Merry Christmas to all also from BerrumpapumBing and BerrumpapumBowie

This is amazing! David Bowie, it seems, just happened to be passing by Bing Crosby's house and popped in for a chat and then completely out of the blue they sang a lovely song and what's more its all captured on camera. What are the chances of that happening?! Its not Terry Wogan and Aled Jones, but its not a bad attempt.

Duuuuuude

Merry Christmas One And All

Here is my christmas gift to all you dukes.




p.s. Get well soon Chris

Best of 2008

Hello,

Best film: No Country for Old Men. Just brilliant, all big skys and menace.

Best Curry night: It started off badly when I couldn't find Sean's house, but when we did and headed to Andy's choice of Mumtaz in Westbury on Trym it was great despite the small turn out. Gorton's Hanham curry came a close second.

Best album: Age means I can't remember what albums came out this year that I bought, but Lambchop's OH (ohio) hasn't been off my cd player since I bought it.

Best live gig: Nouvelle Vague at the Trinity Rooms - Saucy French accented singers sing British punk and new wave classics in a jazz calypso style.

Book: I don't read much but The Fallen was good(ish) about ex-members of The Fall and what they're up to now.

Best TV: Thanks to Pete I've got into the Wire and its ace and I've still got 4 or 5 series to go! Actual tv for this year though has to be The Apprentice and I am really enjoying Survivors. Inbetweeners is good n'all and Dead Set was great too.

Best comedy: Only went to see Sean Lock this year, but he was top class!

Guilty pleasure: Bonekickers, it should have been called shitkickers it was so bad, but I had to keep watching it because it has to be one of the worst things I have seen this year and yet because it was so bad it was compelling.

Best other bits: 2008 has not been a good year and I will be glad to see the back of it, but the curry club meets have been rare highlights and last weekend's stag do in Sheffield with mates I've not seen for a long while had me laughing till my jaw hurt. I also picked up a nice Farrah polo shirt in the process. 

Looking forward to: A better 2009, more curry clubs, a holiday somewhere sunny and warm and Morrissey at Salisbury City Hall (Tobin have you got your tickets?).

Get Well Duke

Sorry to hear about the back Duke Warren. Get yerself better soon...however is anyone else up for a xmas curry or are we gonna let it slip into 2009?

Bed rest.

Boys...I've just had an op on my back at rather shirt notice and am confined to bed. Sorry I couldn't organize the Xmas curry as I was ordered to last month. If it makes thing any better for you I am in agonizing pain. Am writing this on my telephone but will add my best of list tomorrow when nurse Jacqueline allows me my laptop; sometime between bargain hunt and step up to the plate.

It's Christmas!

Is there gonna be a Xmas Curry?

Best of 2008

Right, the best of twofaaasandaneeet...in alternative font and sizes!

As a certified film nut job this is a tough one but this year I am gonna agree with the Acadamy and go with No Country For Old Men. No one has done Bad better than Bardeem. And the way they killed off Josh Brolins character (off screen) was audacious.
Other notable mentions go to Cloverfield which just about lived up to the hype. Sidney Lumet at 83 gave us old film makers hope with the smart Before the Devil knows you're dead. Top jonny foreigner film goes to The Counterfeiters. Rich is right to mention Gone Baby Gone. Respect to both Afleck's. In Brugges made me laff.

Album. Surprised myself by singing out loud in the car to Everything is Borrowed by the Streets. Portishead 3rd. Difficult but probably brilliant. MGMT provided the best single tune with Time to Pretend.

To my shame I still haven't seen The Wire so best tele was the very, very funny Entourage.

Book. Again gotta agree with Rich on the with The Road. Look out for the film next year starring Vig Morttenson and directed by John Hillcoat who made the excellent The Proposition. Also enjoyed The Time Traveller's Wife once I got me head round it.

Best curry was Mig's night at The Clove in Southville/Ashton. Top food and a short walk home. Probably dissed by my fellow Dukes who had a 3 day trek back North of the River.

Guilty pleasure. (Sharp intake of breath)...Desperate Housewives. Funny. Dramatic. Inventive.

Best other bit. Swimming with Whale Sharks in the Indain Ocean.

Hope 2009 matches up. Have yerselves a very merry xmas Dukes.

Font?

Have I been a bit rebellious by choosing a different font in my previous post?
Who is policing this?
And what about point size?

