Sunny Stockwell Skies

I was a little late in the day coming to this one once again. Technically it wasn’t a Sunny Stockwell sunset.

Don’t be fooled by the nice little fluffy cloud that is illuminated. About ten minutes later, this turned into a right old BEASTY and dumped the MUTHA of rainfall down on a not so Sunny Stockwell.

I paced around the flat, checking the ceiling for leaks, and looking at the guttering to make sure it was holding firm.

Sometimes it’s best just to say FUCK IT, and get on with your life.

Chasing Light, Catching Change

Another day, another random walk around these Transpontine streets.

The route was roughly from Sunny Stockwell and over to the Oval Art Trail: Gasworks, Beaconsfield (closed) and then the Grand Daddy, the mighty Newport Street.

Never one to let an opportunity to snap away, have camera, will snap, etc.

The South London light was fading. My camera struggled to pick out some of the autumnal colours amongst the concrete.

With major regeneration taking place around The Oval with the old gasometer, now is a useful time to capture the changes.

I’m pleased that I managed to capture the old Cricketer’s boozer before it was bulldozed this time last year.

Snappety snap.

Album of the Day: Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive

Christ, this was bloody awful. The oh so enthusiastic handclaps ten seconds in should have served as a warning sign. This isn’t really a live album, is it?

I could have tolerated the post-production feel if the songs stood up. But they were shit. I bailed on track five - quite an achievement.

Tango Dub for the End Times

Blimey - Adrian Sherwood has been busy once again with another new release: The Collapse of Everything.

He’s one of those artists that I never know where to really start. The back catalogue is so vast and diverse. Sometimes it’s just best to dive in at random.

The Collapse of Everything is a little more structured. Tango Dub would be a clumsy, yet accurate, description.

Yer man certainly knows how to build up and sequence a track. It reminded me very much of the ACE Ozrics in places.

It sounds like a full on orchestra has been hired at Abbey Road as part of the production. Betcha it was more like a home bedroom DIY effort.

I’d love to see a film that has The Collapse of Everything as the soundtrack.

Maybe just turn on the news and mute the telly?

Sunny Stockwell Skies

Not all Sunny Stockwell Skies snaps capture the sunset - especially so when the silly sun decides to set ridiculously early and you are out being a Boy About Town.

I caught this one early evening, I published it the following morning.

I’ve always had an issue with timekeeping, Comrades.

When Regeneration Pauses, Youth Speak

I love turning a corner around my S Ldn patch, and then OH MY DAYS, another new mural has appeared.

Create without permission, as we use to say back in the day.

But I suspect that Spanish artist Sebas Velasco did seek permission before he painted his beautiful new piece of work on the side of Broadstone House along Cobbett Street, SW8.

It’s titled ‘Yves’ - a local young fella from Brixton, standing on the Brixton mainline platform.

The art may - or may not - be long for this world. It’s right at the heart of the failed South Lambeth Estate ‘regeneration.’

If Lambeth can be arsed to get its act together after more than a decade of stalling, then we may soon have another soulless, uniform development springing up soon.

Then again.

When regeneration stalls, the streets speak.

Or something.

Winter Nets, South London Style

I passed some half term kids playing cricket on the North side of Clap’ham Common during the morning run. Nothing too odd about this - except that we’re approaching Halloween.

There was around half a dozen of the ankle biters, probably around Year 5 or Year 6 primary school age.

They were taking it incredibly seriously as well, fully padded up and even a protective helmet on show.

GOOD EFFORT.

It was a refreshing change from seeing the S Ldn yoof playing football - or throwing fireworks at one another during this time of year.

What was all the more remarkable was that they were playing on the Common grass, or what’s left of it, late autumn. It must have been one hell of a sticky wicket.

Later in the day I found myself walking around the Harleyford Road and past The Oval. The Hobbs Gate was padlocked up.

It was a most sorry sight, reminding me that we are deep into the Winter Well non-cricket season.

Hang on. There’s an England ODI series that no one really gives a shit about taking place on the other side of the world right now, yeah?

I took my enthusiasm from the Clap’ham Common kids, tbh.

Jangle Season

Another changing of the seasons, another selection of new music from Cleaners from Venus.

Hurrah!

Mr Mule has dropped on Bandcamp the Neverland for Now EP - four tracks, all with a a DIY ethos as you would expect.

Start your own revolution and cut out the middle man, etc.

Mule has been particularly prolific in recent years. Did someone say LEGACY? As long as he’s coming up with the goods, I don’t really mind.

The lead track from the EP is a dreamy affair, complete with Mule’s signature backwards vocals bolted on at the end. The unmistakable jingle jangle chords carry the song.

There’s a breezy summer feel - unlike the Lilli Bolero summer album, that sounded more like autumn.

Mule World is always a little mixed up.

Elsewhere across the release and there are local references ahoy. Track 4 is even called Return to Wivenhoe, a subject we all find hard to address.

“When the tide is high, and the mist is low, I will return to Wivenhoe.”

Expect a Christmas drop soon.