Welsh Rich

Be back in work for all of 3 hours and I'm bored already! So much so in fact, that I'm now listening to some Swedish Death Metal

The Verve always had plenty of good stories... as you say, McCabe left, rejoined, left, rejoined more times than Peter Mandelson has had jobs in the Labour government.

Certainly him and McCabe didn't get on as well, but Tong was the quiet one who, in the end, had enough and I think him and McCabe decide to take sides against Ashcroft... Mind you, this was an article in good ole Select magazine, so who knows

This is a shame, I really liked the single Tarantula, and I'm not a Pumpkins fan...

Good stuff... Ashcroft's solo output hasn't really matched The Verve output. Urban Hymns, oddly enough, I put in the car to listen to on my way into work this morning, it's an epic, epic album and certainly one of the best British albums to come out of the 90's. Northern Soul is also great, a dark and hauting album that's not quite as accessible as Urban Hymns. Of course, the guitarist, Simon Tong, has been working on The Good, The Bad and The Queen stuff with Damon Albarn et al, but it was always him and Ashcroft that never got on, so we'll see how it goes!

I'm not really that clued up on it, but I love watching it. I'm hoping, fingers crossed, to go down to London on Sat and watch some of the time trial...

I managed to get through Stansted last night before anything happened. Certainly security didn't feel that much greater than on previous times through the airport, but perhaps that's a good thing. They've certainly changed their passport control there now though, much more complicated and formal.

Whilst on holiday I also had an opportunity to read this: And thoroughly enjoyed it - his best in a long while. What you think of it will definitely depend on any strong feelings towards Coupland's writing, but it was very funny, very witty and an absolute joy to read... even if it did have spam in it... and not the meat variety that Monty Python sing about.

Don't even get me started on those! NP: Going to see 'em in just over a week...

Oooooo... that RA one has slipped my mind... nuts!

Racoo-oo-oon: Behold Secret Kingdom

Piece about the "rapless rap album" in the Guardian today... http://music.guardian.co.uk/urban/comment/...2108459,00.html

UK press aren't feeling the love... The Guardian: http://music.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,,2108442,00.html The Independent: http://arts.independent.co.uk/music/review...icle2690125.ece

As I'm off on holiday tomorrow, I've packed the two Henry's...

I'm off to Croatia tomorrow for a week... I really can't wait, I think a holiday is just what I need!

Might give me a better chance of increasing the Archive Fund...

That ain't no lie...