I started with email lists, moved on to newsgroups, then forums and most recently this place. I have also managed to make real life connections through most of them too.

I've never really understood Instagram. I'm only really on there because it is the only social media that a particular friend of mine uses.

Mind you, I'm seeing some interesting gig opportunities on there.

Trump can be voted out but the climate is more powerful.

We are seeing that many people just ignore serious issues until it is too late. They assume that someone will take care of it.

We saw that before Trump's election in America and I see the same thing with friends who live on low lying land near the sea.

This thread seems to confirm the recent decline that I've noticed - particularly in personal posts on Facebook. Nowadays social media seems to be about publicity rather than genuine connections.

Is this the end of the road for hydrogen powered vehicles? It seems like another dead-end technology promoted by the fossil fuel industry who are refusing to accept that their days are numbered.

He's been making quite a few Dr Who related public appearances lately and did an event with Valerie Singleton at the Concorde Club in Southampton last week.

Reaper's trial never runs out but eventually almost everyone buys a copy. And if anyone finds a real bug and reports it, that bug usually gets fixed within hours.

I'm a bit out of touch these days. I can still remember when PVC stood for the Portsmouth Venue Campaign, Chris Abbott ran Basins and, a bit later, Cliff and Martin took over the Wedge and turned it into a proper venue.

Element | Secure collaboration and messaging Element is a Matrix-based end-to-end encrypted messenger and secure collaboration app. It’s decentralised for digital sovereign self-hosting, or through a hosting service such as Element Matrix Servic...

Here's a link to Element element.io/en

My lad and his friends use Element - which is also one that is being used by European government organisations. He has also used Jami.

Scary to think that we could be talking about 100 million people who approve of him.

I'd say you need to find the right promoters rather than look for venues. For Portsmouth there's @bradsked.bsky.social or maybe Tanya for the Edge of the Wedge .

I found a Boots carrier bag from the days when they used to sell records back in the 1970s. It claimed to be biodegradable but still seemed fairly intact 50 years later.

As a 6 year old staying in hospital on my own, I found everything very daunting. So when a nurse asked me if I wanted to "spend a penny" I thought she wanted money.

As a 6 year old staying in hospital on my own, I found everything very daunting. So when a nurse asked me if I wanted to "spend a penny" I thought she wanted money.

She was very insistent so I became very worried because I had no money with me and I didn't know why she wanted it.

That's a bit like our music Instagram where I only follow music people that we have some kind of connection with. Consequently the algorithm has been feeding us with fairly useful posts from festivals looking for acts and other music business stuff.

I've found the same thing with the Nigel Slater recipe book that my lad gave me for Christmas. The recipes are far too wordy plus he also favours expensive ingredients over equally good cheaper options.

It seems like progressive Americans think that the rest of the world is in just as bad a state as they are so there is no point in fighting. They don't seem to realise that others now have a very low opinion of America thanks to their inaction.

Thinking about it - I keep hearing about this Eurosky identity management thing so maybe I could try it out by making an artist account 🤔

We went through something similar 55 years ago with decimalisation so I don't see why we can't handle a similar transition to the Euro.

Interesting - but the battery warranty is much worse thantheir competitors where some offer up to 8 years. Maybe they aren't as confident in the new technology that they are using? Or is a 2 year warranty normal in China?

It isn't just governments making the switch. My son and his teenage friends are using the same decentralised open source alternatives to the well known apps.

I must admit that I haven't bothered to create an artist identity on here although a friend of mine has just done it for her new band, @sleeptalksounds.bsky.social so it will be interesting to see how it goes for them.

Poster for the Acoustic Cafe at the Newtown Pippin pub, Bracknell on the 29th of April 2026 from 7:30. Free admission to see He Fired First, Stem, Medlar Jam, Chris Albery-Jones and The Cutting Room

Our next gig is less than 2 weeks away in Bracknell. Get there early if you want to see us as we are on first and, as there are 5 artists playing that night, it will be starting on time.

I'm not sure that I've ever seen a 14" reel with 1" tape for audio although I think the MTR90 was initially available in a 1" 8 track version so would have been able to accommodate 14" reels.

I never realised Crystal Tips had purple hair - the joys of growing up with only a black and white TV in the house.

I think Bruce possibly paints an over-romanticised view of America but how did no-one see those subtitles? Is this more AI crap because surely every sane person should know the words to that song.

You've just reminded me that I need to get in contact with Shonen Knife about a recording I have of them.

Did you borrow it from my friend?