eat, read, and went to bed. Wasn't until work the next day when I somewhat sheepishly mentioned it that someone told me it had been on the news.

This would have been on Tuesday that I saw it.

like Ford Kiernan

Braithwaite spent all Saturday night looking like him holding in a particularly awkward shit, are you sure it wasn't him?

am thinking abt these gigs

jack rose @stereo on 7th november

espers/cave singers/woods (ugh) @stereo on 13th nov

hair police/family battlesnake @stereo on 19th nov

sunn o))) @ stereo on 6th december

lol i don't actually like stereo that much, give me the cca any day

Have been making some sunn o))) mutterings among friends, so might be at that.

Despite the fact I'm not convinced SunnO)))'s dynamic and Stereo's sound design will be a match made in heaven, I've got my ticket for that one already. Espers: hmm. Got a promo of the new album but not listened yet. Might well try for that too.

I'm going to Sunn O))). It'll be ear-bursting. Hopefully.

This isn't good news:

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/display.var.2533484.0.bar_owner_in_rates_row.php

Some grist to the mill for the "Mono is pish" crew, but if this means the venues go down the shitter -- and, despite Tannock's optimism, that's got to be a fear --then it's a major loss.

Mono is pish but i'd miss stereo.

Would miss Stereo and the 78. If I had money and a record player I would probably miss Monorail.

Why did he warn the council he was about to do the old bust-and-reborn thing? Eeejit.

I'd miss Mono, for sure/

He was warned about paying his debts for Stereo but it was in one ear and out the other.

I'd miss stereo, it's great

those gigs look great, ward fowler

great

Don't honestly think I'd miss any of the venues if their ethos could continue elsewhere, if that makes sense. Had some good nights in all of them, but I used to have good nights in the Woody and the RAFA and the Bedsit and various other places as well.

Keep Stereo going til I've gone to see Sunn O))) though, eh?

anybody up for a pre-sunn o))) drink on sunday?

I'm going to probably have to dash home between work & the gig but will be there for the show if not earlier drinks.

Aye! Upstairs in Stereo? What sort of time were you thinking?

What time is the gig? An early one anyway?

Shit, I don't actually know if I've got tickets or not (mate was supposed to be arranging, has been remarkably reticent about it).

Doors 7.30, according to my ticket. Anyone know if there's any kind of support?

Bong are supporting. They are definitely worth seeing.

http://www.bongdoom.co.uk/

Nice one: thank you. It'll be good to meet you, too!

great! see you in the bar, grimly, not long after doors open?(hope you can make it too, ailsa - just today i noticed that ticket place under the arches still had posters up for the gig, so maybe it is not sold out - tbh i thought it wld be, by now)

ty for the tip off abt bong, krakow, tho im such an old fart these days i find that one monolothic drone outfit per evening is usually enough (also, will probably be able to FEEL em through the floorboards w/ a bit of luck) - am also contemplating earplugs, which i know is kinda lame but i think maryanne amacher was my tipping point into tinnitus :-(

Bong are more psychedelic, at least when I saw them at Halloween. It's transportive.

sold!

is this gig rly £15? :(

Aye. Isn't sold out. Shall consult my bank balance and my mate, and possibly see some of you in Stereo on Sunday.

Are you all hearing these firework-sounding explosions? Loud.

Nope? No explosions on the soo'side. Probably no bad thing.

Ppl are tweeting about it coming from the southside. Hmm

Should be at Sunn O))) on Sunday. Not got my tickets confirmed but seeing as I previewed it for the List I should be sorted! O'Malley said he and Greg Anderson will be playing three full stacks each! It's gonna be ridiculous.

Whenever I think of Glasgow I think of this great song because as an proud American I have no other point of reference

I've seen sunnO))) before but wd like to again; £15 is steep tho

Cant afford it, too close to xmas.

OK: I'll be along tonight for 7.30 or as near as dammit. Looking forward to catching up with whoever else is there.

Sorry dude, tough night of beer has wiped me out, of cash and of will to live. Enjoy.

Boo. Catch you soon, though, I hope.

Definitely. We should arrange some sort of Christmas-related excuse for beer, I reckon.

I suggest west beer as a venue

I'd be up for West-style antics, aye. The problem is never where so much as when.

(Unless "where" is Mono, natch, and Ailsa throws a strop :)

or tennents (because I'm lazy)

Well, it does have decent beers.

And a door-to-door bus service to my flat.