drphunk opinion

2012 and all that

2012-01-01T19:49:00.000Z

It's a new year and I don't have a hangover which is good. I've been busy with work and I've had a bad viral infection since just before Christmas so I've not had much time or energy to update this blog. I have done one or two interesting things that I may write about in due course but I didn't really manage to do the regular update thing over the last month or so. I decided just to spend new year with my family because I couldn't be bothered with Glasgow at the height of winter alcohol fuelled madness.

The past year has been busy. I've been working in a clinical job for most of the year after spending two and a half years doing medical research. I've been running a ward, seeing referrals and working in clinics. I've learnt a lot and hopefully I've helped a couple of patients. Hopefully all of this will make me a better doctor. I've spent 11 months living in the hospital because I work 80 miles away from where I live. The room in the hospital is a dump but it's what I need to do just now. I should rotate back to a hospital closer to home later this year.

In a way it's good to be away from home because I have a massive leak in the roof of my flat. One of the problems with being a flat owner in Scotland is that you need to deal with a factor who is responsible for building maintenance. Unfortunately the factor for my building is useless. These arseholes are not legally regulated so they can get away with doing absolutely fuck all while charging victims lots of money. Bastards.

So it's a new year and new stuff will happen. Everyone will get older and the world will keep turning. Enjoy it folks!

Addendum to Grant Hart, Live at Mono, Glasgow

2011-12-03T16:47:00.000Z

I seem to be getting a lot of hits on the gig review I wrote about Grant Hart at Mono last week. As I said, the poor bloke looks like he's a bit unwell and a bit skint. After the show I bought a couple of his recent albums. Hot wax was his most recent studio album, recorded with members of Gedspeed You! Black Emperor. It's a good record that's well worth some of your hard earned cash. I also picked up the Oeuvrevue compilation album that I'm listening to as I type. It's fairly solid and it has a nice version of 'no promise have i made' by Husker Du on it.

I also bought a few mp3s from Amazon. You can't get intolerance on CD at the moment but you can get individual tracks. 2541 is a great track and you should own it.

It's not easy for American musicians to get health care so think about it and pay for some music to perhaps help someone who's down on their luck.

Green Lantern - DVD review

2011-12-01T21:00:00.000Z

I used to read Green Lantern comics when I was younger. I liked them. I was less impressed by this film. It's a bit of a turkey really, nearly as bad as the Fantastic Four films. Not too good.

Avoid.

Grant Hart - live at Mono, Glasgow

2011-12-01T20:44:00.000Z

I went to see Grant Hart at Mono last night. I've been listening to Husker Du since I was about 12 and 'never talking to you again' is one of my favourite songs ever. I loved seeing him play but it was heartbreaking to watch. He does not look very well.

I'm not sure who the support act was. He sounded like a one-man-band playing the Ramones. It was OK but I don't think I'd rush to hear him again.

Grant came on and he looked terrible. Even from 20 metres away I could see that he is jaundiced. He looked worse later on when I bought a single from him after the show. His teeth are a mess. As a doctor this was sad to see. I've worked in a few Glasgow hospitals and I've seen a lot of people in liver failure and you don't want to see a musical hero like this. I don't know if it's viral hepatitis from when he was injecting drugs or if it's booze or if it's cancer but Grant Hart looks like a very sick man. As a musician in America I don't think he has a health care plan and I strongly suspect he isn't getting much in the way of Husker Du royalties. Poor bloke.

The sound in Mono was not great but Hart shone despite the sonic problems. His voice continues to be great and he ran through his back catalogue playing requests as people shouted them out. He played his songs from Husker Du including She floated away, Books about UFOs, Pink Turns to Blue and Sorry somehow. He played my personal favourite never talking to you again as well as stand-out solo tracks like 2541 and Admiral of the sea by Nova Mob. He kept going for nearly 2 hours. It was great to see.

I am worried about him. He looks very sick and I hope he is getting decent medical attention. I hope his health improves and he keeps going.

Exit wounds by Rutu Modan - at the Plan B Graphic Novel book group

2011-11-09T22:51:00.000Z

I made it along to this months book group and we were talking about Exit Wounds, a book that I wrote about when I read it in 2007 (see here). I had to re-read the book because I didn't really remember it and thankfully it's a pretty smooth read and I got through it in about an hour.

Exit wounds is a beautiful book to look at. The art is clean and it flows well. I've been re-reading Tintin recently and the Herge influence is clear. Some people felt that the simplicity of the faces in the book made it difficult to gage the emotions that characters were expressing but generally most people liked the art.

The story proved slightly more problematic for some people. A few expressed the opinion that it didn't really go anywhere while some were struck by the 'kitchen-sink' reality of the story. There is a big hole in the book as we never meet the absent father who is the McGuffin of the book. His absence is a real feature of the book. I have a theory that the titular 'Exit wounds' are the psychic wounds that the father creates as he leaves the lives of the various women he has relationships with.

Again, this is a book that I would recommend to people. It is an easy read if not a great read. It's enjoyable but it's not a masterpiece.

NEDS - DVD review

2011-11-02T01:33:00.000Z

I approached Neds with trepidation. I was born in Glasgow, I grew up in Lanarkshire, I went to school with a lot of neds and I own a flat in Glasgow. I didn't see this film in the cinema because I thought it would attract a dodgy crowd. I've finally caught up with it on DVD.

I think it's a good film, possibly even a great film, but it could be difficult to follow if you don't speak the language. It follows a young boy as he finishes primary school where he has academically excelled and starts secondary school where he falls in with a bad crowd. Outside school he starts to hang out with a bad crowd and get into trouble.

I recognised the characters and situations in this film. I've seen people end up like the characters in this film. It was very real to me and at times very upsetting. On a personal level, I've been threatened with a knife, kicked in the head and I've had my carry out stolen from me. I know how all that feels although I'm lucky that I've gotten away from it. I felt that Peter Mullan and his actors have created a great film that is fairly true.

As I watched the film I was struck by a real feeling that if I have children I would want to avoid them putting up with all that sort of shit. I guess that means moving to the country or something. The events dramatised in this film still go on in Glasgow and other Scottish towns on a weekly basis. Our society is fucked up. If you disagree, read the newspapers or the BBC website.

The film ends ambiguously but it's a good ending. You can pick your own ending. I hope that the main character did well after all of this. Having read other reviews on the internet I know a lot of people didn't like him but I hope he gets a second chance.

This is a story about how your environment fucks you up. Well worth seeing. Use subtitles if you need to.

The Adventures of Tintin - movie review

2011-10-31T20:38:00.000Z

Tintin is another comic book that I read a lot as a child. I learned to read with Tintin and Asterix books. As an adult I guess that I enjoy the Asterix books a bit more. Some of the early Tintin books were a bit racist which made them less readable.

Despite these misgivings I was keen to see the film. It has a great pedigree, directed by Steven Speilberg with a script by modern British writers such as Edgar Wright, Steven Moffat and Joe Cornish. The voice talent was impressive too with strong turns from Jamie Bell as Tintin and Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock.

The look of the film is consistent with the comics. The CGI motion capture is unobtrusive and not too much like a computer game. The characters look like their comic book ancestors while moving like people.

The story is OK, mixing elements from several of the Tintin books. It works for the most part. I was slightly annoyed by some deviations from the original stories but on the whole I enjoyed it. I might even go and see this again in the cinema.

Flashman by George MacDonald Fraser

2011-10-04T23:05:00.000+01:00

Flashman is a 1969 novel written by George MacDonald Fraser. The eponymous antihero of the book, Harry Flashman, is based on a charcter from the novel Tom Brown's Schooldays. In this book, the first of a series of 13, we are introduced to Flashman who is a complete arsehole.

He is a coward, a bully, a rapist and a racist. He does several very unpleasant things during the story. As he is the first person narrator of the story you are drawn in by him a bit but generally he is a difficult character to like. The historical detail in the novel is good. This book is based on historical events during the British occupation of Afghanisthan between 1839-1842 and there are certain resonances with current events.

This book can be enjoyed despite the flaws of Flashman. I will probably read some of the other books in the series in due course.

Soylent Green - DVD review

2011-10-04T21:25:00.000+01:00

I first saw Soylent Green on BBC2 a long long time ago. It was shown as part of a series of cult movies. I can't remember who presented the series but I greatly enjoyed the film. It's frequently referenced in popular culture (the Simpsons) and while it looks a bit dated it's still good fun.

Soylent Green is based in the dystopian future of New York in 2022 (not long now). The world is vastly overpopulated and running out of food. People survive on protein pills made from SOYa and LENTils. The protein pills come in different colours (red, blue, green). Charlton Heston stars as a police detective investigating the death of an executive who works for the Soylent company.

The dystopia is well realised. People litter the streets, living in stairwells. Strawberries cost 150 dollars for a jar. The main character has never seen beef. Rich men live with concubines called 'furniture'. The film immerses you in this world.

Heston investigates the murder and finds out some shocking secrets. The film is crying out for a remake but I don't know if it would works as well. Worth tracking down.

The Girl who kicked the hornets nest - DVD review

2011-09-29T22:39:00.000+01:00

This is the third in the series of Swedish language adaptions of the novels of Stieg Larsson. In some ways I enjoyed the film more than the book. The slightly wayward plot of the book has been edited down for some slightly more punchy storytelling. Having said that, 140 minute Swedish courtroom dramas are not really 'punchy' by their very nature.

I always like Swedish films because I love the scenery and I love Stockholm. The story is involving enough if you have seen the earlier films or read the books. I have to admit that I did get a bit of an air-punching buzz every time one of the many bad guys met their fates.

A decent film but only if you have watched the first two.

Nevermind by Nirvana - 20 years later.

2011-09-27T22:50:00.000+01:00

Nevermind was released on September the 24th 1991, over 20 years ago. It's difficult to believe how long ago that is. In many ways, Nirvana changed the music industry. When that record came out I was in third year at high school and I listened to Black Flag, Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys and Fugazi. I thought Nirvana were a pop group initially and it took me a few months to realise that they were a real band.

When I finally started to listen to them I was impressed. I think I got a copy cassette of Bleach with the Vaselines on the b-side first before finally getting Nevermind. Nirvana always seemed more 'real' to me than Pearl Jam. This may have been because the members of Nirvana dressed like I did. It might have been because they referenced bands like Black Flag in interviews. Pearl Jam just reminded me of Guns n Roses.

Nirvana sort of became the biggest band in the world and I watched them closely in the music press. Back then, before the internet, if you wanted to stay up to date with music you had to read the NME and Melody Maker every week. I did it religiously.

Incesticide and In Utero were released. I managed not to see them twice. Once, when they played at the QMU I didn't know who they were and I didn't think I'd get in. The second time, Kurt shot himself and the tour was cancelled. The Kurt Cobain death cult went mental.

The music was still amazing.

More and more music became available over the years, initially on bootlegs and later on official releases. Nirvana shelved some great songs. Nevermind was probably the best recorded set of songs they put out but I enjoyed some of their other tracks more.

My personal favourite Nirvana tracks (in no particular order) are listened below

Been a son
Sappy
About a girl
Dive
Dumb
Even in his youth
Here she comes now
In Bloom
Love Buzz
Molly's Lips
Opinion (the fragment of a song that we have)
Son of a gun
Stain

I think the tracks I've listed above would make a decent album. They certainly make a good iTunes playlist. Now, 20 years later, I'm a rich doctor (somehow) and I've bought a vastly overpriced deluxe edition of Nevermind that I'm looking forward to listening to. Life goes on. I'm now 7 years older than Kurt Cobain was when he died and 10 years older than he was when he recorded that album. At 34 I still feel fairly young and the 20th anniversary of this record is a bit scary.

The Omega Man - DVD review

2011-09-27T20:32:00.001+01:00

I read the novel 'I am Legend' by Richard Matheson when I was a young teenager about 20 years ago. I liked the book but I don't really remember it too well. I saw the 2007 Will Smith film but I don't actually remember it too well now.

I am Legend tells the story of the last man on Earth, a man who is immune to strange disease that has turned the population into vampires. He tries to develop a cure for the disease to allow the human race to continue.

The Omega Man was the second version of 'I am legend' to make the big screen in 1971. It has a real '60s vibe to it with clothes, haircuts and attitudes from that time. The 'infected' have a Charles Manson vibe and are referred to as 'the Family'. Charlton Heston manages to get a shag despite being the last man on Earth.

