I'm off to The Fall at Reading. Just getting a few drinks down to oil the wheels.
I'm a relative late comer to all things MES - obviously aware of them from the beginning - but it's only been the last three years or so since I'm become a follower.
After all ....
"What's the point of being a fan ? That's the job for a stupid man".

Another copy of "South Africa House" has surfaced on eBay. How, I wonder, has it made its way to Holland?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4849266205&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

As mentioned previously, the BBC asked me to get involved with a thing they were doing regarding the growth of radio phone-ins. I dug out all my old cassette tapes from the early 90's - when Gladys Protheroe and her partner in crime, Bernard hit the airwaves. I'm thinking of editing them , getting them digitalised, including some poems and releasing the finished product into the community.

I've suddenly become interested in Hylda Baker. I can just about remember her on TV - I think most of her work went over my head ( bit like Sting, Pink Floyd & Norman Wisdom). I will seek out her legacy.

You're Gay - Baby,I'm Camp.

In your bedroom, with very little headroom,
I soon discovered what makes you tick.
You had been in hospital,
With an easy-going barber who'd been given
A note explaining why he's sick.

(Keep repeating until fade).

Chelsea are out - of course, Barcelona a much better team . But then you get Mourinho on TV talking so much rubbish. That's why I go to watch Bridport FC these days. Football is infected with bullshit.

The Apprentice - BBC2. By the cringe. If this country is going to hell in a handcart - by the looks of it, things are going to get worse once this new generation of "businessmen" get their hands on the economic tiller. Like Clint Eastwood ( the man with no name ) I ride alone. Sometimes I do ask myself if this was the right decision - I only had to watch 10 minutes of these deluded ego-maniacs self imploding before I was patting myself on the back and shaking myself by the hand. And that aint easy.

So, most people get their stuff mixed and re-mastered by someone round the corner. Not this soldier - no. The new Disco Students release is being worked on in New Zealand. The CD is a retrospective with three brand new recordings - and I'm beginning to get a bit excited abut it. By the time all the works been done - I'm aiming for a May/June release.

I was interviewed today by a nice chap called Ian Bent from the BBC. They ( the BBC) are having some kind of big meeting - and one of the topics for discussion is the rise of the radio talk show genre. Me, the inventor of Gladys Protheroe - the first post punk cross dressing pensioner radio phone-in anarchist - was chosen to put over my two bobs worth. I have a library of cassette tapes from my days as a phone-in terrorist - and I proudly sent Mr Bent on his way with a few selections. One day I may edit the tapes down and perhaps release them into the community on CD.

Housewife Girl.

Come live with me, Housewife Girl.
Close the door - and like the poor,
Stay with me, Housewife Girl.
Let us sleep - and let us keep,
Our world away from the other world.
We'll buy bottled water, canned food.
Cry away our wilderness years,
With those salty, sea taste tears.
I have never made the best,
Of all my sprightly youthful zest,
But I am determined though unhappy,
I must remain, unhappy.

(I think I'm Falling In Love With My ) Probation Officer

I'm small, I buy children's clothes to save on V.A.T.
They're for me, for me, for me.
There's a four part documentary on the BBC,
About me, about me, about me.

They shout, "You Ponce", "You Nonce",
They send stuff about me to the local newspaper,
They chant, "Get Off", "Go Home",
They shout stuff down my telephone.

I sit in the library to keep warm,
I walk round department stores , to keep dry,
I wear a security tag, I did some crime,
But things have some how turned around for me.

I think I'm falling in love with my probation officer.
I live alone now.
I must plough my own furrow,
Yesterday, today and tomorrow.
She is a communist, she is an old school socialist.
I like that in a girl, I like that in a girl.

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.