Messages

136

Pop Punk / Re: British, Canadian & Australian Comedy Recommendations?

« on: May 22, 2008, 09:46:56 AM »

Monkey Dust - ridiculously dark and hilarious animation. One of the first shows BBC3 put on, before they turned into complete wank showing nothing but Little Britain, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, and crap like that. Avoid the 3rd series though, that went a bit shit.

Someone's uploaded the running sketches as compilations, but it looks like there's whole episodes up on YT as well. It's all great, but here are some choice picks anyway:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2HJjIisHlUk
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Q1n9u4LTjtI
http://youtube.com/watch?v=APG0rNedEwk

The only other BBC3 comedy I enjoyed was The Smoking Room, which never got much recognition. Got him from Peep Show in it. It seems to be all over Youtube in clip form, but no whole episodes... I can't really be bothered searching for the good ones right now.

There's also Garth Merenghi's Darkplace and The I.T. Crowd... a lot of people really love those, but I just think they're kinda good in places. The nerdy black guy who's in both of them is pretty funny, can't remember his name but he's got a talk show thing which is pretty good as well. Chris Morris is also in The I.T. Crowd.

137

Non-Music Shit / Re: TASCAM 234 4-track cassette

« on: May 19, 2008, 08:28:44 AM »

The function select buttons look like the ones to switch each track between record and playback. Does the VU meter show anything when you're recording and/or when you're playing back?

Have you tried playing back a regular tape that you know has something on it? Or putting what you've recorded in another tape player? It won't sound quite right, but you'll know whether or not something's on the tape. If you can't hear anything with a tape that definitely has something on it, and have tried every button combination, it must be a problem with the output you're listening through... are you just using the headphones? Have you tried plugging a stereo into either the L/R outputs, or the individual line out output for the track? (edit: sorry, only just noticed you said earlier on it's not the headphones. ignore that bit.)

This is all pretty academic anyway, it sounds like there's a bunch of stuff wrong with it apart from the playback. The tape changing speed without you doing anything definitely isn't supposed to happen. I reckon you need a new one, really.

138

Non-Music Shit / Re: TASCAM 234 4-track cassette

« on: May 19, 2008, 06:10:26 AM »

There might be a button somewhere to switch the tape speed between 4.8 cm/sec (standard tape player speed) and 9.5 cm/sec (hi quality)?

The only thing I can think about it not playing for long is if there's some setting to make it stop at a certain point on the tape counter? If it's stopping at the same place every time that's probably it.

This is all just based on my completely different Yamaha 4-track so it might be no help at all. If I could read the small text on the buttons on the bottom right panel that might help.

139

Upcoming Shows/Tours/Events / 31st May in London- Masonics, Thee Vicars, Beast with a Gun

« on: May 19, 2008, 05:29:43 AM »

The Masonics need no intro, Thee Vicars play some superb punk rock with a pretty unhinged live show, and Beast with a Gun will be playing some fine Crypt-style rock'n'roll, if they're up to the challenge of not getting paraletic before the gig.

http://www.myspace.com/cornrocketclub

http://www.myspace.com/themasonics
http://www.myspace.com/theevicarsuk
http://www.myspace.com/beastwithagun

140

Music Shit / Re: No Age confirms rumors of homosexuality

« on: May 12, 2008, 03:13:15 AM »

Odd. In England I've only seen pigs in blankets as sausages with bacon wrapped around them. Tend to show up on buffets. Obviously not remarkable enough for anything to show up on google images, but tasty enough.

That first one up there actually looks like a meal, though. The second one just looks like a posh sausage roll.

141

Music Shit / Re: what other flamin' groovies do i need?

« on: April 27, 2008, 09:50:50 AM »

For the past few months while I was doing chef work, I used to play Flamingo at least twice every shift. Still not bored of it.

142

Music Shit / Re: what other flamin' groovies do i need?

« on: April 27, 2008, 05:27:22 AM »

The In Person!!! live CD on Norton's worth a listen just for the only recording of Roy Loney singing Slow Death. The other one's awesome obviously, but you can actually hear the lyrics on this one.

143

Non-Music Shit / Re: mark e. smith it

« on: April 21, 2008, 04:15:29 PM »

We've Mark E Smithed a couple of bands,

http://www.myspace.com/theestarhotelloungeclubband  and http://www.myspace.com/thekillsmithband

The best Star Hotel Lounge Club Band song was called Fallsom Prison. That's exactly what it sounds like it is. I'll have to get the recording out and back on Myspace.

144

Music Shit / Re: Best Live Albums

« on: April 08, 2008, 04:43:57 PM »

Real Kids - Grown Up Wrong and Jerry Lee at the Star Club jump to mind, as does Lyres - Early Years. The Real Kids and Lyres are probably both top 10 albums full stop for me actually.

145

Non-Music Shit / Re: Czech (and Polish) 60/70s arthouse cinema

« on: March 18, 2008, 04:47:04 AM »

Haven't seen anything, but the Poles sure do make the best posters: http://www.polishposter.com/

146

Music Shit / Re: Irish punk and rock

« on: March 17, 2008, 03:22:24 PM »

Went to a country pub in Norfolk tonight with an Irish quartet playing. Mostly traditional music and stuff like The Dubliners. Nothing I'd buy on record but it's really great drinking music, absolutely perfect for a buncha guys just sitting playing in the corner of a pub.

Aside from that St. Paddy's Day is mostly wankerfest over here too.

147

Non-Music Shit / Re: Going Manitowoc About Anyplace

« on: March 13, 2008, 04:40:44 AM »

Home of the world's worst (best?) waxworks: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=509100&in_page_id=1770

We get to play in the marketplace once a year. It's exciting.

148

Non-Music Shit / Re: Martial Arts Movie Recommendations?

« on: February 22, 2008, 03:29:26 PM »

Can't believe no-one's mentioned Sonny Chiba. The Street Fighter trilogy is brutal as fuck - I think the first one was the first movie to get an X rating for violence and not sex. Hardly any blood either.

149

Non-Music Shit / Re: guitars on planes

« on: February 22, 2008, 06:45:26 AM »

A bizarre thing is when the Knights of the New Crusade played London right after some big security alert (I forget which one) the guy somehow managed to bring his sword...

150

Non-Music Shit / Re: Name Brand Guitars

« on: February 21, 2008, 02:47:54 PM »

NAME BRAND cheapo 60's Vox guitar, converted to fretless for some reason by the guy I bought it off. Pretty useless overall - nearly impossible to play and the pickups are super quiet. I suppose I could get the neck re-fretted and the pickups re-wound, but that seems like a lot of work and money just to get a shitty-but-cool guitar.