Dear all,

 

Well I am off to India tomorrow. Good heavens! The plan is for a fair amount of blogging to go on while I’m out there so hopefully you should hear plenty of me anyway! I’m very excited by the trip though singularly cheesed off that I’ve managed to get a rotten cold the day before leaving but hopefully a bit of night nurse and a good sleep will make it more bearable!

 

Anyway I’ve a few things I’d very much like to write about. Firstly Gove and Huhne…hahahahahahaha! The former’s ludicrous plan to eliminate all ‘improper’ subjects from the school system to fit in with his idea of a perfect school has thankfully been abandoned after not even his own party members would agree with it. To read the words ‘humiliating u-turn’ was so pleasurable today. The man is a curse on the civilised world and a dangerous man to be in charge of education and I hope this is the start of his demise. Brutal as that sounds, it’s true.

 

As for Huhne, well honestly what a prat. I mean to be honest if all that ever happened was he asked (note that word asked) his wife to take points for him and she agreed, I honestly wouldn’t particularly care. Many married couples I know would do that, and politicians have done far far far worse things and for me it wouldn’t be a sackable offence in itself. But of course, it’s not as simple as that. He cheated on his wife of 26 years for one thing with no intention of revealing so until his hand was forced. That’s pretty bad. It turns out he was probably rather aggressive in getting his wife to take the points on his behalf. That’s arguably worse. Then there’s the fact he denied it continuously in the hope that it would go away and he’d never have to face up to it. That’s really bad and just shows an attitude typical of politicians – no-one can get me. So Chris, enjoy prison. Hahahaha!

 

Anyway, much more importantly I want to salute Liverpool hero Jamie Carragher who has announced he is retiring at the end of the season. My favourite player of all has been an absolute stalwart since his debut back in 1997, not long after I first got into football. After some jittery early years Carra developed into one of the finest centre backs in the land and was the most hard working, decent, honest footballer I have come across. Not for him the trendy earrings, flash cars, affairs, excesses and contract disputes. He was simply a one-club man who played his heart out for the cause and is a shining example of what someone of not plenteous natural ability can achieve with graft. Never was this more evident than that famous night in Istanbul when Liverpool won the European Cup and Carra was wracked with cramp in both legs yet still flew into goalline clearances to keep out Milan. Jamie Carragher is a Liverpool legend and we will always miss him. Thanks Carra.

Dear all,

 

Just a note to say I have written another article for LeftCentral website to follow on from my previous one about posh boy’s politics. This one is about religion in the age of secularism. Do please read it if you feel inclined…

 

http://leftcentral.org.uk/2013/02/02/religion-in-the-age-of-secularism/

 

Many thanks,

Danjo

Dear all,

 

Well January has been its usual relatively gig-free self but a chance to catch up on many things, write one or two bits and organise, you know, my life. I was due to visit Newcastle the weekend just gone and play the legendary Angel in Wooler and Magnesia Bank in North Shields with my old chum Simma but the weather intervened so it has been even more gig-free than expected. Isn’t snow a ruddy pain in the posteria when it isn’t Christmas? It’s magical then don’t get me wrong but when you actually need to get anywhere it’s not fun, it’s tedious! However, I have not been entirely ‘office’ bound (i.e. my room…) for I have Continue reading “The wonder of parents” →

Dear all,

 

Well it’s 2013. The year kicked off with a cracking gig at the Lamb and Flag in Little Haywood which I enjoyed very much indeed. Thanks to all those who attended and made it so. A quiet January is followed by a mental few months so not too much to tell you about just this second but lots to come shortly! I have had my jabs for India which was fairly unpleasant and made my arms feel rather dead and weird but that is perfectly normal I believe…presently in Bromley visiting my beloved whilst trying to organise my life.

 

I feel rather worn out from listening to the many fiery views on the welfare issues. The sheer botchery in certain quarters is mind boggling principally the ludicrous decision to base the threshold for child benefit on what a single earner might be earning rather than the household income. In other words one bread winner might be over the threshold in one house and that house would not get child benefit whereas a house with two earners whose combined total easily eclipses the threshold may still. Bizarre in the extreme, but what can one expect? However, I do feel a sense of realism is required in regard to pensioners. The universal benefits for pensioners is, in my opinion, rather silly. There are a lot of pensioners who need heating money, bus passes etc and that is absolutely fine but I’m afraid there are also an awful lot of pensioners who do not. There are pensioners with a lot of money already who really don’t need those handouts and means testing to me seems profoundly obvious. However, given pensioners account for a rather large percentage of voters these days the change seems unlikely….

