Archives
By date : 2005
Happy New Year?
Rant // Vanessa // 4th January 2005
Oooh, Vanessa isn’t happy with any of this new year’s resolution business at all. Why could that be? Is she trying to ditch that costly crack habit again?
Day out at Imperial War Museum Duxford
Art // James // 16th January 2005
Our man on the inside visits the Imperial War Museum Duxford, and meets the Darth Vader of airplanes, the very fast SR71 Blackbird
The Best Cover Versions In The World Ever!
Music // Jim // 29th January 2005
The campaign for decent cover versions starts here. We don’t want Blue doing Elton John songs, we want Aphex Twin covering The Never Ending Story by Limahl
Notification! Untold Times, DJs in Leamington Spa this Friday 25th February
Gigs // Jim // 21st February 2005
Are you out on Friday? Are you in the Leamington area? Do you want to hear a load of classic yet eclectic house music? This might be right up your alley…
Time for a new philosophy
Weird // Jim // 30th March 2005
Is reality just a facade created by our own perception? Is God dead? Is the dialectic method inherently flawed? Who cares? There are far more pressing questions that we need our intellectual types to sort out first.
Coventry Old, Coventry New
Art // Steve // 21st April 2005
Eek - if I get back from Berlin in time, I’ll be off to this exhibition showcasing new talent and the buildings of Coventry..
Nick Rants About... The War
Rant // Nick // 1st May 2005
According to film posters the first casualty of war is “innocence”. Must be short for “thousands of innocent civillians”, or something. Anyway, Nick gets it all off his chest
Nick Rants About... The Election
Rant // Nick // 8th May 2005
Well, another exciting election is over, another Tory leader has resigned and Blair is still in there. How dull. Nick manfully sat through the lot while everyone else was asleep and offers his thoughts.
Eurovision 2005
Music // Adam // 19th May 2005
Our hairy man of action Adam puts himself through the musical splendour of Europe’s favourite song contest, and gives the official paper-jam opinion, just for you.
Letter from... the bottom rung of the property ladder
Rant // Vanessa // 1st June 2005
Vanessa is getting all stressed out about buying some overpriced hovel in Essex, feel her pain as she is messed about by those nasty mortgage people and starts to break out in spots again.
Nick Makes Poverty History
Rant // Nick // 12th July 2005
…well not on his own like Geldof or something. Our resident champagne socialist flies up to Scotland to apply his own brand of G&T fuelled pressure on those crazy G8 guys,
10 lessons from the CAMRA Beer Festival 2005
Drink // Jim // 23rd August 2005
Selflessly we made another trip down to the smoke to try more intoxicating beer with family and friends. Here are the ten main things I learnt from this latest excursion.
Notification: MPE Band @ Moo Bar, Sunday Night (2nd October)
Gigs // Jim // 1st October 2005
Sorry, I’ve been too busy to put this up sooner. Get that spiky haircut sorted, squeeze into those distressed jeans and stroll up to the Moo Bar for a pleasant musical interlude tomorrow evening to calm you down before another week at work.
Pride and Prejudice: I Was Right!
Film // Vanessa // 10th October 2005
Oh dear, it looks like she’s got back from the cinema, had a crack at the sherry and is going to tell Knightley et al exactly what she thinks of them. Tin helmets on chaps.
Letter from... Neighbours from hell
Rant // Vanessa // 23rd October 2005
Vanessa and her other half get off to a cracking start in their new community with a triple whammy of noise pollution, fish murder and verbal abuse. Imagine what manner of crazy antics will follow when they actually move in.
Most hateful sports and sportspeople
Sport // Jim // 8th November 2005
Pointless ranting article about which is the most annoying bunch of unpleasant sports-wankers going. Of course all of those saintly, hard-working Coventry City players are exempt from any of the abuse within
Team America: World Police
Film // Jim // 23rd January 2005
I’ve been looking forward to this for some time. Foul-mouthed puppet action of the highest order, or Captain Scarlett with loads of dick jokes?
The Dears @ Birmingham Carling Academy 9th Feb 2005
Gigs // Jim // 12th February 2005
They came from Canada, they were all sick, the gig was nearly called off. But The Dears battled on to provide an alternative to tha dire England v Holland game…
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou
Film // Jim // 24th February 2005
Selflessly I travelled to the only cinema where they are currently showing the new Wes Anderson film. It left me in a surprisingly good mood for most of the rest of the day. Let me explain why.
Oldboy on DVD
Film // Jim // 13th March 2005
Armed with only an annoying mobile phone and a hammer, can a man find out why he has been held captive for fifteen years? Only after popping out for something to eat, it would seem.