The Omega Man is entertaining but dated. It was good to see it after many years. Modern audiences probably prefer the Will Smith version. There is also another version called I am Omega that I intend to avoid as it sounds a bit dodgy.

Private Eye - the First 50 years by Adam MacQueen

2011-09-25T19:54:00.000+01:00

I'm not sure when I first started to read Private Eye. It was a long time ago but certainly during the Ian Hislop era. I think I initially enjoyed the cartoons although I probably didn't really understand very much else in the magazine. I haven't always bought every issue but I buy as many as I can. I've very much enjoyed a lot of the output this year, especially the downfall of the News of the World.

This book by Adam MacQueen is a high quality history arranged in alphabetical order. The bad things that Private Eye has been guilty of over the years are presented in as much details as the good. Homophobia, sexism and public schoolboy-ism are presented as much as crusading investigative journalism and good jokes. The in-fighting amongst the staff is also described in unflinching detail. Hislop appears to have sorted things out and got rid of some of the more unsavoury aspects of the magazine.

Private Eye as a magazine is both anti-establishment and of the establishment. The UK is a better country because of Private Eye and I hope it keeps going for another 50 years.

Private Eye Website - you still need to buy the magazine for the good stuff

Complicity - DVD review

2011-09-22T20:33:00.000+01:00

Complicity is an old film now. It came out in 2000. I saw it at around the time of its release, either in the cinema or on video (old skool). It is based on the novel of the same name by Iain Banks. When I was a teenager Complicity was one of my favourite books, probably because I wanted to be a journalist at the time, because I used to worship Hunter S Thompson and because music by bands like the the Pixies is referenced.

The film seems a bit quaint now. It was never a big critical or commercial hit. Jonny Lee Miller was cast as the lead character, probably off the back of his role in Trainspotting, another drugcentric Scottish film. Interestingly Keeley Hawes, later to find fame in Ashes to Ashes, is the female lead here. In the decade or so since I last watched this film I had managed to forget most of the plot. It's OK, if a bit clunky. I mainly enjoyed playing 'spot the minor Scottish celebrity' and seeing the Highland scenery. I think the book is slightly better although I suspect that it is best enjoyed as an angry adolescent.

The soundtrack sounds a bit dated now. It's a shame the film couldn't afford the Pixies. We were left with some pre-millenium indie rock that doesn't have much bite. The film is OK but it's not a masterpiece.

Crass - There is no authority but yourself

2011-09-17T16:48:00.000+01:00

I started to listen to Crass when I was about 12. I was given a mix tape of hardcore punk stuff by a guy a couple of years above me at school. The tape had the track 'Big A, Little A' on it. That song is one of my favourite songs ever to this day.

Crass were long gone by then (1989). Their records were still available in the second-hand sections of Glasgow record shops so I quickly picked up The feeding of the 5000, Best Before and Stations of the Crass. The music had energy although it was obvious that on some records they couldn't really play their instruments. Of more interest were the lyrics which really seemed to speak to me. They told me that everyone was equal. They told me that the government was bad sometimes. Now, 22 years later I know that some of those ideas don't really fit with my day to day life as a doctor but I guess the basic principle of trying to be good still lingers on.

I found a link to a good documentary about Crass in Facebook. It's a well made film and you can watch it on youtube.

http://youtu.be/5LQ1CvwF7BQ

This film tells a slightly different story to the normal rock documentaries that I watch. Very much worth watching.

I picked up the remastered Penis Envy CD last week as well, It sounded good.

Super - DVD review

2011-09-16T16:48:00.000+01:00

I thought this film would be a bit dodgy. I'm not sure what made me feel like that. I guess I hadn't looked at it too carefully. Even though I was worried about quality I was still keen to see Super mainly because I'm a comic book nerd.

It's actually a bit better than I thought it would be. The cast is top notch and it's a real indie film. Frank, the central character who becomes the Crimson Bolt, is a bit of a pathetic figure but you do feel sorry for him. He loses his wife (Liv Tyler) to a local drug dealer (Kevin Bacon) and he is inspired by God to become a super hero and fight crime. He does this by hitting people with a wrench.

He then obtains a sidekick (Ellen Paige) from behind the counter at his local comic shop. His sidekick seems to take an unpleasant amount of joy from random violence.

Bits of this film are funny, bits are sad and bits are violent. It's intelligent at times. It is similar to Defendor but it's not a clone. One to see if you are a superhero nerd.

Limitless - DVD review

2011-09-15T21:01:00.000+01:00

I borrowed this DVD from my dad. I wasn't expecting very much because I read a fairly unexcited review in a film magazine. It was a bit better than expected.

The story is about a writer who hasn't being doing very much writing. He has been stuck in a rut and his girlfriend leaves him. He runs into an old friend who offers him NZT, a drug that will boost his mental abilities. When he takes the drug his life changes.

This film was entertaining enough. Robert De Niro always lights up the screen. In reality Ritalin is apparently abused by some students to improve exam performance. Worth watching.

Everybody loves our town - a history of gunge by Mark Yarm

2011-09-11T22:22:00.000+01:00

I was hit by the wave of Seattle grunge when I was a teenager. Nirvana were a big band for me. So were Mudhoney. Sub Pop was an iconic record label. I had less interest in Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden. I listened more to hardcore punk like Black Flag, Minor Threat and the Dead Kennedys or alternative rock like Sonic Youth, Big Black and the Butthole Surfers. I guess I thought that Pearl Jam, etc just weren't authentic. Now I realise that is a bit of a daft notion but I was full of daft notions when I was younger.

Everybody loves our town is an oral history of the Seattle music scene. It's made up of interviews of people involved in that scene in the '80s and '90s. It's a sad story. Lots of people die and lots of people ruin their lives with drugs. It sounds like it was a grim existence and that people had a lot less fun than they should have.

It's difficult to know what went wrong in Seattle but I guess the drugs must have been a big bit of it. Alcohol clearly had a role too. This book is interesting but it's also depressing. I guess part of the value of this book is the way in which divergent opinions and memories are presented side by side. We don't know who is telling the truth (if anyone is actually telling the truth) but we do get a more rounded picture.

Good for fans like me but read it on a sunny day.

Troll Hunter - film review

2011-09-11T21:45:00.000+01:00

I wanted to see this film from the minute I heard about it. The concept made me smile. Troll Hunter is presented as an 'edited found footage' film in the style of the Blair Witch Project. I hated the Blair Witch - it was probably the only film where I wanted my money back at the end.

Thankfully Troll Hunter is a much better film. The background story is that several students decide to make a documentary about a bear poacher. They follow him about until they have a close encounter with something nasty in the woods. They then learn that he is a government sanctioned troll hunter.

This film is well shot and funny. I'll pick it up on DVD but I'm glad I saw it in the cinema.

10 years on from 9/11

2011-09-11T21:34:00.000+01:00

It's difficult to believe that 10 years have passed from the terrorsit attacks of the 11th of September 2011. The attacks took place 2 days after my 24th birthday. I'd been in medical school that morning having travelled south from Glasgow the day before. I had returned to my communal student house early that day because I was tired from travelling. I hadn't been watching the TV that afternoon.

I heard the news when my flatmate returned to the flat and told me that terrorists had crashed planes into the World Trade Centre in New York. I found it difficult to believe. I think I listened to Radio 4 for a bit to confirm the news. I made a decision to try and avoid watching the television so I didn't see the horrible scenes in New York. I pretty much managed to do that.

I guess that the events of September the 11th changed the world. Wars started and a lot of people lost their lives. Further terrorist attacks hit Madrid and London over the next few years. Despite all of this my life went on in a fairly unchanged manner.

The media is full of images of 9/11 at the moment. It's really sad. I wish people were less crazy. There is no way to stop stuff like that happening.

My thoughts are with all the victims of 9/11, their families, and everyone who has subsequently died in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Castle Waiting - volume 1 by Linda Medley

2011-09-11T16:06:00.000+01:00

I picked this graphic novel up on a whim in my local quality comic shop (Plan B Books, Glasgow). I like to try out new comics every so often and the production values on this book are great. It's a hardbound 450 page book on thick paper stock.

The story is about life in a castle that was once the home of Sleeping Beauty. The premise is that this is what happens after 'happily ever after', The book starts off with a nice retelling of Sleeping Beauty before it moves onto the story of Jain, a pregnant woman escaping a violent husband.

The book has crisp and clean art with clever story telling. This book is well removed from the average adolescent boy superhero market. It has a feminist theme in story lines dealing with the need to escape from bad relationships and female independence. It isn't preachy but it is good fun.

Castle Waiting is an unexpected joy and I would direct anyone who likes good storytelling to this book. I understand that production is currently on a hiatus in America but hopefully new material will emerge at some point.

(500) days of Summer - DVD review

2011-08-27T23:21:00.000+01:00

This is a relationship movie that probably diverges from the sort of film I would normally watch. However it has some decent music on the soundtrack and it references The Smiths, Belle and Sebastian and The Pixies so I thought I would give it a go. There really is nothing better to do when you are stuck in an on-call room miles from home on a Saturday night.

The film is about a failed relationship. A guy meets someone that he thinks is his prefect woman and it turns out that she isn't. The film is OK but it's not amazing. Juno is much better for this sort of stuff.

Legion - DVD review

2011-08-27T23:16:00.000+01:00

Legion is a mental film. It's like some sort of Fundamentalist Christian gun nut porn. A baby has been born and the world is about to end because God has given up on humanity. A renegade angel decides to save the human race with lots of guns.

I am worried that a certain type of nutjob may regard this film as a documentary. It's ok if you regard it as a bit of throwaway nonsense but I think some people believe shit like this.

Fevre Dream by George RR Martin

2011-08-27T23:11:00.000+01:00

I enjoy George RR Martin's writing but I've taken a bit if a hiatus with the 'Game of Thrones' series. The plot seems to meander and I just can't be arsed. I picked up Fevre Dream as an alternative. The novel was originally published in 1982 and it tells the story of Abner Marsh, a river boat owner on the Mississippi. He is approached by Joshua York, a mysterious man who wants to invest in his company and build a new Steamboat.

I'm not spoiling anything by saying that this is a vampire book. Vampire books are ten a penny but this one is not too shit. It's acutally a good read. And, unlike Game of Thrones, it has an ending. Always useful to have a story that ends.

Joe Simon: My life in comics

2011-08-15T20:17:00.000+01:00

I ordered this from Amazon on the basis of a positive review in SFX magazine and it is a satisfying read. Joe Simon was involved in the American comicbook industry from the 1930's on and he co-created Captain America among other. He worked closely with Jack Kirby for many years and he adapted to the many changes in the marketplace over 7 decades.

This book is mainly autobiography and the life of Joe Simon is interesting. He was born to a working class family and he initially became an artist and a sports reporter before entering the early comic book scene. He was one of the few artists who paid attention to contracts and copyright which is why his name still appears on Captain America comics and films to this day. He gives a fascinating insight into the work of Jack Kirby and the dodgy practices of publishers.

Simon dictated the book and it's an easy read. Worthwhile for comic book fans.

Long time coming by Robert Goddard

2011-08-12T23:15:00.000+01:00

This book isn't really a work of high literature but it's entertaining. It would probably make a good popcorn movie. I was unaware of Goddard but he has published 22 books since 1990. His books are apparently all historical thrillers.

This story jumps between England in 1976, Belgium in the early days of world war two and Ireland a few months later. It's all a bit plot twisty but in a satisfying sort of way. It's an undemanding read and I worked my way through it on several trains at stupid times of day. I might read another of his books if it falls into my lap.

For my 600th post - a youtube link to that Jello Biafra Glasgow gig

2011-08-11T21:30:00.000+01:00

The state of the nation is fucked up

2011-08-10T21:09:00.000+01:00

Thankfully the country appears to have got it's shit together tonight. There is less evidence of violence, looting and rioting in the media so far this evening. I hope this situation continues. The underlying triggers for this shit are unclear. There is an element of mass hysteria, easily transmitted by social networking sites such as Twitter or Facebook. There is also a sense of disenfranchisement with society among a lot of people.

If you go to a shit school where everybody treats you badly, people kick your ass regularly, you're surrounded by drugs and a macho-asshole culture and you enter a job market with no qualifications or skills life is difficult. And if you then get your benefits cut the world gets a whole lot worse. At some point there will be an explosion. I went to a fairly shit school but my life has been a lot better than many of those poor fuckers that have been going mental down south.