I'M IN!

At last! Lookin' forward to getting stuck in.
Understand I missed a stonkin' Curry Night by Barnesy.
Where are the minutes?
Best of the Year list being processed.
Is there a Xmas Curry in the offing?

As the blog seems to have fallen asleep since Mr Tom's splendid post about hanging with the rockabillies I thought I would follow up on Chris's suggestion of a best of 2008 list so here goes:

Best fillum: After much thought and umming and ooh-aaring I'm plumping for Gone Baby Gone. I know it's directed by Ben Affleck but his wee brother Casey in the main role is amazing and even started a little man crush. Honourable mentions got to No Country For Old Men, The Dark Knight, Iron Man , There Will Be Blood and of course Transporter 3(only joko).



Best Album: Gotta be Elbow. Bright, beautiful and brilliant. It only just pipped the Okkervil River album though. Other honourable mentions to Jenny Lewis, Mercury Rev and the two 'heads (Portis and Radio).



Best TV: Need you ask. The Wire obviously. Also really liked Entourage and of course perennial classic You've Been Framed.





Best Book: The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Same feller that wrote No Country For Old Men (Ooh and Blood Meridian, one of my favourite books ever). Its set in America in the near future after some unnamed apocalyptic event has occurred and is about a father and son trying to survive. It's bleak, violent, sad and really moving. Definitely one for you curry Dads.

Best Curry House/ Night: I would go for a score draw between Mr Geoff Gortons Hanham based BYO extravaganza and Nick Barnes oh so modern Koh-i-noor spicefest.

Guilty Pleasures: Strictly Come Dancing, Take That's single about ruling the world.

Best Owt else: My new Wire T-Shirt which is the dogs.

Now hows about the rest of youse?

Being for the benefit of Mr Rich

Well a while back Rich drew our attention to the talented Imelda May an Irish Rockabilly chaunteuse from the 1950s. As the excitement of her discovery wained amongst the Dukes it was left to Messers Stillman, Schillace and me to go down to the Louis and check her out. Thanks to Mig's hospitality we had free access to the gig and an almost free run on the bar (Cheers Mig!) We were also provided with insider knowledge on the day's events where the legendary Julian Temple had been filming Imelda May's first video. In fact JT filmed the gig as part of the video so you may see me and Pete in her video along with a load of drunken rockabillies. 

And so to the gig the Hinkley Veltones were the support and I only saw a couple of their songs, they were a bit sloppy, but I'm a sucker for a dick dale riff and lots of whammy bar guitar, unfortunately only one of the songs was like that and they had to start it a second time as the guitarist forgot to start playing. The other song a slow Tindersticksesque song which droned on a bit and wasn't saved by a bit of whammy guitar even though it came from a very spangly guitar. The drunken rockabillies were a tad unfair in their assessment of the band, as one left the upstairs room he loudly told punters making their way up the stairs not to bother as the band were fuckin shit! Honestly those rockabillies,  they're the sort that would rip up your cinema seat as soon as look at you!

During the break between bands I quizzed a friendly rockabilly as to how many of his kind were in fact bus drivers. I don't know about you, but I remember that before all the bus drivers in Bristol became Polish they were all ageing Rockabillies.  The friendly rockabilly said he didn't know exactly, but in % terms, he suspected that the figure maybe as high as 70/75%. 

After the support band came the headliners (that's the rules in rock n roll) and Imelda May's band arrived on stage and up from nowhere popped Imelda. She's quite small you know, but quite saucy too. The formidable Half man half biscuit once sang 'She's got Dickie Davis eyes' and whilst I can't quite recall what Dickie Davis' eyes were like Pete did comment that she definitely had Dickie Davis hair, which is undeniable (see above). The band were good and just when I was getting a bit irritated by Imelda's half pronounced jazz/blues warbling it all suddenly clicked and I got it and started enjoying the whole thing. A trip downstairs for Guinness meant I missed the only song by her that I knew 'Johnny goes boom boom' but they kindly played that again at the end for those who missed it first time round - in an acton replay type scenario that Dickie Davis would have been proud of. Pete and I dared each other to shout our for some Shakin' Stevens songs, but the Rockabillies looked hard, they'd been drinking all day and I bet they had flick knives in their waistcoat pockets just waiting for a reason to stick us one. At one stage Imelda explained that the bass player, who for most of the set had been playing a double bass, switched to an electric bass. Pete wittily shouted Judas which was very funny, but unfortunately he didn't shout it loud enough and some slower witted member of the audience shouted it louder and got the credit. Incidentally as I'm sure you all know the 'Judas' reference relates to the first return gig Bob Dylan did at the Albert Hall (I think) when he went all electric and folk die hards thought he had betrayed folk and started shouting Judas. However, this is an urban myth and in fact what actually happened was that a man attending the gig was calling for his wife Judith who he had momentarily lost in the large audience. Those cloth eared and no doubt stoned hippies simply misheard and so an inaccurate legend was born.

