I don't watch a lot of television - it's not that I'm attempting to make some snobby arty statement - I don't spend my evenings reading Sylvia Plath or reciting Philip Larkin - it's just I find most TV dreadful drivel. I did catch a few moments of the BBC retro-cop drama "Life On Mars" - where, for some reason or another, a policeman from today finds himself back in 1973. One thing did strike me though. Why on earth didn't he go straight down the bookies and have ten grand on Sunderland winning the F.A. Cup?

Let the people speak. There's now the facility to comment on the various happenings at DS Central.

The three Sues and I stayed up until 4am finishing the new songs for the Retrospective CD. There'll be 22 tracks in all - 18 vintage DS songs, 1 Haircuts and 3 new - bringing everything bang up to date. The tracks are now being mixed and mastered - we're looking at releasing it in March. We've had a couple of offers of live dates - the Wasted Festival in Blackpool in August is one. Now the recording is complete, we're looking at working on a live set.

(Oh No ) I'm Awful.

I am shallow , I should be wheeled around in a wheel barrow,
I'm not worth it, really, I'm not worth it.
I'm weak, I try to speak how everyone else speaks,
I can't spell, I smell, I should be in a cell.

I'm barred from all the good bars,
On the street, passers-by spit on my feet.
I'm on Crimewatch, I'm under neighbourhood watch,
On the train, fellow passengers complain.

I am vain, I am covered in suspicious stains,
I downloaded my qualifications from the internet,
I'm a sham, I admit, I never played drums for the Brotherhood Of Man,
I am out on bail with every chance of going to jail.

I've stolen the charity box,
Given two schoolgirls a nasty bout of pox,
Pissed through the priest's letterbox,
Kicked my girlfriend out and changed the locks.

I bounce cheques, patronise the opposite sex,
Tell teenage rock fans I played bass with T.Rex,
Oh No, I'm Awful.
Oh No, I'm Awful.

We've had a fine session of recording - one song that has emerged is "Mark, What's The Score?" - a 1970's style burst of retro disco with a guest vocalist - Mark from Salford. Tonight , as it's January 16th , the three Sues are taking me out for a bit of a do.

The Disco Students are currently in the middle of a frenzied recording session. Down here in Bridport - the air is full of post-punkness , a lot of jagged electronic thumps and beats. Sue Haphazard and Sue Murderforce have really got a great thing going in the rhythm department, whilst Sue Undeniable has been coming up with some highly decorative Tom Verlaine like bursts of NYC 1976 guitar. How do they do it?
We have been offered a live date in London for March - the 2006 DS are such a different kettle of fish from earlier versions, a live performance will need much planning - we are going to think about it this weekend. To give us all a break from recording,I took the three Sues to watch Weymouth v Eastleigh in the Conference South. 2-0 to The Terras (Weymouth) - the star of the show was the Eastleigh goalkeeper, Wayne Shaw. He weighs in around 20 stone - and used to play for Southampton & Reading. He received savage treatment from the home fans - took it with good grace, and then made a number of great saves. We, the Disco Students - salute him.

Official New Year Photograph : The Disco Students - 2006. Photo by Sue Muderforce assisted by Sue Undeniable & Sue Haphazard ( taken outside The Bull Hotel, Bridport - Wednesday 11th January 2006).

"Oh No, You're Pregnant." Now the three Sues are back with me, we've been carrying on with the new recordings. We've given O.N.Y.P. a great going over - the song is a post-punk electronic thrash. All most entertaining. The tracklisting for the new release is slowly falling into place - looks like there'll be six tracks - not decided which the main track will be yet. Before that, the retrospective CD will be out - the cover is currently being put together this week.

Some more good news. I got a telephone call at 3 am from one of the three Sues ( Sue Undeniable). She told me a lot of things, but basically she informed me that the three Sues want to come back and help with the new recordings. I said OK.
They were up in the Midlands somewhere ( possibly Birmingham ) - so they're getting a National Coach down to Bridport today. I'm going to pick them up from the bus station. This is great news for the Disco Students.

By the end of the week there will be a MySpace site carrying the latest recordings - you can find it at :http://www.myspace.com/discostudents2006.