I'm not making excuses for violence. A criminal is a criminal and a crime is a crime. Most of there people deserve some form of punishment and hopefully they will be brought to justice. I'm just saying that I can perhaps imagine why these people are acting like dicks.

The news coverage and the human stories have been horrifying. It's all bad but the story that got to me the most was that of the three young Muslim men who were randomly murdered with a car as they stood in the streets trying to safeguard their mosque. The father of one of the men ended up trying to resuscitate his son at the roadside. Words cannot express how sorry I feel for that father and the rest of their community. The world is full of fucking idiots.

The idiots appearing on the television have been spectacular. The two feckless, stupid girls admitting to looting because they are 'showing the police we can do what we want'. The subnormal man from Salford who was rioting because of the 'Polish coming over and taking our jobs', King fucktard, Nick Griffin, the snivelling leader of the BNP trying to incriminate people with slightly different skin tones. Britain is full of wankers.

So, what's going to happen now? Are we heading towards a police state? Will things get worse? The government is failing at the moment and I don't see how things can improve without more money for police and society. I don't know where that money will come from. I don't think any of the other parties could improve things.

That's enough moaning.

Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine live at the ABC2 in Glasgow

2011-08-10T00:22:00.001+01:00

I've been a fan of the Dead Kennedys and Jello Biafra since 1989 when I started at secondary school. I have seen Biafra do a spoken word show before but I've never seen him with a band. I actually came down from Dundee specifically to see this show. There are very few bands that would make me do that. I need to get up at the crack of dawn to get to work tomorrow morning but I'm hapy to say that it was worth it.

Before I talk about biafra I need to mention Desalvo, the Glasweigan hardcore band. They are like the Jesus Lizard but more fun. Well worth seeing. Buy their album if you can find it.

Jello Biafra is now 53 years old. While I admire him I think it is safe to say that his body is not a temple. He is not Henry Rollins. He looks like an average 53 year old man. He still managed to put on one of the most energetic stage shows I've seen in a long time. He stage-dived about 10 times. I was worried that he would die.

I was also worried about the rest of the crowd. The average age was over 40. I was younger than average for a change (I'm 34). It was fairly good to see lots of middle aged men going totally mental to hardcore punk.

Biafra has to be one of the best punk frontmen I've seen, He was giving good chat about David Cameron, vodaphone tax evasion, Rupert Murdoch, Obama and everything else. His voice held out for nearly two hours.

The setlist was a dream. California Uber Alles, Forkboy, Police Truck, New Feudalism, Holiday in Cambodia. I haven't checked out the last two albums yet but I will. I enjoyed the new stuff.

Overall this was a great gig. I might never see him live again but I'm glad I made it.

Rioting in London

2011-08-09T16:51:00.000+01:00

It's fairly horrible to see those riots in London. It's brutal and senseless. Violence is generally unacceptable and people are dying.

The root causes of the rioting are diverse. I would guess that poverty, lack of education and a general feeling of hopelessness. Sadly, a lot of racist idiots are trying to take advantage of the situation.

I hope it all gets sorted out soon. Sorting out the causes will take longer.

Grant Morrison - Talking with Gods DVD

2011-08-07T18:19:00.000+01:00

I had to order this from America because it hasn't been released officially in the UK It follows the career of Grant Morrison in a similar way to his Supergods book. It had a limited theatrical release last year.

Morrison tells his life story in a talking heads format. Again, I enjoy it because he talks about Glasgow and comic books. After reading Supergods this film doesn't really give me any new insights but it's still enjoyable. There are interviews with people like Frank Quietly, Steve Yowell and Dez Skinn. Morrison again has bad stuff to say about Alan Moore.

Megamind - DVD review

2011-08-07T15:57:00.000+01:00

I was impressed with Megamind. I enjoyed this film a lot more than I expected to. It's a CGI cartoon from the Dreamworks studio about a supervillan called Megamind who ends up losing his way. It's a lot better than 'Despicable me', a film with a similar premise that was released at around the same time.

The voice cast was strong with Will Ferrell voicing Megamind supported by Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, David Cross and Brad Pitt. Ferrell is more enjoyable as a disembodied voice in some ways. I often find him a bit annoying in live action films but he is good in this.

This was a 5 quid supermarket purchase and worthwhile for that price.

Alan Moore: Storyteller by Gary Spencer Millidge

2011-08-06T19:04:00.000+01:00

Storyteller is a biographical work dealing with the life and work of Alan Moore. Moore has helped with the book and it probably shows. Millidge is clearly a fan and his prose is never too critical of Moore. I'm a big fan of Alan Moore myself but in some ways a more balanced biography may have been more interesting. With that slight qualification in mind this book is still worthwhile. It contains a fairly comprehensive account of all of Moore's work from his underground magazine and newspaper strip beginning through his blockbuster comic book years to his later musical experiments and more alternative comics.

The book is well illustrated with archive material from Moore and the artists he has worked with. We get original scripts, sketchbooks, plot charts and pencil artwork. We also get a CD collecting 80 minutes worth of Moore's musical work. It's a great package.

This book may not be the final critical biography of Moore but it is an interesting account of an interesting man.

Captain America - film review

2011-08-06T18:48:00.000+01:00

I was actually looking forward to the Captain America film. Obviously, I'm not American but I've been aware of Captain America since the cartoons were shown on Scottish TV in the early '80s. I've really enjoyed some of the recent Captain America comics published over the past 5 years. The character may seem like a lightening rod for unfortunate yankee jingoism but generally the stories are good.

The film is part of the Avengers sequence, tying in with Iron Man, Thor and the Hulk. Those films have all been good and Captain America does not let the team down. It's well made, funny and heart-warming in places. There are lots of knowing nods to the fanboys (like me) with enough straightforward action for the casual viewer.

The 3D felt a bit tacked on. 3D films really just seem to be an excuse to seperate me from more of my hard earned cash. This film is probably just as good in 2D.

Well worth a watch.

Supergods by Grant Morrison

2011-08-01T16:11:00.000+01:00

Grant Morrison is a Glasweigan comic book writer. He's been writing comics for about 33 years. He has written a lot of good comic books and a lot of crazy comic books. The crazy comic books may be partly due to his other career as a Chaos Magician which involves some drug use. He has apparently left the Chaos Magic behind in recent years.

Morrison use to write the Starblazer comic libraries that DC Thompson produced in the '80s as well as toy tie-in Zoids and Zenith. At different points in my childhood I loved all of those books as well as his later work for DC comics and Marvel.

In Supergods Morrison starts with a history of comic books superheroes, initially focusing on Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman before moving on to lesser character such as Green Lantern or the Flash. He also looks at Captain America and the early Marvel characters. He follows the genre through the '50s and the '60s as Lee, Kirby and Ditko created the big Marvel characters like Spiderman before moving on to the darker comics of the '80s and '90s.

Morrison knows his stuff and he is clearly a fan. For the first part of the book he gives us a decent critical history of the evolution of superheroes. An autobiographical element enters the story from the '70s onwards and in a few chapters he is the focal point of the narrative. I enjoy hearing about his life in familiar parts of Glasgow and some of his 'cosmic experiences' and 'rituals' are fairly amusing. I'm not sure that these passages will appeal to everyone.

It is also good to hear what he was trying to achieve in some of his own work. His rivalries with Alan Moore and Mark Millar are also given space. He is also critical of some of the editorial constraints that were put on him at Marvel.

Worth a read if you like comic books. Some of it needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.

For more go to his recently updated website.

The Other Guys - DVD review

2011-07-29T22:33:00.000+01:00

I picked this up in the supermarket a couple of weeks back. It's a throwaway comedy cop duo movie starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlenberg with an A-list supporting cast (Samuel L Jackson, Eva Mendes, Steve Coogan). Most of the humour in the film is just daft but it did make me laugh. This is not a film that is full of artistic merit but it was entertaining. I won't even try to remember the plot.

Sometimes there are good things about being a doctor.

2011-07-27T22:49:00.000+01:00

Every so often you do manage to do something worthwhile as a doctor. Today we managed to get a young woman home after more than 80 days on the ward. The woman had an unusual diagnosis (anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis) and I managed to guess what was going on. I did the right test quickly and we confirmed the diagnosis early. We managed to deal with all the problems that can occur in this condition and we managed to deliver the correct treatments (or at least what are hopefully the correct treatments).

I cannot say that we got everything right all the time but we did our best and the patient seems to be better. Her partner and her family were very happy. I got a bit embarrassed and slightly teary when they were saying goodbye. As a doctor you don't really expect people to thank you. I'm just there to do a job to the best of my ability and I get paid well for it. People are often unhappy with their doctors and I'm always a bit surprised when they are nice to us.

So, despite being run off my feet and working like a blue-arsed fly it was a good day. We got a good result. We don't always get them.

Godspeed you! Black Emperor live at the Arches, Glasgow.

2011-07-25T16:36:00.000+01:00

This was the third time that I've seen GY!BE and it was certainly a warmer experience that in December. I nearly broke my wrist slipping on the ice that day and I'm sure that the temperature in the Barrowlands was well below zero.

This Arches show was sold out and they would probably have sold out the Barrowlands on the night if the promoters has not changed venue due to slow ticket sales. The Barrowlands is probably a better venue because of the warmer sound from the wooden walls of the venue. I always feel that the Arches has a bit of a 'cold' sound and I certainly think this was the case at this show. It's also slightly uncomfortable standing on a concrete floor for 3 hours.

RM Hubbert was a good support act, more enjoyable in supra-zero conditions. He tells good stories and plays guitar well. I look forward to seeing him play again. If I ever have a dinner party I would consider hiring him. According to legend he will play at your dinner party for food. I'm not really someone who has dinner parties or someone who has a house where I could host a dinner party but if I were that person I would perhaps offer Hubbert some gainful employment.

GY!BE gave us a 2 hour set. I have trouble remembering all the different song titles for Godspeed stuff but I really enjoyed Sleep and Blaze Bailey. I also liked the unreleased track Armenian. I have heard that they plan to record/release a new album in the near future and I'm interested in hearing it. I probably need to pick up a couple of the older records too.

A good show but it would have been better in the Barras.

The Good Shepherd - DVD review

2011-07-17T22:07:00.000+01:00

This was another DVD that I borrowed from my dad. It tells the story of an intelligence officer working for the American goverment during the second world war. The officer is recruited as a student at Harvard in the late 1930s and the story continues until the mid-1960s.

The cast is good and the film is well made. The main character played by Matt Damon is difficult to read. Damon has a real poker face in the film which is probably appropriate for a counter-intelligence boss. A lot of cold decisions are made during the film and it's all a bit morally murky.

It's a decent film.

The Ghost Writer - DVD review

2011-07-17T21:40:00.000+01:00

I borrowed this DVD from my Dad last week. I'd seen a couple of trailers for the film and I thought it looked pretty good. It tells the story of a man hired to act as a ghost writer for the memoirs of a disgraced British Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is a thinly veiled caricature of Tony Blair.

There is an element of murder mystery to the story as the original biographer employed to co-write the memoir has died in mysterious circumstances. The cast is strong with Ewan McGregor, Olivia Williams and Pierce Brosnan.

I enjoyed this film. It was better than I expected. I only realised that it was directed by Roman Polanski when the end credits began to roll. The film is very much in his style and well worth seeing if you enjoy his work. Polanski has done some bad things in the past (in a life sense, not an artistic sense) but his films are often good.

This blog is 6 years old

2011-07-16T20:01:00.000+01:00

I've just been looking at some of the old posts on this blog and I realised that I've been writing this blog for six years now. The first post was written in July 2005 and I've written almost 600 since then. I've done a lot of stuff in that time. I've moved from the Midlands back to Scotland, I've worked in a few different places, I've bought a flat, women have come and gone. It's been a busy 6 years.

I'm not sure why I keep writinng this blog. It's habitual in many ways. It helps me remember what I've thought about things at the time. It serves some diary purposes but it isn't really too personal. I enjoy writing and it gives me a chance to practice it. I do some writing professionally for work and it has been published but technical scientific writing is less fun than just doing my own thing on here. It is nice not to have an editor although that probably means that most of the stuff on this blog is self indulgent shite.

So I guess I'll just take this opportunity to once again laugh at the current plight of Rubert Murdoch and News International before I stop writing.

