With thanks to Danie Ware

Haven't a clue!

“I said to the band, ‘The good news is that we’ve got a hit, but the bad news is that you’re not on it!'”: The surprising story of the Blow Monkeys’ AIDS crisis-inspired Digging Your Scene, with new i... The lush Blow Monkeys classic helped propel the band to fame, but its darker subtext was missed by many

I really enjoyed talking to Dr. Robert from The Blow Monkeys and digging into Digging Your Scene for MusicRadar: www.musicradar.com/artists/i-sa...

That is not wicker.

You cannot beat a crisp butty. Might have to nip to the shop for some crisps now.

What I have drawn this week | Darren Riley Get more from Darren Riley on Patreon

(Almost) everything I drew this week. Free to look at on my Patreon site.

Actually Vivant isn't at all serious, it's preposterous, but it's got action and stuff so not just a cosy show.

Some warm-hearted Japanese TV shows I love (all on Netflix unless stated otherwise)

Sunshine Sento Sake (no longer available sadly)
Samurai Gourmet
Japan’s No.1 Jerk Salaryman
Soda Master

And a couple of dramas that are a little more serious but still have a warm heart:

Asura
Vivant

Have you seen Gourmet Samurai? That’s another Japanese TV series based on a food manga. It’s lovely. I’m a sucker for warm-hearted Japanese television.

Turn up your radio!
This Sunday at 6.30pm, a new series -“Van Club”- with @ralphmclean.bsky.social and me, available on BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Sounds.

An illustration of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. Both in sunglasses. Donald has crazy hair, over-sized glasses and black shirt. Walter has a brown check shirt.

Walter and Donald.

News, nuggets and longreads 18 April 2026: Tremor of Intent Every Saturday we round up the best writing about beer from the past week. This time, we’ve got beauty spots and liminal spaces.

GOOD MORNING! Here's our latest round up of news, nuggets and longreads, with notes on the Cumbrian beer scene, on a pub in a shopping centre beneath a flyover, and on how licensing laws were historically exploited to exclude women from brewing and pubs. 🍻🍺

boakandbailey.com/2026/04/news...

Andy Peebles meets Yoko Ono and John Lennon. With thanks to @simonloverules.bsky.social for sharing the original photo.

"15 stickers of Lionel Blair's entrance" - ahem

Delighted that one of my daft little videos has provided the inspiration for "15 stickers of Lionel Blair's entrance" - thank you Darren Riley @panchoballard.bsky.social for these, I will treasure them! 😄 adarrenrileypainting.com

A daft thing I wasted some time on.

My partner pointed out that it'll have a 'Kids Club' screening at the weekend.

I've already put my @panchoballard.bsky.social sticker to good use. #artormentalbreakdown

Haha! Amazing.

Y'all need to see the latest addition to my "podcast studio" (bedside table) #byker
Art by @panchoballard.bsky.social

Light rain, says our forecast. Buuuuuuulshit, says I.

You need to draw Cliff on every one of them.

A friend messaged our group chat yesterday.

"Guys, but especially Darren, guess which shopping centre I'm in."

I had a think then asked if he was in Milton Keynes.

"YES! Tell me why you know this."

"Well, it's where Cliff filmed the Wired For Sound video."

"I knew you wouldn't let me down."

COLIN GREGSON, bass player.

The linoprint section of my shop is looking nice at the moment. If I sometimes wonder what my artistic voice is, this page shouts at me loud and clear.

Well the sheet was done by an outside company, I can't do it myself. All the others are done with a Circuit machine.

Probably not something you'd want to read then.

We got caught out by this a couple of years ago. Had to rush to Liverpool to get a new passport at short notice. The ten years thing wasn't necessarily that clear was it.

‘This craving to go viral is tiresome’: the artists who’re sick of the pressure to promote on social media From Stewart Lee in his wolf costume to Werner Herzog’s big steak sizzle-up, artists are now under huge duress to ‘chase the algorithm’ and reach audiences. Many of them are hitting burnout – and hitt...

More and more I've been thinking that I could just stop selling my drawings and stuff and nothing would change. I'd still draw, probably still do my Patreon as long as people were there. This is one of the many reasons why I think these thoughts.

Who is Robert please?

A sticker of a white van on a yellow background with the word 'VAN' in red.

A sticker of a blue dog on a green background. The dog is wearing a suit and tie. The word 'DOG' is in the top left of the sticker.

I have a new collection of stickers in my shop, under the tag of 'heta-uma', which roughly translates from Japanese to 'bad but good' or 'unskilled good'. It's one of my favourite art styles.

adarrenrileypainting.com/search?q=het...

A comic-style drawing of singer, Paul Jones. Blue background, orange shirt and jacket, black and white face.

Paul Jones