Anyway I digress, the gig was great and in the end I really warmed to Imelda May (she's got a lovely smile). Thanks to Rich for recommending it and thanks to Mig for providing the means for me and Pete,  the Dukes of Mumbai's First Cultural Attaches, to attend the gig for nowt. 

See you at the next curry meet.

Cheers Tom 

Hello all

Following the shameless plug a while back for mine and Geoff's band, here is an equally shameless reminder:

The Beatnik Filmstars will be playing their only gig of 2008 next Saturday 22nd November at the Cube Cinema to promote their new long player 'The Purple Fez 72 Club Social', which has been getting a fair bit of play on BBC Radio 6 and some very positive reviews. Here's what the nice people at Americana UK had to say about the album:

"They’ve only gone and recorded a lo-fi Americana album! Beatnik Filmstars have been around since the early 90s. For the most part they have been peddling lo-fi indie rock that has served them well over several albums and five (count ‘em) Peel sessions. Perhaps it is the fact that they are getting a bit old and grizzled, or perhaps it is because they just got bored, but the Beatniks have gone all Americana on our asses on this, their new release.

Recorded without using studios or computers, "The Purple Fez 72 Club Social" is an interesting album full to bursting with well written songs and lyrical quirks. Opener, "Animal Crackers" opens with the line ‘...There are racists in the USA who brand swastikas on their cattle...’ setting the lyrical bar high from the off. From here on the band effortlessly take us through indie-Americana ("Scrabbling") and dusty tex-mex landscapes ("25 miles, Long Road") without even breaking into a sweat.

"The Purple Fez….." is the sound of a band breaking free of their shackles, and playing music for the sheer joy of it, making the album a pleasure to listen to. It is probable that the band are too lo-fi, British and interesting to make huge strides into the Americana scene but for those that pick up on them, they will remain a hidden treasure to savour.

Americana UK album rating = 7 out of 10."

Imelda May

So... today i met Julien Temple... He's going to be directing a video for Imelda May and it's going to have scenes shot at the Louis before and during her show on the 18th Nov.
Tom, Rich, Cris, you're on the list and so is Sir Peter of Stillman.
I can get another 4 people on the list. It will be 1st come 1st served.

Fleet Foxes - For or Against?

Mmmm....well on the recommendations of Sean and Mig I have been listening to the Fleet Foxes ep today I've had the ep for a while thanks to Pete, but heard the opening couple of minutes of one of the tracks and thought 'Jesus'! and never went back. I have now gone back after hearing Sean's rave review of their live gig t'other night and seeing them on Jools Holland. I'm still not convinced actually, my first thought was, did they do the incidental music for Bagpuss and then I started to think did we fight the punk rock wars for nothing! To be honest its a bit too folky/proggy to me - it also reminded me of the worst bits of Low (the band not the Bowie album) when they do all that churchy type close harmony singing. I think Rich said it was a bit too twee for him and I'm inclined to agree although it possibly goes a bit beyond twee. To infinitwee and beyond anyone? Not me. Now if we're talking about Lambchop's new album (Oh) Ohio that is a contender for one of the best albums of the year in my opinion. Its lush. And the cover has a naked woman on it and on the inside sleeve too, although she's lying with a naked bloke, but you can't see his cock.

Should we have a best album, film, gig etc of the year on this Forum? It is coming up to the end of the year afterall.

Who Stuffed Alfred? - little film I helped make

Best in the West - according to The Times

Rajpoot, Rajpoot House, 4 Argyle Street, Bath BA2 4BA (01225 466833; www.rajpoot.com)

Rajpoot is justifiably proud of its accolades, including those from the likes of Brooke Shields (“Yum!”), Lionel Blair (“Great hot stuff”), and Ken Livingstone. Opened by Ahmed Chowdhury in 1980, it was once dubbed “Aladdin’s Cave” and the name has stuck. Set in a series of “caves” below street level, Rajpoot has been hugely popular for years and will soon double its size.

