Outlook Cloudy But Favourable

Northumbria has a long and proud tradition of working in glass. This is thought to date back to the 7th Century when European craftsmen were hired to glaze the windows of St Peter's Church at Monkwearmouth. Moving this venerable tradition forward is the Danish artist Anne Vibeke Mou with her new window at Healey Church near Riding Mill. Her painstakingly crafted piece was created by punching thousands of marks on to the surface of the glass with a metal point. It is, in essence, a minimalist abstract work where the form itself is the content; but for me, it gives the distinct impression of sunlight struggling to break through an overcast sky. In the context of a church window, that image carries an extra resonance. Special thanks to Jamie for the photo; more details about the artist at http://www.holeeditions.co.uk/anne-vibeke-mou.htm

Watched Over By Da Brudders

This picture is one of my faves. It was taken at The Angel last year and I love the way it's got Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee and Tommy watching from the back. I wasn't playing a Ramones toon at the time, but I'm sure they would have liked my Velvets cover. Cheers Dover http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajdover/

Open Mic @ The Market Tavern, Durham

The Market Tavern was rocking last night with a decent crowd and lots of new faces getting up to play. Someone even fell off his stool in the excitement. As usual, it was hosted by Alex & James with other regulars The Fishburn Mafia, Nick G and of course The Creme Brulee (plus solo sets from Mr Creme and Mr Brulee). To be honest, I was a bit wary about getting up as everyone looked so pissed, but the bellowing and out-of-time clapping didn't put me off and they even seemed to like my obscure Doors cover. Better an enthusiastic audience than one that ignores you I always say. Since it has moved from Mondays to Wednesdays, this night has gone from strength to strength and is well worth a look in if you're in town. All the guitars are provided, so all you need to bring is your pick. Or just get bladdered and shout at the performers. See you there next week!

In Flight At The Angel

An archive pic of me in action at The Angel last year. It's a shame that this open mic night bit the dust, as the venue was cool and you got two free pints when you played ! Special thanks to lensman extraordinaire Andrew Dover http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajdover/

Hey Hey We're The Creme Brulee !

I often gig in an acoustic duo with my old pal Steve Hill, the former lead singer of Eating Crow. We're called The Creme Brulee and if you've ever seen 'The League Of Gentlemen' you'll know why. The pic below is an oldie courtesy of Craig Oliphant ( craigoliphant@yahoo.com ) which shows us in action at The Queen's Head, Lanchester.

Richard Thompson @ The Durham Gala Theatre

Have just got in from seeing Richard Thompson. Although I love his work with Fairport Convention, I don't actually know all that much about his solo stuff. In fact, this was the first time I've had a chance to see him live and I was totally impressed. On stage, he kept a full house transfixed for over an hour and a half with just himself and an acoustic guitar (plus occasional help from Northumbrian Folk Magus Alistair Anderson). For me, the highlights were 'Beeswing', the old Sandy Denny fave 'Who Knows Where The Time Goes' and a stunning '1952 Vincent Black Lightning'. His style is somewhere between folk and rock with lashings of male angst; imagine a British Leonard Cohen with attitude. If this is your bag, then check him out.

Ready Steady Blog

A blog has to start somewhere; or, to paraphrase Chairman Mao, the blog of a thousand entries starts with a single word. 'A' should be as good a word to start with as any, but does the indefinite article really count as a word? Oh well, it's too late to worry about that now; thanks to this drivel, my new blog is up and running on the information superhighway.

As well as the usual guff, my aim is to document a little of the thriving music and arts scene in my home town. There's a lively pub music tradition here in Durham, with a choice of community folk sessions, or banging open mic nights where you can get up and do your thing in front of a baying mob of drunks. My favourite is the acoustic night they host on Wednesdays at The Market Tavern. There's usually a good crowd and a free pint if you have the bottle to get up and play. Here's yours truly working hard for his beer...