See a Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody by Bob Mould and Michael Azerrad

2011-07-16T15:18:00.000+01:00

This book is the autobiography of Bob Mould, singer/songwrighter and key member of Husker Du and Sugar. I've been listening to his music since the age of 12 or 13. He has created a solid body of passionate indie rock music. Zen Arcade is one of the greatest punk albums ever and he has released several others that are nearly as good.

I think it is important to remember that you can like the music that a person creates without actually liking the person that much. A classic example of this would be Pete Doherty of the Libertines who appears to be a repugnant human being despite having written one or two good songs. Bob Mould has written a very open and honest autobiography and he does not always cast himself in a good light.

Mould treats the former members of Husker Du with contempt although if his version of events is correct they certainly were not angels. The description of Grant Hart trying to seduce the hetrosexual bass player from Sugar is fairly funny. Mould also desribes how badly he dealt with the suicide of one of the administrative team for Husker Du. He seems to have a tendency to walk away from difficult situations and end long term relationships abruptly and permanently. At one point in the book he describes how he learned of the death of his former partner, a man he lived with for several years, on the internet eight years after the event. I guess things like that happen but it is sad.

At times Mould seems to take strange turns in his life. He spent almost a year working as a scriptwriter for a wrestling show that starred Hulk Hogan among others. He also started abusing steroids during that period. Mould was no stranger to substance misuse having abused alcohol from the age of 13 and amphetamines during the early years of Husker Du. Despite this he managed to be unaware of the heroin abuse of Grant Hart despite sharing a room with him on tour for many years.

Towards the end of the book Mould appears to be more comfortable in his own skin as he comes to terms with his homosexuality and becomes more involved in gay culture. He still plays the music of Husker Du and Sugar when he tours but he has moved on. I was lucky enough to see him play an acoustic show in Glasgow 5 years ago and I wouldn't mind seeing him with a live band. I've made a mental note to check out some of his more recent music.

This book is an unflinching portrait of Bob Mould. I don't think he wants us to like him but at least now we probably understand him a bit more. I certainly learned a few things.

Grant Morrison signing and an addendum to the Forbidden Planet Book Group discussion of Final Crisis

2011-07-14T20:44:00.000+01:00

Grant Morrison is one of my favourite comic book writers and by happenstance he was signing copies of his new book Supergods at Forbidden Planet on Buchanan Street this evening. My spare room contains an excessive quantity of books by Morrison so I had to just pick two favourites. I settled for my hardback copy of Absolute All-Star Superman and my ancient copy of Zenith book one.

The queue at Forbidden Planet was fairly long and I had to wait in line for nearly an hour. Thankfully it wasn't raining and the combination of my iPod and random encounters with a few people I know helped stave off boredom.

Morrison was by all accounts friendly and chatty with everyone. After the Book Group on Monday night I asked him if he managed to achieve everything he wanted with Final Crisis. He said that he had wanted to go further with the ending and make things even more crazy at the end of the book with dialogue breaking down. He pulled back from this after reading some negative feedback on the internet. He seems like the sort of bloke that you could talk about his work with for a long time but that isn't really appropriate at a signing.

So I went home happy with my signed books. I just need to track down Frank Quietly to get my All Star Superman book signed.

Luchadoras by Peggy Adam - Plan B Books graphic novel book group

2011-07-14T14:27:00.000+01:00

I've been having a serious geek out during my annual leave this week. After going to the Forbidden Planet book group I went to the Plan B Books group last night. It was held in Mono again. Mono is always a good venue for these things - there is a very low ned count.

The book for discussion was Luchadoras by Peggy Adam. Peggy Adam is a French comic book creator who has been producing comics since 2000. Luchadoras is the first of her books to be translated into English. It was apparently written to raise awareness of the plight of women in the Mexican city of Juarez. Juarez has a population of 1.5 million and according to wikipedia there was a homicide rate of 229 murders per 100,000 people in 2010. There is also a high rate of sexual violence against women with 400 murders (described as sexual homicides on wikipedia) and an additional 400 disappearances in the past 10 years. This occurs on a background of high rates of domestic violence. Several books have been written on the topic but while several people have been arrested the crimes continue.

For local comparison in 2002 Glasgow had a homicide rate of 58.7 people per million of population (approx 6 per 100,000) more than twice the level of the other Scottish cities. If you were to move to Juarez you would 40 times more likely to be murdered. source

Apparently there are 116.000 abandoned homes in the city suggesting that approximately 400,000 people have fled the city. This would suggest to me that it's a bit of a shit place to live.

Additional information about Juarez can be found at the wikipedia page or at a page about the murders.

So Luchadoras is a book with a purpose. It is meant to make people think about Juarez. I guess that by way of this book group it has made me think about it a bit more. However I am not convinced that Peggy Adam has been completely successful in the execution of Luchadoras as I had to do a bit of investigation to learn about Juarez. Without the book group I am not sure that I would have bothered to do much additional reading beyond what I had gleaned from Sunday newspapers and Radio 4 in the past.

The 96 pages of Luchadoras offer a grim slice of life in Juarez. It starts with Alma, the main female character speaking to a counsellor about her violent ex-boyfriend. She is then stabbed in the street by her ex-boyfriend as her sister watches from his car. A tourist, Alma's new boyfriend also watches from across the street. I had to read the book twice to pick up on all the aspects of this scene. The remaining pages continue with an atmosphere of near constant oppressive misery. There are one or two brief moments of respite in a children's party and in the relationship between Alma and the tourist but generally everything is grim. This grim atmosphere may be normal if you lived in Juarez.

People had varying opinions on the book. Some people just didn't like it at all and some people thought it was great. On a personal level I didn't really like any of the characters in the book and I thought they were all bad people. Every adult character does something unpleasant. I found the casual violence and personal betrayal a bit alienating. Despite that I think the book is fairly effective. It's easy to read and it lets us clearly observe the lives of these characters. The art is minimal and at times it is difficult to tell some of the characters apart. Despite that there is some nice use of visual imagery - vultures and owls watching dead bodies, Alma and the tourist connecting as wrestlers, transitions between scenes. I think the book probably would have benefited from colour as this would have enhanced the feeling of passing time but I understand that books like this are produced with a limited budget.

So Luchadoras is a decent comic book but not my favourite. It is readable but depressing. It might make you think. I handed it to a non-comic book reading friend after the meeting and he read it in 30 minutes delivering the verdict that it was 'alright'. I would agree.

Final Crisis at the Forbidden Planet Glasgow Book Group

2011-07-12T17:45:00.000+01:00

I went along to the first meeting of the Forbidden Planet Glasgow Book Group this evening. I think it was inspired by the success of the Plan B Books Book Group although the two are very different beasts. The Forbidden Planet Group was held in the shop after close of business on Monday evening. This had advantages and disadvantages. It was slightly more intimate than Mono (which was good) although there was a lack of alcohol. I think about 10 people were there (a couple of whom I had met at the Plan B group before).

The initial book was Final Crisis, a DC comics crossover story written by Glaswegian comic god Grant Morrison with art from JG Jones. I had picked up the individual issues of the comic as they were released a few years back but I had only bought a copy of the trade paperback on Saturday. I quickly re-read the series over a couple of hours before the group started. I didn't get right to the end of the book but I managed to remind myself of the themes of the story and the construction of the book.

Final Crisis is not an entry level comic book. If you had never read a superhero comic before and the first one that you picked up was Final Crisis I suspect that you would be disinclined to ever read another comic book. Final Crisis is not easy for readers and assumes an in depth knowledge of 70 odd years of DC comics. This is great for fanboys, with rich art providing many knowing nods for those in the know. However, a comic book virgin (pun not intended) would find much of this unintelligible. In many ways, DC comics represent one of the greatest soap operas in existence with 75 years of constant publication of comics like Superman and Batman and dedicated readers probably deserve more sophisticated stories but at times Final Crisis is almost unintelligible. While many of the attendees at the Book Group enjoyed Final Crisis nobody seemed to think that it was perfect.

Grant Morrison is a favourite writer of mine. I pick up most of his comic books and I greatly enjoy much of his work. Zenith was one of my favourite stories in 2000ad and it has provided a blueprint for much of his subsequent superhero output. In Final Crisis he returns to many of the themes first seen in Zenith - Nazi superheroes, multiple parallel universes, apocalyptic evil gods. Like a jazz musician Morrison brings out riffs he is comfortable with and deploys them at the right moment. However I don't think that Final Crisis represents his best work.

One of the ideas raised at the group tonight was that Morrison may have been subjected to a certain degree of editorial interference towards the end of the Final Crisis series. I don't know if this is accurate but it may explain the dip in quality and lack of coherence in the final episodes. Several people said that they felt the book went crazy at the end. Opinions varied as to whether this was intentional or not and, irrespective of intentions, whether this was a good feature of the book.

So we had a good discussion about an average book. People appeared to enjoy themselves and I will go again if I get a chance.

Darkness at the heart of British culture

2011-07-09T17:09:00.000+01:00

I think I dislike almost everything about The News of the World and the Sun although I have to admit to reading the Sunday Times. I admit that I am a liberal (although I'm not wanting to vote for those turncoat bastards at any point in the near future) and I'm a bit of a socialist/left wing type. I'm a doctor so it's in my nature to give a fuck about those who are less fortunate than me.

I have dislike NOTW and the Sun for many years. I don't like page 3 girls. I do like naked women, just not when I'm reading a newspaper. Page 3 girls are fucking pointless. Buy a wank mag or use the internet for sucks sake. I don't like braindead bigotry. I don't like the Islamophobia/closet racism that I see in the tabloid press. I don't really give a shit about what an ignorant footballer does with his penis.

I do like investigative journalism. I like to know about bad things that corporations and governments do. I think that is important and that the negative feedback system of a free press keeps our sleazy politicians in line. A good journalist will work for a good newspaper and let us know what we need to know. However, I suspect that a good journalist would not cross a moral line by breaking into the answering machine of the family of a dead soldier or a murdered schoolchild. A good journalist would self regulate and step back. The public does not need to know that much.

Something seems to have been rotten at the heart of the News of the World and the News International corporation. Why would you fire 200 people and end a 168 year old newspaper instead of firing the chief executive who has failed to maintain decent standards? Why would the Prime Minister employ an advisor who appears to have bribed police officers? Will Rupert Murdoch be allowed to gain further media dominance in our country? I don't want anything like the American Fox News in the UK.

I will not miss the News of the World. I would be happy to see the rest of the output of News International follow in its path. We could do with a few less tabloid newspapers. It would be nice if they were replaced by some intelligent journalism.

TV on the Radio - live at Glasgow ABC

2011-06-28T23:22:00.000+01:00

I think this was the third time that I've seen TVOTR. They continue to be an innovative and energetic band. I've only listened to their most recent album 'Nine types of light' a few times but it's pretty good. It's a progressive album showcasing the more mellow side of the band.

Tonight, in Glasgow, they were anything but mellow. They sounded amped up and angry. The vocals were overdriven and the beat was fast. I guess they are missing Gerard Smith, their bass player, who sadly died from lung cancer a few months ago. Tonight TVOTR were very alive, paying an appropriate tribute to his memory.

All of my favourite songs were aired as well as some choice cuts from the new album. Sadly the venue was not full. I always feel that TV on the Radio are underappreciated. I wish more people would love their music and buy their records. I think the world would be a nicer place if they were massively successful.

A good show.

Game of Thrones by George RR Martin

2011-06-25T19:32:00.000+01:00

I borrowed this book from my Dad. He has been reading the series fairly quickly. I have also heard many positive things about the TV series. I've enjoyed reading the book myself.

Game of Thrones is the first volume in an epic fantasy series by George RR Martin. It's a bit like Lord of the Rings but with sex and more violence. The book is fairly hefty but I managed to read it in 4 days. I'm looking forward to starting the next volume.

The book focuses on the Stark family, a clan of noblemen from the north. The head of the family was a close friend of the king of the country and at the start of the book he is asked to become the 'hand of the king'. The plot develops from there. It's a twisty plot.

It's a bit of a bubblegum read but distracting enough. Good for an on-call room or a beach.

Where the bodies are buried by Chris Brookmyre

2011-06-22T20:44:00.000+01:00

I try and pick up everything Chris Brookmyre writes. I first started to read his stuff 11 years ago when I was at medical school. I like his books because they are often set in Glasgow and they often feature characters and locations that I recognise.

