Hello,

Sat in bar in Albert Dock, Liverpool killing time before getting the ferry to Dublin tonight. Can’t wait to play in Ireland. I have never played there before and hope to make it back there in the new year in my own right with my band. Last night was Liverpool and I stumbled across a review where the reviewer said that Bevis played a ‘Hammond Machine’. Fuck me. Since when did people that write music reviews not even know what a Hammond is. It isn’t a ‘machine’ it is a fucking organ, as heard on a million iconic records. Crumbs. Before you know it I won’t be reading reviews anymore. The Guardian is another one that has really got on my nerves lately. It’s all really sarcastic, leaving the reader with no clue what the music is about. If you want to read proper reviews by people who know what they’re doing I’d direct you to Simon Price at the Independent, Neil McCormick at The Telegraph, Colin Somerville at The Scotsman and Dan Cairns at The Times. Rather like the charts now failing to represent the music the people actually like, so to is the good reviewer becoming a rare breed. Save for those broadsheet journos mentioned above blogs are often the place to find the info you need on music. songbytoad.com is a good example of ho it should be done. Anyone got any other good ones?

Anyway, last night me and Bevis got back to the travelodge after selling a bucketload of CDs again (yeeeahh!) and drank and played some comb cricket. Here are the highlights of the 6th test, held last night, under floodlights, at the Haydock Travelodge Arena:

Yesterday I wrote another new song, which will be on the new album next year. I think it will be the best I have done, at least I hope so, hope you will all like it.

Onwards,
Alex