Last week, down in Bridport - I went to a Thai restuarant - and in keeping with my usual practice - drank as much booze as I could lay my hands on. I do love drinking.
But, the next morning, I felt dreadful. Then, I decided to give it up. Booze that is. And I have. For a week. Amazing. I reckon that is the longest I have gone without a drink for about 25 years. How long this will continue - who knows? But it is nice to be able to stop completely without seeing big spiders climb up the walls or sweating and shaking like a bastard. I have suddenly become all self righteous - questioning people ( occasionally complete strangers ) on why they have to drink alcohol to enjoy themselves. It's great up here on the moral high ground.

Just finished a session recording "King Of The Manchester Baggy Scene". Quite a bit to do yet, but it really is excellent. The first time , I believe, The Disco Students have had a load of Volga Boatmen contributing backing vocals. The final touches are being made to the retrospective record - I am going to include at least two new songs ( one definitely being K.O.T.M.B.S.) - so the final CD could well be 22 or even 23 tracks.

Review just in from Belgian music ezine Dogmatik. Seem to know what they're on about.
http://www.dogmatik.be/

Upon receipt of this CD I definitely expected some typical kitschy disco-like beat project that at best might have tried to give 70's extravaganza an additional touch of modernity and contemporary originality to actualize it once more. I was immediately awaken after listening to the first notes of the opening track. Maybe these guys at one point did study disco, but they definitely were raised on another sound ! What I heard reminded me of bands like "Pink Turns Blue", "The Beloved" and "The Shamen". These guys have listened to alternative music from the early 90's. A good opening track "My Black Girlfriend" and I am on the tip of my chair. On to "Mark e. Smith's Dead (version)". A different story as I get a load of guitars this time riffing and howling their guts out in lo-fi. For this track I found myself back in the tradition of "The Wire", "The Buzzcocks", a raw version of "The Cure" or "The Slits". Great traditional raw powerful punk-inspired rock without complexities and or trickery. The third track "My Secretary" takes us back to "Pink Turns Blue", "Plan B", "The Romeos" (remixed by Coldcut) and is a fat, raw, electronic piece of Indie-extravaganza. Next up is "The Most Handsome Man on T.V. (version)" which is simply a return to track 2 in style. More guitar powered punk-rock with a clear reference to "Joy Division". It could have passed for a early demo of "The Smiths" just before they smoothened out their sound, or as it was captured on the Peel Session's version of "What Difference Does it Make ?". The following is a modern electro tune with a rave melody and singing in the tradition of Manchester. Electro-wave in a modern jacket with a brit-pop flavour. "Nice Little Bust" is a piece of weird alternative "Flying Pickets" close harmony singing... To top off this EP there is "My Lesbian Sister" which is inspired again by "Pink Turns Blue" or "The Beloved". This one gets closer to EBM then the previous tracks.

Overall I would definitely go and check out these guys live if I had an opportunity. They are fantastic. They bring back some old traditions and sounds but they have managed to mix it all into a distinct sound which is their own. An achievement and the ingredients which made bands such as "Franz Ferdinand" or "The Kaiser Chiefs" stand out from the pack. Their tracks still need some work, their production is not entirely fine-tuned (but then again I think that the raw, sometimes distorted sound is a surplus to their sound). I will keep following this band and I strongly recommend lovers of all bands name in the review to do the same. It is not everyday punk, nor is it plain rock... It is all about a band doing their distinct own thing, with a specific individual sound full of references however to the alternative scenes of the past 20 years.



Reviewed by The Avenger

No sign of the three Sues for a few days now.I went up to the hill this morning ( the hill where they park their car to spy on me ) - their car had gone, but there were a load of cigarette ends and footprints . They'd been there.

It Isn't Easy (Being Shit).

It isn't easy being shit, and I've had 25 years of it,
It aint easy being crap,
I've been booed off stage and shouted down,
Told to pack up my gear and immediately leave town.

I've been heckled and harrassed by drunken louts,
I go unrecognised by ticket touts,
I've got a pile of reviews two foot deep,
The best one calls me a "talentless dick"
It isn't easy being shit.

Booking agents are never at home,
A&R men don't answer the phone,
I've seen soundmen vomit at my soundcheck,
And recording engineers turned to nervous wrecks
It isn't easy being shit.

I am completely deluded and unaware,
No one likes me, I don't care.
My CDs are recycled and melted down,
And used for buttons on dressing gowns.