This is his 14th book now. It's a stronger one and it marks a bit of a change in direction. He has toned down the humour and increased the drama. I stayed up reading till about 3 in the morning last night. I felt a bit rough this morning but the story was fairly compulsive.

I don't want to give much of the story away but it is a murder mystery set in the Glasgow underworld with parts of the action taking place in East Kilbride and Hamilton. Hope they make a film version.

Frost/Nixon DVD review

2011-06-19T16:02:00.002+01:00

This DVD had been sitting in my 'to watch' pile for a while and I finally got round to it yesterday evening. It stars character actor Martin Sheen as a playboy television host David Frost who decides to interview Richard Nixon after Nixons' fall from grace.

I mainly remember Frost as a heavyweight current affairs broadcaster and also as the presenter of the daytime TV show 'Through the keyhole'. The contrast between those two roles is somewhat sharp but I don't really remember the media darling playboy that we see in this film.

I've read a few books about Nixon. I know he was a bit of a bad guy. In this film he seems to be treated fairly sympathetically. I felt sorry for the isolated figure we see in this film.

A decent film.

In the red by Mark Tavener

2011-06-18T11:40:00.002+01:00

In the red is a comic novel set in Thatcherite London of the mid '80s. A string of bank managers are murdered by a serial killer and a BBC journalist tries to solve the case. The journalists are all hard drinking mavericks in the finest film noir tradition while the management of the BBC are all incompetent. Politicians are all perverts with an interest in being spanked. All very believable really.

Indirectly this book inspired the Stephen Fry TV series Absolute Power. I believe In the red was filmed by the BBC about 15 years ago but sadly I have not seen it. From what I have read of the TV series I hope it gets a DVD release at some point. The cast is very good. The book is entertaining if not intellectually challenging. I got through the paperback in one day.

I'm not sure if this book is in print at the moment. I found a cheap second-hand copy on amazon. Worth a couple of hours of your time.

Time lapse photography - seeing people grow older on Facebook

2011-06-11T20:21:00.002+01:00

Randomly, I was playing about with Facebook and I came accross some photos of people I used to know a bit in Glasgow 15 years ago. They looked very different. It's strange how time changes people. I have a mental image of people at 18 and I realise I probably would never imagine people as older and fatter. I know that I'm older and fatter now but I just don't expect it of other people.

Life is strange

The Social Network - DVD review

2011-06-09T23:18:00.002+01:00

I use Facebook a lot. Probably because I live in a cupboard in a hospital 80 miles from home for a significant amount of time just now. It's good for keeping in touch with people and I have a broadband dongle for my computer and no TV access so it helps stave off the boredom. I use blogger and twitter for similar reasons.

I started using Facebook in 2006 which was probably late in the game. I had already been on this blog for a couple of years at that time. It's strange sometimes to think of the technological and communication developments that have taken place over the last 10 years. I only got a mobile phone in September 2000 when I started medical school at the age of 23. Facebook has had a big impact on my life and on the lives of many people of my generation.

The Social Network is a great film telling the story of how Mark Zuckerberg and a few others created Facebook and made it a success. I didn't really fancy this film before I watched it. It was another supermarket purchase designed to keep me from boredom while I'm stuck in my shitty on-call room. The film was directed by David Fincher, one of my favourite directors, with a script by Aaron Sorkin. It has a soundtrack by Trent Reznor with tracks from the Dead Kennedys, Fucked Up and The Cramps. It held my attention well.

The film may or may not tell the true story of Zuckerberg and Facebook but it is entertaining. I'm guessing that it tells a legally acceptable version of events. It's entertaining and worth watching when you want to see a wordy film.

Do people actually come looking for this blog?

2011-06-08T23:58:00.004+01:00

I've been looking at the stats function on blogger and I've noticed a few things. Some people actually seem to google 'drphunk opinion' and come to this blog. I know that one or two of my friends do read this page but I'm not sure how many other people would do that.

I think a lot of people just land on this page randomly, after a google search for a review of a film or a book. Some people probably end up here looking for music to download (and they will be sadly disappointed).

It's still satisfying on a personal basis to write this blog. It serves as a sort of online diary and it lets me know what I've thought of something at a specific time. I've been writing here for nearly 6 years now and I will probably continue to do it for as long as I can. I'm just glad that some other people look at it.

Dollhouse - TV series

2011-06-07T16:31:00.002+01:00

I've just finished watching season 2 of Dollhouse on DVD. I enjoyed the end of the series and I'm a bit sad that no more episodes are being made. It's another glorious failure by Joss Whedon (the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer). It's not as good as the greatly missed Firefly series (or the spin-off film Serenity) but it is entertaining enough.

Dollhouse had a high concept at its core. It tells the story of a sinister agency that has some rather unpleasant technology. They have the ability to implant different personalities and abilities into the minds of 'dolls' who are rented out to serve the whims of rich, morally dubious men. The star of the series is Echo, a 'doll' who begins to overcome her programming.

Dollhouse was a different sort of science fiction series. It isn't space opera on horror fantasy. Thankfully there were no vampires or werewolves. It is more in the spirit of something like The Prisoner. Some of the episodes make you feel generally uneasy - probably because in some ways the show is about prostitution and mind control. Some of the episodes are dud but some of it really worked. The characters are interesting and involving enough for me to care about them. Both the first and second season improve in later episodes so you may need to persevere a bit if you want to check this out but it is probably worthwhile.

The series is wrapped up fairly well in the last episode of season 2. We are left with a few unanswered questions but nothing that will keep me up at night. I wouldn't mind seeing more of this but I know that is unlikely to happen.

A bit of a loss but probably too smart for success.

Doghouse - DVD review

2011-06-05T22:17:00.001+01:00

I suspect that this film was written in crayon by a misogynist. It's pretty bad. Not the worst film I've seen but not great.

x-men: First Class - film review

2011-06-05T18:11:00.004+01:00

I've been looking forward to X-men: First Class for several months now. I've been a fan of the X-men since the mid '80s when I first picked up the comics as a kid. I really liked the first two films directed by Bryan Singer although X-men 3 was a disaster. The x-men: Origins Wolverine film was entertaining but braindead.

The franchise has been given a healthy boot in the arse with this film. The film looks at the young Charles Xavier and Magneto as they first meet in sixties Oxford. Erik (Magneto) is a Jewish survivor of a Nazi concentration camp who uses his mutant superpowers to track down and kill former Nazis. His main target is Sebastian Shaw, leader of the Hellfire Club. Shaw killed Erik's mother and Erik is very intent on killing him.

Shaw is planning to start a nuclear war to allow mutants to become the dominant species on the planet. Xavier and Magneto work with the CIA to stop him.

The film feels a bit like an Austin Powers film. There are a few sneaky cameo appearances from future x-men and some some big explosive action sequences. It's all very entertaining and well worth seeing.

The Death Instinct by Jeb Rubenfeld

2011-06-01T21:21:00.003+01:00

I picked this book up because it is a sequel to 'The interpretation of murder', a historical novel that stars Sigmund Freud among others. Jeb Rubenfeld mixed historical fact with fiction in an entertaining manner in that book and he achieves the same feat here.

In The Death Instinct several apparently separate events occur and finally are found to be linked. The book opens with the bombing of Wall Street in September 1920. This historical event was the greatest act of terrorism in the USA until the bombing of the world trade centre nearly 75 years later. Rubenfeld has tried to be historically accurate here although in reality the real bombers were never caught.

Freud appears again and the plot also reaches the battlefields of the First World War and the anti-Semitic regions of Germany and Austria as the Nazi party rose to power. It is a bit like the Da Vinci Code in a way although this book is probably better written.

An entertaining read. Good for a holiday.

The Amateurs by John Niven

2011-05-30T21:32:00.002+01:00

This book slipped under my radar. I really liked Kill Your Friends but I only discovered The Amateurs when I was looking for The Second Coming on amazon.

The Amateurs is a comic novel set in Ayrshire. It tells the story of a man who is obsessed by golf despite being very bad at it. The comedy is in broad strokes. It's possibly not as good as his other two novels but I enjoyed it. I grew up in Lanarkshire and I worked in Ayrshire for a while so the setting and characters were real enough for me.

This is a good book to read on a plane (which is where I read it). It's not too demanding.

First impressions of Hamburg

2011-05-23T22:22:00.000+01:00

I'm in Hamburg for a medical conference this week. I'm giving a talk about some research that I did in my last job. I wasn't really looking forward to it as much as previous conferences in more prominent cities (Vienna, Stockholm, Barcelona) as I had only every heard bad stuff about Hamburg.

I was most aware of Hamburg in the context of the Beatles. The Beatles were based in Hamburg for several months before they became famous. They honed their musical skills playing epic sets in the strip-clubs of the red light district.

Hamburg also has an international reputation for sleeze. The Reeperbahn is meant to be one of the most depraved red light areas in the world. When I planned my trip here I wanted to make sure that I stayed in a decent hotel and not some sort of jazzed up knocking shop.

I've actually done pretty well on the hotel front although it is costing me a fair bit. I'm stayiing in the 5 star SIDE hotel in the centre of town. I'm in one of the executive rooms which is rather nice. My room is bigger than several student flats I stayed in. Needless to say, the room is also much more comfortable. Very, very nice.

I was also fairly suprised by the centre of Hamburg. It is full of trendy, upmarket designer shops with all the major labels in attendance. Everything is very clean. The people all look fairly healthy. It is very different from my native Glasgow.

I've also been able to eat good food without breaking the bank. We found a nice wee italian place for dinner tonight and I had lunch in a soup place. All very satisfying.

I had a walk down the Reeperbahn with a colleague. It is full of titty-bars and grime. It contrasts sharply with the new town. Lots of skanky old punks and people sleeping in the streets. We didn't linger.

The conference starts properly tomorrow but I hope to see a bit more of the city. Nicer than I expected anyway. A pleasant surprise

Alistair McGowan at the Perth Concert Hall

2011-05-18T23:32:00.003+01:00

Alistair McGowan is not someone I would normally go and see perform. I went along tonight because there is little to do in Dundee and I fancied a bit of a change. I wasn't really sure what to expect from his live shows. I've seen a few of his TV shows which are OK but nothing amazing.

The Perth Concert Hall is a nice venue. It's been built recently and it is well designed with good views of the stage. The audience were all very posh and well dressed. I was wearing dirty jeans, dirty converse and a Descendents t-shirt. I felt slightly out of place.

I wasn't sure what to expect from McGowan. He is famous for his impressions but he is actually a fairly competent stand-up comedian. His stand-up does revolve around accurate impressions of others but it is also well observed and very slick. He can change persona seemlessly without missing a beat.

He was pretty funny but I think he tries to keep his politics/environmental beliefs out of his comedy. He is one of the most professional comedians I have seen live. He is very popular and he seems to appeal to a more mainstream audience. It would be interesting to see him really kick-back and let out some more cutting stuff. I think he would be really good doing stuff that is closer to the bone.

Interesting.

Upside Down - the Creation Records Story - DVD review

2011-05-16T19:12:00.002+01:00

I grew up in East Kilbride and the Jesus and Mary Chain always seemed to be massive to me. I must have been about 7 or 8 when they started to release records. I remember seeing piles of Mary Chain records in the local shops.

It was only later on that I got into Creation in a bigger way. I fell in love with Screamadelica initially. Then I heard Loveless which is another brilliant record. I was also lucky enough to see Oasis play in the old Cathouse on John Street in Glasgow just as they released their first single. I also love records by Ride, Teenage Fanclube and Sugar.

Some of the more obscure stuff that came out on Creation was great too. The Loft single 'up the hill and down the slope' was brilliant. They also put out great stuff by Felt, The Pastels, House of Love and the Super Furry Animals.

The documentary is great. Lots of thick Glasweigan accents as Alan McGee and Bobby Gillespie tell their tale supported by Jim Reid and Noel Gallagher among other. Much of the success of the label appears to have been driven by the personality and drug related insanity of McGee. It does look like they had great fun for a fair bit of time and they nurtured some brilliant music.

On a personal level I enjoyed the old footage of East Kilbride and Glasgow but if you love good music this is a documentary for you.