 

Anyway, I have a bit of coldy fluey horrible nonsense right now and I do not like it. I have discovered also that first defence is just about the most pointless substance known to man. Have you come across it? Allegedly, you spray this stuff up your nose as soon as you feel the remotest symptom of a cold and you don’t develop a full cold. However, the reality is that this stuff which costs between £7 and £8 is actually about as useful as an itchy veruca. It did not help one iota and I did precisely what it said on the label. This is not the first time I have found it utterly useless but it is the last time I shall use it. I shall stick with good old lemsip which of course does nothing at all other than steam out vast amounts of snot for about fifteen seconds making you feel a little clearer before returning to feeling lousy but at least I know that’s all it does. It does not pretend to be anything else!

Dear all,

 

So then it’s review of the year time which I’m doing at a stupid time in the morning so forgive me if this is not my most coherent ramble (not that the competition is stiff). Just a last bit of updating though – the annual pre-Christmas gig at Joxers was a blast as ever and a great way to end the year so many thanks to all those who came, especially my girlfriend with whom I have been with for one whole year! Good lord…

 

So then how was 2012? Well for the most part…bloody awful to tell you the truth. A lot of stuff I can’t go into here but it has been a very challenging year indeed and I won’t be sorry to see the back of it. However, lots of good times were had and of course the aforementioned lady has changed my whole life for the better so that makes the

Continue reading “How was 2012?” →

Dear all,

 

Apologies for the delay in bloggage. There has been a very good reason but I won’t go into it other than to thank those who’ve been there. But anyway I’m here and have some exciting news to report. I am going to India! You know how well I get on with travelling here…oh my god…anyway I am excited. It’s a nine day project in February collaborating with fabulous musicians from over here and of course over there. So I’ll be in Kolkata before returning to begin a long tour so I may not survive, but let’s hope. It does unfortunately mean that the Railway in Norton Bridge and Live Theatre Continue reading “India!…and PA muppetry…” →

Dear all,

 

It’s been one heck of a week since my last outing! I’m writing this blog at a really stupid time having been out at a lovely wee session at one of the first pubs I ever played at which is the Roebuck in Hilderstone. It was once a real favourite of mine with lovely landlord and landlady but was then taken over by a pair of planks who didn’t feel the need to tell me they were leaving before my gig…planks.

 

Anyway that’s irrelevant, yes it’s been a busy week. First up was a couple of appearances with the mighty Levellers at Nottingham Rock City and Leeds o2 Academy. It was a Continue reading “I need a title…” →

Dear all,

Sat up in bed with a rotten case of sneezing, bunged up-ness which is just perfect ahead of lots of work…an exciting week ahead anyway:

Wednesday and Thursday – I’m playing a song with none other than the famous Levellers at Nottingham Rock City and Leeds o2 Academy.

Friday – Quite possibly my favourite folk club gig, the wonderful Kirkby Fleetham Folk Club have their 5th birthday bash with a stunning weekend line up. I’ll be doing a solo set and hanging around so do come to this one.

Saturday – Walsh and Pound sign off Continue reading “Amusing food and drink items” →

Dear all,

 

As a firm believer in the fact that Dad’s Army is the greatest programme in the history of the world, I feel it only right to praise the wonderful Clive Dunn (Corporal Jones) who died this week. I never have been able to pick a stand out character from the show because they were all so oustanding, the main reason it was so good of course, but Jones was certainly responsible for some of my favourite moments.

 

Like many, I loved his Continue reading “RIP Clive Dunn” →

Dear all,

 

A ludicrous ‘it could only happen to Dan’ story coming up but first let me bring you up to speed. I am almightily knackered after a drive-tastic weekend with little sleep but some great gigs made it all worthwhile. Best of all was Friday’s gig in Reeth with the mighty Alistair Anderson. The man is a phenomenon, an amazing presence and such a great night. Apologies for my rather downbeat last blog, but this sure as hell put a smile on my face! Lots more to come with Mr Anderson next year I hope.

 

Next up was Manchester and the parking ticket story (see later). Anyway, it was an unusual gig as it was a restaurant performance at Jack Spratt’s but it was really nice. It was great

Continue reading “The parking ticket story…” →