Rhubarb And Custard

Radio Rhubarb @ Custard Factory
Originally uploaded by Midge Diabolik

Beaming out 100 Megabytes of power to literally Dozens of people!.

(Seriously though, should be interesting)

And The Beat Goes Off...

Flapper and Firkin (cameraphone)
Originally uploaded by Midge Diabolik

The Fiddle & Bone, Market Tavern, Jug Of Ale and now the Flapper & Firkin (?). How many more Brum live venues are to be trashed by narrow minded 'developers' before they realise there are local people who consist of more than part time wine drinking handbag circling Sharons who shop @ Harvey Nick's. The rumours are being denied but the site is owned by developers and the area is being 'regenerated' so it's obviously prime pickings.
Admittedly the pub's looking a bit shabby with it's 60's concrete style architecture but it has a renowned live heritage, caring mamagement and great gig room of which Birmingham is rapidly becoming short of. I can only hope the pinheads see sense, give the pub a much needed makeover and promote it as a vibrant canalside music venue which could easily give the Carling Bar Academy/Academy 2 a much needed run for it's money! (Academy:£3.40 a pint!, f**kers!).

Sheldon Country Festival 08

Sheldon Country Festival 08
Originally uploaded by Midge Diabolik

A very British affair where Chav meets Rustic
Rain or shine i always feel an obligation to visit this Sheldon summer 'highlight' and actually missed it when the Foot and Mouth caused it's cancellation.

(more on Flickr)

Buy When Dry @ Custard Factory

"Buy When Dry " Exhibition at the Custard Faxctory Gallery, muchos Kudos to Platform for putting on great show on a hot n' sticky night despite the Custard Factory's 'challenging' electrics. I don't pretend to know much about contempoary Graffiti/Manga and Hip Hop culture but to see it created live is something else.
For Emma Wyre (Jikibs) to step up to the plate with a wet paintbrush and unsketched artboard is something to see!( young Female Rolf Harris for the Anime generation!)


I've took a shed load of pictures which will eventually turn up on my Flickr in the next few days.

Flying Graffiti @ Custard Factory

Flying Graffiti @ Custard Factory
Originally uploaded by Midge Diabolik

Flying Graffiti by Vika Verb

It Says...
"The Road Of Excess Leads To The Palace Of Wisdom"
(William Blake 1757-1827)

Saw this develop over the course of the day, certainly eye catching, i could be more critical but fears of a 'Notice to Quit' letter being pinned to the door prohibits me :), Vodka in ice shot glasses and Russian nibbles were a nice touch though. (couple more pictures on my Flickr)

It's Not So Grim Up T' North

Despite living in Birmingham all my life but it was only last year i scraped up the £3.90 return fare to Wolverhampton and it's certainly a been train worth jumping. Compared to Birmingham the centre has better architecture, a better layout, a smattering of independent shops (which B'ham is in desperate need of), some great/cheap cafe's and some cracking pubs (noteably cheesy Goth bar The Giffard Arms with it's coffin shaped tables!).

Suprisingly the local lingo is quite easy to pick up and the air isn't thick with coal dust. Heartily recommended.
(couple more photo's on my Flickr)

Unemployed To Be Used As Spam

Whilst deleting the usual mountain of crap i received in my inbox this morning this subject line actually made me laugh tea through my nose.

Taboo Cinema Club Birmingham

Taboo Cinema Club Birmingham
Originally uploaded by Midge Diabolik

It's great to see in this day of internet porn , cheap mail order skin flicks and lap dancing clubs this veteran Birmingham insitution is still up and running.

Supersonic Festival

Spent a hazy few hours at the Supersonic Festival at the Factory, great set up, Boho' atmosphere, eclectic lineup, kudos to organisers (definiteley need more of at the C.F) BUT i kept having this nagging feeling that experimental now seems to consist of great ideas not developed into anything 'tangible' (i.e it's not so much as what passes for experimental as what is accepted as experimental that's changed). Decided not to hang around Sunday for Julian Cope (Gravetemple), seen him a couple of times and he SUCKS!.

(addendum: i went instead to see Arnocorps at Scruffy Murphys, now THERE'S an experimental concept)

I've put some photo's on my Flickr (see right), (well there mostly of The Courtesy Group just before i sloped off to see the Anti Nowhere League)

The Torture Never Stops!!

Dismal, Dismal, Dismal this weather is just frickin' Dismal!. It not only wets the skin but permeates the soul and worst still affects peoples spending habits. Custard Factory is now wet AND empty and the tills are quiet. I've decided to delete the BBC weather bookmark from my favorites as every peek at it nearly has me reaching for the razor!.

The Saddest Ringtone Story

I spent bleedin' ages on t' internet trying to find the classic Nokia 'morse s.m.s' text alert tone for my new phone but no luck. So i fired up Audacity, got out my old ham radio book (dit/dah/space lengths) and spent the best part of an hour making my own. That is just tragic!! (it ain't perfect but it does the job) .