Doves at the Birmingham Academy
Gigs // Jim // 14th April 2005
Back to the academy again for the indie titans who are not nearly as miserable as I was expecting. Have you noticed how mobile phones have become the new lighters? Also congratulations to the Ramons.
Best Cinematic Satan? (and Constantine)
Film // Jim // 24th April 2005
Quite an average action/horror film involving Keanu Reeve’s ongoing messianic complex leads into some thoughts about who has been the best on-screen Devil. Liz Hurley? Erm possibly not…
The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy
Film // Jim // 5th May 2005
A real pain on “Give Us A Clue”, it has been on the radio, a book, a TV series and now a film. Is Douglas Adams spinning in his unfairly premature grave? Lets find out…
Irreversible On DVD
Film // Jim // 11th May 2005
Controversy laden french art flick that I have been avoiding for ages, like that scary girl from Tescos who used to follow me around. Is it really as nasty as you may have heard? The answer is yes.
Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge Of The Sith
Film // Jim // 22nd May 2005
Spoiler Warning: Watching this film may spoil your enjoyment of the rest of Star Wars. Crossroads in space. With coughing robots. Thats the way I see it. Looks nice though…
Sideways on DVD
Film // Nick // 29th May 2005
Nick pops on the slippers and gets in touch with his feminine side in order to enjoy this character study about two very different friends and their wine based misadventures.
The Phantom Of The Opera on DVD
Film // Vanessa // 9th June 2005
Oh dear. Vanessa gets all emotional (and I do mean emotional) over the Joel Schumacher hollywood version of the famous musical. I doubt there was any chocolate left in the house at all after the hormonal rush that appears to have ensued.
Will you like Sin City?
Film // Jim // 22nd June 2005
I thought it was great, but will you? Slightly iffy (but completely tasteful) picture on the following page, all of you reading this in the office have been warned. Do some work you lazy bastards.
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Literature // Nick // 30th June 2005
Is it a single novel or a bunch of short stories? Did someone in Runcorn really use a copy as toilet paper? Is it any good? Nick delves further…
Bang Bang Rock & Roll by Art Brut
Music // Jim // 30th July 2005
Yes alright, I know it came out ages ago. I’ve been busy for fucks sake. Its very good and certainly less dull than the majority of what is passing for new music at the moment, they should certainly have been on Live 8 that would have got things going.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Film // Jim // 15th August 2005
Did you know that it was the scary bloke out of Live and Let Die that does the voice-over? No? Well you do know. Quickly; Tell every single person that you know.
Cropredy Festival - Revenge of the Hippy
Gigs // Nick // 21st August 2005
Nick cuts loose of the squares and heads enjoy the laid back vibes of the nearest available free-range, organic, folk festival. Have your beard, banjo and jazz cigarettes at the ready on arrival…
Rumble by The Psychotic Reaction
Music // Jim // 26th August 2005
A band with songs called things like ?The Medway Crab Fishermen? who describe themselves using words like obscure and strange. Should you run for the hills or slap it on the stereo?
Love Kraft by Super Furry Animals
Music // Jim // 5th September 2005
Oh it’s good, really very good indeed. But what is the best time and place to listen to the new SFA long player? I’ve tried a few different options out for you to get things started. Aren’t I nice?
Primer
Film // Jim // 11th September 2005
Oooh, it’s complicated. Some part time inventors make an interesting machine in their garage that seems to make some very strange things happen. Then it all kicks off and you are not quite sure who anyone really is or, in fact what is going on. Marvellous
Super Furry Animals at Birmingham Acadamy 20/09/2005
Gigs // Jim // 24th September 2005
Following on from the cracking album reviewed below, we popped over to check out the live stylings of the SFA at the venue that keeps the UK not quite a pint plastic cup industry in business.
Could Revolver be the greatest film ever?
Film // Jim // 3rd October 2005
Don’t believe the hype. This is probably the FINEST FILM EVER MADE, I can’t comprehend that it only took just 18 months to write. What a truly majestic achievement, lets all join the Kabbalah right now!
Broadcast, Nottingham Social, 30/09/2005
Music // Steve // 8th October 2005
Broadcast return, bringing with them a rather wonderful fuzzy electronic album full of tricky-pop tunes to Nottingham’s tiny (and sweaty) Social.
Art Brut @ Birmingham Bar Academy
Gigs // Jim // 14th November 2005
This was ages ago, but what with one thing and another mumble, mumble, excuses, excuses. I must get better at spotting musical celebs in bar situations though, thats what I learnt