Cockles & Mussels

Never mind that she's up for an Oscar tonight, our very own Dame Judi was yesterday mistaken for Big Deb's MUM by a friend calling round.!

Needless to say, it didn't go down too well and the poor bloke was met with the habitual tirade of foul language that we have come to expect from this particular OAP.

I recently discovered something very disturbing about the new owners of my beloved football team, Liverpool, and, in the words of the late, great Natalie Imbruglia (OK, so she's not dead, but when did you last see or hear from her?), I'm torn.
According to a recent article in the Guardian, Tom Hicks, one half of the American team that has just paid £450 million for the Reds, was the single largest contributor to the George W. Bush re-election campaign.
Anyone who knows me will know how much I love the game and how my mood can easily be changed by a good or bad result. Now, a football team is for life and not just for Christmas (unlike American football teams, thanks Sam), so imagine the position I find myself in where my team, one of the oldest and most respected teams in the country, has just been sold to the highest bidder - a staunch supporter of the man I hate most in the whole wide world! I thought no-one could be worse than Abramovich, a Russian mafioso, who profited big time from the collapse of the Soviet Union, but I was wrong. Even the sale of Manchester United to the Glazers was acceptable in comparison.
What do you do? My immediate instinct would be to boycott my team, but how does one do such a thing? It is unimaginable, something with which I think even those who don't give a shit for football will agree. I know it's only a game, Ron, but what is the game coming to?

Following the glowing gig review the other day, Sam's album got a ripping write-up in the Bristol Evening Post.
'After the Fleece gig, Braithwaite's debut album has been greatly anticipated. And it certainly lives up to all expectations. Hi so-distinctive voice draws comparison with Van Morrison, especially when he dramatically switches mood from quiet and relaxed to a roar of passion, and he has a delivery similar to that of early John Martyn.
It's a pretty intense listen, but a richly rewarding one, for his well-crafted songs are highly-melodic and often extremely beautiful. He is backed by some of Bristol's notable musicians and the production is as crisp as you'd expect from Robot Club. Sitting On Top Of The World is one of those songs you find yourself singing for hours afterwards.
If anything, there are times when he wears his influences a bit too obviously, but when it comes to lyrical, well-observed writing, you can't blame anyone for nodding towards Springsteen and Dylan.
If Sweetness In Her Tears ever gets on to a Radio 2 playlist, Braithwaite will be a major star.'

After Sam's absolutely amazing gig on Wednesday 24th January, this is the review he received in the Bristol Evening Post!
"Half of Bristol's finest musicians seem to have been in the audience at this Evening Post Showcase night to see the locally based singer-songwriter. The other half were in his band.
Braithwaite, launching his new album 'Two Fingers', actually took to the stage as we are most used to seeing him, solo with just an acoustic guitar, his songs and that voice.
And what a voice it is. He sings challenging songs in a distinctive, bluesy, jazzy style that's loaded with so much honest emotion that you can't help but compare him to Van Morrison at his prime.
However, it was when the five piece band, specially put together for the record, came on that he showed the real power of his voice and his songs.
But then he couldn't help but rise to the occasion when he had such a bunch of exceptional multi-instrumentalists, on loan from other bands.
The slow swampy 'Bright City Lights', which ended with Sam Braithwaite in full roaring, soaring mode, was exhilarating.
Braithwaite is one of Bristol's best kept secrets and it really is about time that situation was radically changed."
Keith Clark - Bristol Evening Post 25th January 2007
Well Done Zammo! You rock!