Steve Albini cookery blog

2011-05-13T19:57:00.001+01:00

For those of you who like that sort of stuff, Steve Albini has a cookery blog

http://mariobatalivoice.blogspot.com/

Check it out

The Second Coming by John Niven

2011-05-12T19:30:00.000+01:00

To continue the theme of my post on Richard Herring's show about Jesus I'm now going to write about The Second Coming by John Niven. A blog-post that I wrote about his first book, Kill Your Friends, is one of the most read pages on this site

(http://drphunk.blogspot.com/2008/03/kill-your-friends-by-john-niven.html)

After being fairly brutal about the music industry in Kill Your Friends, Niven gives organised religion a fairly good kicking in this book. Jesus is portrayed in this book as a good man, the beloved son of God, who is sent down to America in the late twentieth century to save the world from the evils of Christianity. In this story, Jesus loves everyone and his only message is 'Be Nice'.

Lots of bad things happen to Jesus, just as they do in the Bible. Jesus does not conform to the norms of the society he lives in, just as is written in the Bible. However, I can imagine that some Christians will be upset by this book. It is actually a fairly decent story and it's all about being nice to people who are in a bad place and trying to understand other.

I would recommend this book to open-minded readers. In some ways it is a sequel to Kill Your Friends as the character of Steven Stelfox re-occurs. It also continues the tradition of small nods to music that I love (Shellac, Slint, Nirvana).

Niven has been criticised in the past from 'borrowing' dialogue from certain Glasweigan pop groups that are close to my heart but I did enjoy this.

Richard Herring - Christ on a bike - the second coming at the Whitehall Theatre in Dundee

2011-05-10T23:47:00.002+01:00

I only learned about this show last week via Twitter. I've seen some Richard Herring stuff in the past and I like his BBC radio show whenever I hear it. I'm obviously a big fan of Stewart Lee too.

Apparently some fuckwit in Dundee was protesting about the offensive nature of this show but I didn't manage to see any of this media coverage. I hadn't seen many adverts for the show around Dundee although I don't really spend too much time in the city. Apparently some sort of Christian rock band was playing a show that night and the local Minister had tried to promote that as an alternative to the 'puerile' Herring show. I can think of few things that I would find less entertaining than a night of Christian rock.

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Dundee/article/13639/dundee-minister-dismisses-comedian-richard-herring-s-christ-on-a-bike-show-as-childish-and-juvenile.html

Anyway, the Whitehall Theatre was probably about half full. I think that is good for Dundee. The show focuses on Jesus Christ and Herrings thoughts about him. Herring points out some of the obvious contradictions in the Bible and talks about his own atheism. He also make lots of jokes about wanking and blowjobs.

It's a fairly funny show and I'm glad I went. Most of the time I have absolutely nothing to do in Dundee. I intend to pick up some more Richard Herring stuff in the future and I was impressed with the free Programme he gave out. Herring also collects money for SCOPE and I urge anyone that reads this to consider making a donation.

http://www.richardherring.com/
http://www.scope.org.uk/

Daybreakers - DVD review

2011-05-08T21:57:00.002+01:00

I ordered a copy of Daybreakers because I saw the trailer and I fancied watching something braindead. Daybreakers served my purpose.

It's a science fiction vampire movie where the human race is on the brink of extinction and vampires are starving to death. It's pretty mad with some odd twists. Not a great work of art but entertaining enough.

search terms that bring you to this blog

2011-05-03T23:48:00.002+01:00

There are some really weird people out there. Blogger gives you a list of search terms that bring people to your page. It seems that some weirdo searched the term '3d animal fucking' on google and ended up on my blog.

Seriously fucking odd.

Anyhow, I'll just try and avoid even thinking about that one.

Thor - movie review

2011-05-02T19:13:00.002+01:00

Thor was always a bit of a B-list superhero. Other than a notable run by Walter Simonson in the mid-1980s the comic book was never amazing. I did enjoy reading about Norse mythology, as well as Greek and roman mythology, when I was a kid. The character of Thor has been made a wee bit more interesting by the Mark Millar Ultimates comics of the past decade and those comics were probably the main source of this film.

I was a bit surprised when I heard that they would make a Thor film. It felt like Marvel were scraping the barrel. I understood the desire for a Thor film to help set up an Avengers franchise but I didn't really think it would do well at the box office. Then I heard that some left field decisions had been made in the production of this film. Kenneth Branagh to direct, the decidedly non-Aryan Irdis Elba as a norse god to piss off the American racists. Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins to take on key roles. It was beginning to sound like a good film.

Now that I've seen it I can say that Thor is an OK film. The special effects are good although it is a bit CGI heavy at time. The 3D looks a bit tacked on. The story is acceptable. Thor comes across as a bit 'empty'. The actor playing him is not as good as Samuel L Jackson or Robert Downey Jr. He will probably be lost in the ensemble cast of The Avengers.

Thor is a mildly diverting bit of chewing gum. OK but not amazing.

The Bucket List - DVD review

2011-04-29T23:28:00.003+01:00

The Bucket List is a feelgood movie about two men with terminal cancer. Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play the dying men. Nicholson is a billionaire and Freeman is an average bloke. They are told they have a year to live and the decide to create a 'bucket list' of things to do before they die. They procede to have good time and come to terms with their lives and deaths.

It's a bit sentimental but I did like it. Sadly, I see a lot of people dying and most of them do not get a chance to do nice stuff before they die. I sometimes suggest that patients with motor neurone disease should make the most of their remaining time but in the real world this is often not possible.

I guess it's probably best to think about what you want to do before you die when you are young. To quote the Butthole Surfers 'it's better to regret something you have done than something you haven't done......'

My life is fairly good and I have few regrets. Hope it stays this way.

Cool Ian Mackaye interview

2011-04-29T23:11:00.003+01:00

Found a cool Ian Mackaye interview

http://approachingoblivion.blogspot.com/2011/03/ian-mackaye-interview-minor-threat.html

Check it out

Bad Lieutenant - DVD review

2011-04-25T23:48:00.002+01:00

I think I watched the original Bad Lieutenant years ago. I'm not sure if I watched all of it. I wasn't too bothered about seeing the 2009 version but I borrowed the DVD from my dad. It was actually OK.

Nicholas Cage stars in the new film (subtitled 'Port of Call'). He plays a police officer who is morally conflicted. He injures himself by doing something heroic. For the rest of the film his life is a car crash as he makes bad decision after bad decision. I spent most of the film just waiting for him to die horribly.

Cage is good in this film. Almost as good as he was in Kick-Ass. The film was directed by Werner Herzog and is not really a remake or a sequel to the original film. It's funny at times, violent and visually impressive in places. Not a perfect film and not for everyone but I enjoyed it.

Postal voting

2011-04-23T16:22:00.002+01:00

I sent off my postal votes for the upcoming referendum on the voting system and the Scottish Government elections yesterday. I made a protest vote for the Green Party in the Scottish election because I hate all the other political parties.

I've always been a liberal voter in the past but I'm deeply disappointed by the actions of Clegg and his appeasement of the Nu-Thatcher policies of Cameron and his rich-boy chums who are in the process of trying to dismantle the social structure of the UK. It disgusts me how both the Conservatives and the Liberals can stand for election on one platform and then suddenly produce a raft of new right wing policies that they had never even hinted at. It's a shame we can't take them to court for misleading the electorate.

I voted for the Alternate Vote system to be introduced. I think we need more consensus politics in this country and this might be the first step on a long journey to proportional representation. It hasn't done any harm in Scotland and I don't think it'll do much harm in the UK as a whole. It will just make it more difficult for any one party to do anything difficult (e.g. Cameron and his posh-boy pals taking the NHS apart). There is a lot of scaremongering about the BNP getting into Parliament but to be honest they will never be anything more than a minority party and if they do get one MP it will only serve to highlight how fucking stupid they are. Sadly racist idiots have a right to vote but I'm sure that sensible people will just realise that it is their duty to make sure stuff like that does not happen.

Submitting a postal vote is fairly tricky and it took me a while to figure out how to correctly complete the paperwork. I guess it isn't for everyone but I think it's important to make sure that my vote is cast. It gives me a right to complain about the fuckers.

Anyhow, make sure you vote (unless you are a BNP voter - if so fuck off).

Chew - Omnivore edition - Book Review

2011-04-23T01:51:00.003+01:00

Chew is a great comic book. It's created by Rob Guillory and John Layman and published by Image. I was given the fancy Omnivore edition for my birthday last year but I've only just got round to reading it now.

Chew tells the story of Tony Chu, an agent of the FDA who gets psychic information for anything he eats. Unfortunately he often works on murder cases and he has to 'taste' the victims to get psychic clues. This all sounds a bit minging but the book is drawn in a beautiful cartoony style that adds humor to the out-there concept that the book is driven by.

When I finished this book I was hungry for more. I can't wait till the next hardcover edition is published. It's a really nice looking book and I want more of it on my shelf.

Grooveshark

2011-04-21T16:56:00.002+01:00

I've just checked out grooveshark and it's pretty good. As Spotify appears to be heading crapwards I think I might use grooveshark to preview music in the future. It seems to be streaming fairly well with decent sound quality. I've not really looked deeply into the variety of stuff that's available. I'm listening to the first Fucked Up album at the moment suggesting that at least some rare stuff is available.

Worth a try.

RIP - Gerard Smith

2011-04-20T21:36:00.001+01:00

I was really sad to hear that Gerard Smith the bass player in TV on the Radio died from lung cancer today. I've been listening to them since their first CD came out and I've seen them play live a few times.

He was only 34.

RIP

Record store day 2011 - what I bought

2011-04-17T21:07:00.005+01:00

So, I've written a bit about why Monorail is the best record shop in the world. I should probably write a wee bit about the records that I bought

Fucked up - David's town - This record is really, really cool. Fucked up are an avant-garde punk band from Toronto that stretch the boundaries of punk. They cover C86 bands like the Shop Assistants and they release epic 20 minute tracks as singles. They also have a history of releasing obscure singles. Their next official album is coming out in July and will be called 'David comes to life'. It's going to be a concept album/rock opera about a punk named David who lives in an imaginary English town. Their RSD release is a compilation of imaginary late '70s/early '80s punk bands from this imaginary town. They've also invited some of their friends to add extra vocals to this album. It's well realised and a fucking good effort for an exclusive Record Store Day release.

Foo Fighters - Medium Rare - I'm not a massive fan of the Foo Fighters but I do like Nirvana. I was at the second UK Foo Fighters gig at the Reading Festival in 1995 but their records never really clicked with me. I do like their record collection though. This LP features a cover version of one of my favourite Husker Du tracks (never talking to you again) as well as 'Gas Chamber' by the Angry Samoans. It also includes tracks by Cream and Paul McCartney. Overall, I thought it would be an interesting listen.

Deftones - covers - I do enjoy some Deftones music but the thought of their covers record excited me a wee bit more than their normal releases. On this LP they tackle tracks by the smiths and the cure as well as Duran Duran. Interesting.

Radiohead - supercollider/the butcher 12" - I like the king of limbs so I fancied hearing these out-takes. I've also ordered the expensive 'newspaper record' version of king of limbs so I thought this would go well with it.

Bad Brains - Pay to cum 7" - as I detailed in another post I'm very lucky to have a copy of this. Pay to cum was the first Bad Brains single and in many ways the record that kickstarted DC hardcore (Minor threat, Henry Rollins, etc). I was very happy to get this gold vinyl reissue that is in beautiful packaging. I saw an original copy once, years ago, and it was selling for a couple of hundred quid. I have been sitting and just looking at this one. Well good. It also includes a lyric sheet so I finally know the words after about 20 years!

The Velvet Underground - Foggy Notion 7" - The Velvets have been another favourite band for years and years. Foggy Notion is a great track and this is a nice looking single.

Of Montreal/Casio Kids - split 7" - I like the Elephant 6 scene that Of Montreal are associated with and I wanted to hear their cover of 'expecting to fly' by Buffalo Springfield. Nice cover.

Frightened Rabbit/Twilight Sad - Demo tape. - As I have said elsewhere I don't have much Frightened Rabbit or Twilight Sad stuff but I just really liked the idea of this tape. It looks really authentic, just like the crappy demo tapes I used to make 15 years ago. As a bonus it includes the demo of my favourite Frightened Rabbit track (keep yourself warm). It also includes a download code for mp3s of the tracks. I've stuck it on my iPod.

Overall, a good haul of stuff and a great day. I just need a new record player now.

Frightened Rabbit - live at Mono, Glasgow

2011-04-17T20:45:00.002+01:00

I only own one Frightened Rabbit album although I really like the song 'keep yourself warm'. I'd never seen them play live so I thought I would check them out at their free Mono show as part of Record Store Day yesterday.

