NOVEMBER

So we supported Jeffrey Lewis on November 3rd,

(!!!!!!!!)

an honour for which I lobbied promoter Jonny Ackroyd after having back in March received an email of praise for my album (i.e. The Wayward Buskers) out of the blue from the great man himself (Jeff, not Jonny). I had supported him solo (both of us playing solo) in 2006, a much more low ( Read more... )

OCTOBER

Gareth Cutter premiered his new performance piece about loneliness “Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto”, a mishmash of different elements, but all with his fresh-faced wit. It was part of “Emergency Accommodation”, a two day performance fest in Manchester with lots of interesting stuff ranging from comedy, interactive theatre and some self- ( Read more... )

SEPTEMBER
Email interview I did with Nicola Chapman around this time. Full disclosure: I hinted beforehand what I did and didn't wish to be asked about, though I do generally support journalistic freedom.

http://theculturevulture.co.uk/blog/radar/local-music-heroes-the-seven-inches/

I took rather a lot of short holidays this year, exceeding my 20 days ( Read more... )

JUNE

My brother and his girlfriend came to stay for a Korfball tournament. thus see my first ever korfball games. They later come and see me DJ at Don't Falter. Spotify playlist of my DJ set this time: http://open.spotify.com/user/marksturdy ... qaWbLHl4El


( Read more... )

APRIL

Ah Spring, a fine time to ignore reality, hide the to-do list, and generally act like everything's OK.
As the world rumbled and crumbled, and in my own life and that of my friends not all was well, still I remember a pretty glorious Spring and early summer. A bluebell-bedecked time of solace.


( Read more... )

2011 was a salutary lesson in that initial optimism, positivity and good intentions are not enough to fulfil your objectives. You also need discipline, concentration, perseverance, assertiveness and determination. looking back at all that happened in my life,
however, it wasn't so bad after all. Good stuff happened. I'm still here.

(In an earlier age ( Read more... )

 The What I Wanted To Dos recorded their 32nd album on the last Saturday of January 2011. Like the 31 previous ones, it was written and recorded in a single day with no overdubs. This was only my fourth time taking part  I believe, but incomparably more of my fingerprints are on this album than the other ones. This was by necessity- It was just me ( Read more... )

 "Then he saw also that it matters little what profession, whether of religion or irreligion, a man may make, provided only he follows it out with charitable inconsistency, and without insisting on it to the bitter end. It is in the uncompromisingness with which dogma is held, and not in the dogma or want of dogma that the danger lies ( Read more... )

Now follows a rather matter-of-fact entry to ease me gently back into posting here

“Don't Falter” at Baby Jupiter, Baby Jupiter, 8/1/2011

The Seven Inches set (from memory):

The Seven Inches get disorientated
Cravats and spats and feather boas
O. and H.
Stop pestering me
Second coolest person in town (now audible on Read more... )

Here's my own "Influence Map", but comprising only things that have influenced my comics drawing, and only things that had had influenced me by the time I was 18 or so; for my style has been pretty consistent since then (or has it)?
So here we are: Ian Cockburn's Formative Years Cartooning Influences Map!

( Read more... )