They played for about 45 minutes delivering a set that included a few of their popular tracks (based on crowd response). They had a fairly decent sound and the tiny Mono cafe was packed with fans. The singer from the Twilight Sad got up to sing a song. I have a newfound liking for the Twilight Sad after seeing them support Mogwai in Edinburgh a few weeks ago. They finished their set with 'keep yourself warm'.

I was knackered after a night in the pub so I went home after the Frightened Rabbit set. It would have been nice to see the Membranes but sadly I was lacking in stamina. I plan to listen to my Frightened Rabbit CD a bit more in the future.

Why Monorail Records in Glasgow is the best record shop in the world - International Record Store Day 2011

2011-04-16T18:18:00.004+01:00

I'm a bit of a music obsessive. I might not be as bad as the characters in the film High Fidelity but I'm not far off. I've been massively into music and buying records since the age of 10. Before I bought my own records I used to play with my parents records all the time (Paul Simon, The Beatles, Johnny Cash).

I was lucky enough to grow up in the greater Glasgow area. There were a few record shops that I went to in East Kilbride - impulse records, the village record shop, our price, HMV and Fopp (later on). I could always pick up Dead Kennedys records, Jesus and Mary Chain records and Sex Pistols CDs with little trouble.

As a bonus the public library in EK had a great music section with cool stuff from the '60s on. I was able to check out Sonic Youth, the Pixies, Love, Joy Division, the Velvet Underground, the Who and everything else.

Obviously I would go into Glasgow to find more stuff. Missing records on Oswald Street was always a favourite destination. They used to have a second hand section upstairs with new releases downstairs. I was able to pick up most of the SST back catalogue for £2.99 a record. I got my favourite Butthole Surfers album for £2 on tape. Missing was a great shop.

I started at Glasgow University in 1995 and I started going to the record shops in the west end a lot more. The record shop in John Smiths bookshop beside Hillhead Underground station was one of the best. It was run by Stephen, the main bloke in the Pastels. The really nice thing about this shop was that you could ask Stephen which Captain Beefheart record he would recommend and he would give you a good answer.

Byres Road also hosted Lost in Music, Fopp, Echo and another branch of Missing. All of these were great shops. I have spent hundreds of pounds in these shops.

I went down south for 5 years and over that time the record shops of Glasgow changed. Several shops disappeared or shrunk. Monorail opened up in 2002 with Stephen Pastel and Dep from Missing. Monorail is part of the larger Mono venue which includes a vegan restaurant/bar/live music area. It it worth having a look at the Mono webpage. http://www.monocafebar.com/index.php?pid=1 Monorail have consistently been excellent. They have knowledgeable, friendly staff. The prices are good (generally better then HMV). They have a great range of alternative music. They have opening hours that fit in with a 9-5 job (Monorail is open 11-7PM).

The historical sketch above doesn't really tell you why Monorail is the best record shop in the world. I need to tell you another story to explain that.

Earlier this week I popped into Monorail to find out which records they would have in stock for Record Store Day. I specifically asked about the Bad Brains 'Pay to cum' 7" single which was being re-released on gold vinyl. The original version of this single is the holy grail of hardcore punk. Dep, who works in the shop, is a Bad Brains fan himself and I explained that they were probably the second band I ever saw live in 1993.

So I went along to Monorail at about 8:30AM today. I had been out late on Friday night making weak attempts at chatting up an attractive woman. Despite my hangover I managed to drag myself out of bed and stumble onto a bus. When I got there I was greeted by a queue of 50 people. When I made it to the shop counter I was able to get everything I wanted (see seperate post) except the Bad Brains single that was sold out. Dep seemed to be a bit disappointed that I didn't get a copy.

I met one of my pals in the shop. He was very happy with his purchases, especially a limited edition Earth lp and a reissued Neurosis LP. I was a bit sleep deprived so I made my way home. One of my cousins was up visiting from England with his wife and kids so I was entertaining them at my flat for a couple of hours. I had a quick look on ebay and sadly noted that 5 copies of 'pay to cum' were already being sold at inflated prices. I spent an hour or so proudly looking at my new records.

At 5pm I went back to Mono to see Frightened Rabbit perform a free live set.

When I arrived at Mono Dep grabbed me to tell me that he had found an extra copy of the Bad Brains 7" and put it aside for me. I couldn't believe it. He found it after a quick search behind the counter and I happily handed over my cash. I suspect that it may have been his own copy of the record but he said that he wanted me to have it. Top Bloke! i owe him several pints.

In my opinion this anecdote tells you exactly why Monorail is the best record shop in the world. They have excellent staff who know and look after their customers.

Visit Glasgow, go to Monorail and buy stuff

Monorail Music, 12 Kings Court, Glasgow, G1 5RB. 0141 552 9458 Opening hours: 11am - 7pm Monday to Saturday. Sunday 12 noon - 7pm.

The Plan B Books Graphic Novel Book Group

2011-04-13T23:04:00.004+01:00

I've been banging on about Plan B Books a fair bit recently. It's a nice shop, a world away from Forbidden Planet. Not that there is anything wrong with Forbidden
Planet but it doesn't really cater to all tastes.

Plan B mainly deal with the artistic and intellectual side of comic books. They don't carry much in the way of superhero comics because Forbidden Planet covers that. Plan B also promote intelligent comics through events like their recent Bryan Talbot signing/talk and tonight's inaugural Graphic Novel Book Group.

The first book chosen for the Book Group was Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Luckily I already owned a copy of the book and I think I read it years ago but I couldn't really remember. I have seen the film in the past couple of years. I started to read the book at about 6PM tonight and gave wikipedia a cursory scan to make sure that I hadn't missed any important plot points.

The venue was Mono, a favourite hangout of mine. About 20 people came along which was probably more than the organiser bloke expected. I had never been to a book group before so I didn't really know what to expect. Everyone had brought a copy of the book with them (apparently this is traditional at book groups).

Persepolis was a good book to start with. It's an easily accessible autobiographical story detailing the childhood and maturation of the author in the revolutionary Iran of the late '70s and early '80s. The book is clearly drawn and covers a lot of Iranian history in a clear and concise manner.

Generally, the Book Group liked the book. There was some discussion about the simplistic nature of the artwork and the fact that Satrapi is not a 'master' of the graphic novel. 'Mastery' of the comic book form is probably a highly subjective concept. The conversation also touched upon the political situation in Iran and the grammar of comic books.

I enjoyed the evening and I met a few interesting people. It was good to have some intelligent conversations about comic books. Several people at the meeting turned out to be prospective comic book creators and it was nice to hear about their approach to the medium. I always wanted to write comic books (i.e. be Alan Moore) when I was a kid and it was great to meet like minded souls. I don't know if I could find the time to write a comic book because doctoring/neurology training/thesis writing takes up most of my life but it could be a good thing to do at some point.

Hopefully I'll be able to make future meetings.

Jamie Oliver's Italian Kitchen - Glasgow

2011-04-11T15:37:00.002+01:00

I can't remember if I wrote about this place the last time I went. I was there in the middle of the very cold snap Glasgow experienced before Christmas for a work night out. I enjoyed the food although it was a Christmas menu.

I went back today as a combined birthday/mothers' day treat for my mum. It was very busy for a Monday lunchtime in Glasgow. We had the meat anitpasti to start with. This includes a selection of cold meats with olives, peppers and some cheese. I had tried this before during my previous visit and I was keen to try it again.

We had a special for the main meal. Aberdeen angus beef with onions and mushrooms on toasted bread. Great flavours and very filling.

After all of that we had no room left for a pudding so we settled for a coffee before heading off. Jamie Oliver's is very clearly a commercial venture but it's decent food and a nice environment. Worth a try.

Kobe Steak - Is it worth it?

2011-04-02T00:27:00.005+01:00

I've been a doctor for nearly 7 years and for most of that time I've not had much money. I finished medical school with £40,000 of debts that I am still paying off. To compound my financial woes I spent 2 and a half years doing clinical research on a basic wage while paying a very expensive mortgage. I was living on about £200 a month for a long time.

I started a new job in February and I now earn a lot more money. I've bought some new clothes and I have been treating myself to lots of other stuff. I like meat and I wanted to try a Kobe steak.

The Kobe steak that I went for is not a real Kobe steak. It is Wagyū beef which is essentially the same thing but doesn't need to be reared in Japan. The animals that this meat comes from are allegedly massaged and fed beer. So the steak I had (at the Grill on the Corner in Glasgow) was very nice. It had a melt in the mouth quality and it was a good size. It was well cooked although I wasn't too inspired by the chips that came with it. I feel that I got my £55 worth but I am sure that I had equally nice bit of meat in the past.

A good experience but probably not one I will repeat regularly.

Morning Glories by Nick Spencer and and Joe Eisma

2011-03-27T13:12:00.003+01:00

Morning Glories is a fairly new comic book series published by Image Comics. The first issue came out in September last year and the first collected volume entitled 'For a better future' was published a couple of weeks ago. You can find it on amazon.

The story focuses on a school for gifted children. Six teenagers, all of whom share the same birthday, have won places at this exclusive academy. When they get there it becomes clear that something isn't right. Something almost demonic is going on....

It's well written and well drawn. It's a bit of a page turner and you can see it being made into a popcorn movie. It's early days so far but it will be interesting to see how this book develops.

Bryan Talbot at Plan B Bookshop, Glasgow

2011-03-26T20:59:00.002Z

Bryan Talbot is a comic book writer and artist who is responsible for the Grandville books as well as several others. He started his career with the underground series Luther Arkwright and he came to promenance for his work on Nemesis the Warlock for 2000AD.

Plan B is a new graphic novel/comic/coffee shop in Glasgow. They are trying to market the more intelligent side of comic books. They are organising things like a graphic novel book group and events like todays Bryan Talbot signing.

Talbot is a very nice bloke and he was really warm when he signed and sketched my books. He also gave me instructions on how to finish off one of his sketches to make it look even better. I'll have to sort that our in due course.

Plan B is a nice venue too. I've written about the shop before. It's located in an arty corner of Glasgow, just off King Street, near the thirteenth note and Mono. They are gradually expanding their stock of books and they sell nice decent coffee.

After signing lots of books Talbot gave a talk on the genesis of Grandville. He started with a history of anthropromorphic characters in religion, folklore and literature. He then focused on 'funny animal' characters in comic books.

Grandville is littered with literary references as well as tributes to fine art. Talbot highlighted several of these allusions. He also sneaks in a very nice sequence where Snowy Milou is seen as an opium addict. I hope that an annoted version of Grandville is published at some point. It would be very interesting.

Finally Talbot shared the creative process behind Grandville, from the inital conception of the idea to the final polishing of the artwork. Grandville is clearly a labour of love as well as a great read.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandville_(comics)
http://www.planbbooks.co.uk/
http://www.bryan-talbot.com/

Goldie Lookin Chain - live at the Doghouse, Dundee

2011-03-25T21:53:00.002Z

I have to spend time in Dundee for various reasons. I had nothing to do the other day and my mate suggested going to see Goldie Lookin' Chain at the Doghouse. As my Dundee social diary is fairly empty I thought 'What the fuck'? and went along.

I last saw GLC in 2004 at T in the Park. I find some of their tracks fairly funny but I do not consider them to be high art. A bunch of dick jokes are much better than high art very now and again. It was also a good chance to check out a music venue in Dundee.

Oddly enough, GLC were supported by two local funk-metal bands. I thought funk-metal died with the coming of Oasis in 1995 but I was wrong. The first band was called 'hey esse' and they were OK for a local band. I kinda enjoyed the funk-metal nostalgia thing. The second lot were called 'harry' (I think) and they had a fairly good live sound. They were slightly stylistically mixed up but they could play their instruments. They reminded me of Senser.

GLC are a cabaret act. They have a very big tour bus and 10 on-stage members. Tickets cost 15 quid a head and the venue must take a fair slice of that. I would estimate that maybe 100 people were in the venue and I'm not sure how many bits of merchandise were sold. The economics of touring are fairly fucking scary - difficult to break even.

Anyhow, GLC took the stage to a backing tape - there were hundreds of the fuckers on stage. It took me about 5 minutes to count them cos they were running about all over the place. They played all the hits and the interaction with the crowd was a hit. Personal favourites were 'half man, half machine', 'your mother's got a penis' and 'old ladies'.

I laughed. Fun for Dundee

Defendor - DVD review

2011-03-15T23:16:00.002Z

This was another recent cheap supermarket deal. I think I'd read a review of the film somewhere but I couldn't remember much.

The film is about a man with learning difficulties who thinks he is a superhero. He dresses up in a costume and tries to fight crime. It's very similar to Kick-Ass.

I liked it - decent entertainment. Well made. Woody Harrelson is good in the title role.

Worth seeing.

The Horde - DVD review

2011-03-12T20:24:00.002Z

I picked this DVD up in the supermarket a couple of weeks ago. It was described as the 'Die Hard of zombie films' and it's French. This film has subtitles and that will probably alienate about 70% of the normal zombie film audience.

The story follows a group of police officers who decide to get revenge on a criminal gang who have killed their partner. The criminals are living in a rundown tower block. The two groups are getting on like a house on fire when zombies attack.

I enjoyed this film but it is not high art. The zombies are fast, there is a lot of blood and gore, a crazy amount of guns and some exotic French swearing.

Diagnosis: Death - DVD review

2011-03-09T22:53:00.002Z

I picked up this DVD because it looked like it could provide a couple of cheap laughs. A couple of the guys from Flight of the Concords are in it.

The story follows two people who are diagnosed with terminal cancer and enroll in an experimental drug trial. Strange things start to happen when they take the drug.

As someone who has enrolled a lot of people in drug trials over the years I did smile at a couple of points. This film is cheap and mindless entertainment. Not oscar material but OK for 3 quid.

Blacksad by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido

2011-03-05T20:36:00.002Z

you know how it is. You wait for ages for a decent anthropomorphic detective comic book and then you read two in one week.

Blacksad is the work of two Spanish creators, Diaz Canales and Guarnido. The comic books have been massively successful in Europe and a hardback collection of the first 3 volumes was published in English towards the end of last year. The art is beautiful and the storytelling is intelligent.

The cyberpunk elements of Grandville are missing and have been replaced by a gritty version of '50s America and a more recognisable version of our world. At least, a funny animal version of our world.

Blacksad is a large black cat who works as a private detective. He investigates murders, rubs shoulders with beatniks and communists, encounters nazis and racists and generally entertains. There are rumours of a film version and I would love to see it.

Check it out.

Grandville by Bryan Talbot

2011-03-05T20:22:00.003Z

Grandville is the first in a series of hardback comic books about Archie Le Brock, a Scotland Yard detective who happens to be an anthropomorphic badger. The book is written and beautifully illustrated by Bryan Talbot, the English comic book artist who has previously worked on Nemesis the Warlock, Sandman, The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and The Tale of one Bad Rat.

The story begins with an English diplomat escaping imperial France before being murdered in his home. The existence of talking animals is not the only difference in this story. Britain was for many years a beaten part of the French empire and has only recently regained Independence after an anarchist revolution.

Le Brock investigates the murder and follows the plot to Grandville (Paris).

This book is funny, exciting and original. I look forward to reading subsequent volumes. It is also full of sly references to other comic books, such as the opium addict Snowy Mileu with his morphine dreams of a Blue Lotus and a Crab with Golden Claws.

A modern classic.

The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie

2011-03-05T17:16:00.002Z

Hugh Laurie is a talented guy. He's probably most well known nowadays for the American TV series House but he had a solid career writing and acting in comedy programmes on UK TV for 20 years before house. He also graduated from Cambridge University with a good degree and did a lot of rowing as a student. He's a bit like a Swiss army knife, able to adapt to any situation. Just like his friend Steven Fry.

As far as I am aware, Laurie has only written one novel, The Gun Seller. It's a great book and he should write more. It's written as a first person narrative so I couldn't help but imagine the main character as looking like Laurie in his House persona. The storyline is very cinematic and I could see this book being made into a decent comedy/thriller at some point.

Worth finding. Hope he writes more.

new clothes

2011-03-01T20:13:00.003Z

So after getting my first full doctor wage with an on-call supplement in 30 months (40% more than my generous research doctor basic wage) I went out and bought some new clothes today. I haven't bought any new clothes for nearly 3 years and I was starting to look a bit like a tramp.

I picked up a new pair of Levis (75 quid), a shirt (50 quid) and a top (40 quid). It's all nice stuff but when did clothes get so expensive? Is it VAT or have prices just shot up over the past year?

Anyway, I'm happy to be looking a bit less trampy.

Paul - film review

2011-02-27T21:03:00.002Z

Paul is a geek road movie starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Seth Rogen. Pegg and Frost are two English science-fiction nerds who make a pilgrimage to the San Diego ComiCon. After the convention they go on an alien abduction road trip.

On their road-trip they meet Paul, a CGI alien voiced by Rogen. Paul is escaping from the government who want to do bad things to him.

The film starts slowly but it is full of nerd in jokes that entertain. It might not be worth 8 quid at the cinema but it is worth picking up the DVD.

Mogwai at the HMV Picture House, Edinburgh

2011-02-22T23:42:00.002Z

I was on the guest list for this show so this review is very biased indeed. Despite my bias it was great. I caught the end of The Twilight Sad set. I'm not too familiar with their stuff but I liked what I heard. There was a hint of Joy Division.

Mogwai, as always, were great. The set was more of a cross-section of their career than the recent Grand Old Opry show. They played highlights of the new album with greatest hits from the past including Christmas Steps, Mogwai Fear Satan and Helicon (I always call this 'Summertime' for some reason). We were also lucky enough to have Luke Sutherland on stage playing violin and singing on some songs.

A few tracks from the new album were played including the mighty George Square Thatcher Death Party. The lights and visuals were great. I think the guys had some technical problems with an amp exploding on stage at the end of the main set but it was still sounding good.

Plus the new album went in at number 25 in the chart.

Buy the album and see them live.

The King of Limbs by Radiohead

2011-02-20T20:34:00.002Z

Another stealth bomber album has been released by Radiohead and it's a good one. The King of Limbs was announced midweek and released on Friday as a digital download. They have described the album (in it's ultimate physical release) as possibly the worlds first newspaper album. i don't know if this refers to the physical form of the release or the quick and disposible nature of the digital release.

The music of The King of Limbs feels immediate. The album is 37 minutes long and features 8 songs. After a couple of minutes of listening to the first song I knew I liked it. This is not always the case with Radiohead records.

I'll be listening to this a few more times over the next month or two until my 'newspaper album' arrives.

The Fry Chronicles by Stephen Fry

2011-02-20T20:04:00.002Z

I've just finished reading this, the second volume of autobiography by Stephen Fry. It covers his time at Cambridge University and the early part of his career in showbusiness.

I've read a few of Fry's books in the past and I enjoyed most of them. I also like most of the stuff he does on TV. This autobiography is interesting in that it shows us how hard he worked to get where he is today. He also seems to suffer from a suprising lack of self confidence. I'm too young to remember his very early TV work and much of that is described here.

This book is worth a read but I would seek out his first volume (moab is my washpot I think) first. It has the juicy prison stuff.

Shitty things about being a doctor

2011-02-19T23:00:00.002Z

So after working in clinical research for a couple of years I'm back as a full time clinical doctor. I love my job and I love my speciality but there are bad bits in this job. This week I have told one man that he is going to die soon and I have been present as another man was told that he was dying. Both of them were nice blokes. Sadly, another one of our patients died of an aggressive illness that we were unable to control.

But that's my job and I have to be there for my patients. I have to give them bad news in a clear and understandable manner and I have to give them whatever information they need. It's important not to be openly upset when you give bad news to someone because you don't want the patient to feel sorry for you. You are there to help the patient and that's it.

Doctors are human and this stuff can get to you. There are a lot of good aspects of the job that balance this out but it still sometimes hits me like a kick in the nuts.

The Green Hornet in 3D - film review

2011-02-13T19:56:00.002Z

I wanted to see this film because of my interest in all thing superhero. I remember seeing the old black and white TV series but I don't think the sixties series with Bruce Lee as Kato was ever broadcast in the UK. I do remember the episode of the Adam West Batman where The Green Hornet made a guest appearance.

This film could sound like the scraping of the superhero barrel. However it is directed by Michel Gondry who has made some interesting stuff over the years. Gondry made this film in 3D and it has an interesting visual identity. There are recurrent episodes of palinopsia in the slow-motion Kato fight scenes and some interesting use of comic book style panelling.

Seth Rogan leads a cast that includes Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz (from Inglorious Basterds) and Edward James Olmos. Jay Chou does a good turn as Kato. The soundtrack is very good (possibly because of the music video past of Gondry).

Rogan plays Britt Reid the feckless son of a newspaper mogul. When his father dies Reid has to take over the family business. He meets Kato, an employee of his father who turns out to be a bit of a genius as well as a martial arts expert. Reid and Kato decide to fight crime to stave off boredom.

For fans of explosions and car crashes and bad jokes. I liked it.

The most played songs on my iPod

2011-02-07T21:43:00.003Z

So I've had the iPod since christmas and I have about 20,000 songs on it. iTunes does some funny stuff when it plays songs at random but here are the top 5 tracks.

1 - 6'1 by Liz Phair - A track from exile in guyville about inadequate men. I like it and I listen to it through choice a bit. Good track and worth hearing.

2 - George Square Thatcher Death Party by Mogwai - the stand out track from the new (out next week) Mogwai album. I am highly biased cos a mate is in the band but this is a great track. I love the vocoded vocals and I greatly dislike Maggie Thatcher. I suspect that we will see parties in Glasgow when she dies and this could be the soundtrack. A number one in my mind.

3 - Billiard Player Song by Shellac - I bought this 7" single as it came out in 1992 (?). I was a high-school Shellac fan after being a high-school Big Black fan and their early singles are some of my favourite music. These tracks are not very easy to hear but I do think that you should track them down. Shellac are one of the best bands ever and you should see them live and listen to them if you can.

4 - letters to the metro by Mogwai - I've been hammering Hardcore will never die but you will and you should too. See above.

5 - Ramble on (2007 remaster) by Led Zeppelin - I'm not a massive Zeppelin fan but this was one of the first albums that went on the iPod because Amazon gave me a free download. Ramble on is a great track and is worth a spin. Not sure how it got into my top 5 right enough. Curse you, the non-random shuffle feature of iTunes.

Living in cupboards - medical training.

2011-02-01T21:14:00.004Z

So I've been a doctor for nearly 7 years and I'm now back to living in a crappy room in a hospital miles away from home. So far I have spent two of the last seven years living in cheap, shitty rooms in hospitals in the arse end of nowhere and tonight i might be starting another two year sentence.

This is an essential element of medical training. To get a broad spectrum of experience you need to work in several units. Unfortunately the subspeciality I work in has training at national levels so if you rotate between units you will probably end up being at least 60 miles from home. I am now working on the other side of the country.

This is good in a way because I am exposed to a wide range of clinical units and I see lots of different types of clinical practice. It's bad because I can't sleep in my own bed and I'm a long way away from my family. Training as a doctor can really fuck up your life.

So I'm sitting here in a room that is probably about the same size as a prison cell. It's not warm but I'm surviving so far. I've not seen any insects yet but I am sure that they will come. The walls are tissue paper thin and I can hear every fart next door. That's life I guess.

Hopefully I'll get a decent pay check at the end of the month and that might make things a bit better.

Maybe.

Mogwai at the Grand Ole Opry, Glasgow

2011-01-30T23:07:00.002Z

This was my second Mogwai gig in six months. I've been listening to my promo copy of the new album quite a bit. I think it may well be their best album.

I like the Grand Ole Opry as a venue. It's a bit different with the country and western decorations. The balcony gives great views of the main stage. I've seen Teenage Fanclub and Franz Ferdinand play there before. As an added bonus it's only a mile from my flat.

Support came from Remember Remember who were really good. Some of them were scarily young. Apart from the guitarist and drummer who looked like they may have abducted the rest of the band.

The Mogwai set was filled with new material which is a good thing. The sound in the Opry was slightly ropey and the band had to adjust levels a bit during the show but they were tight. They had a bit of trouble getting the right vocoder sound for Stuart to sing 'George Square Thatcher Death Party' but the song sounds great live. 'Thatcher Death Party' is a highlight of the new album and would be a great single release. And it sounds like a great idea for a party....

So see them live if you can and buy the new album. And I think they are playing a bigger Glasgow gig in December.