Try the Rajpoot spicy salmon steak, served with Rajpoot style Potatoes, Puloa Rice and salad, or perhaps one of the chef’s selection menus from £16.50.

Judges' verdict: "One of the many restaurants in the industry that has maintained very high standards over a long period of time yet is always prepared to innovate and move forward."

For when we do the 'Bath Visit'?

What hell happen?

Hello Dukes.
I don't know whats gotten into you lot but one evening of moaning about not being able to post under your own names and hey presto! The magic of curry! You can suddenly post under your own names. I loves curry me.
Hats of to top arm wrestling snapper and father of three strapping lads, Mr Pete Thorpe. A splendid evening.
Anyway as this is a blog, here's an amusing picture.

A Review

I thoroughly enjoyed last night's first official Dukes of Mumbai do, shame the food I chose didne match up to the Dukes general chitchat, wit and diversions.
A poor pickle selection imo, onions cut too large and lack of coriander(?) and what was that soy sauce type 'pickle/chutney'? WRONG!
Chef's Recommendation, Chicken Panch Mahal, was a huge disappoinment and tasted like minced chicken with bisto. I wish the curry house standards agency could decide what mild, medium or hot really is. On the menu my dish was listed as medium when this was clearly mild as milk. The Saag Bhaji wasn't too my taste either. Paratha just average.
Score: 4/10
Highlight/Odd moment? Dukes arm wrestling in the Victoria afterwards with tales from Pete Stilly of arms snapping at previous arm wrestles between butch men. And to end the evening, being turfed out of the pub by surprise celebrity barmaid Simon Amstel.

Hello chap(patti)s,

Splendid curry last night - my congratulations to Mr Peter Thorpe for a quality curryhouse selection. And welcome to Mr Spex - a new Duke!

Poppadom Crunch hits new low sez Thorpe. But can Spex save day?

So....It falls to me to organise the next one.

Could have, maybe should have used the blog but not had great success getting in,it seems (admittedly without spending almost any effort ), a bit of a faff !

Anyone missed off the list,please forward ta.

What about w/c 20th ? It's half term the week after this,I'm mostly about but maybe some folks will be away then ????

Thinking of the Eldon house pub,followed by the http://www.rajmoni.co.uk/ which is next to the Victoria Rooms,don't know owt about it but happy to give it a bash,anyone been there ?

Hopefully we can have the pleasure of the company of Mr Spex too.

Let i know how you are all fixed ( by email !!!

HOLBYITIS

I've just dropped something off at my parent's house. They were watching Casualty. 

"Look" my old man shouts at me "it's Stokes Croft... on the Telly".

How long has Casualty been a staple of Saturday night  TV? 100, 150 years? Long enough to be in desperate need of a hip replacement.

And long enough for anyone living in Bristol not to be surprised by seeing the city popping up in the background. Surely?

I tried not to be interested in Stokes Croft being on the telly. I'd just driven up there to get to my parents.

But...

"hey! You're right...I've just driven up there...and look, it's Lakota!"

I think it's the Holby effect. 

They film the show in Bristol, but the place it's set in is Holby. 

So the left side of your brain is saying this is Holby, this is fiction. 

And the right hand side of your brains os going, no hold on a minute, that's Park Street and that's Barton Hill round-a-bout, and look there's the Tesco at Eastville.

Meanwhile the little walnut sized blob at the back of your head, the bit that controls all reason and sense (hey, I'm no brain surgeon), is squeaking, "this is shit, this is shit, turn it off". But of course you're not listening to that because, "Holy fucking shit, look! There's a fictional fucking ambulance driving up Ashley Down Road!!" 

There's talk of moving the filming to Cardiff.

That's a nice touch. A TV medical drama is going to lobotomise Bristol from itself graft on Cardiff and still call itself Holby.

They say that  successful transplant patients never fully 'accept' their new organs. That although they're grateful and delighted to be alive they always 'know' the life saving replacement was from someone else, IS someone else's.

Will it be the same with a newly Welsh Holby? Who knows, but I bet the storylines will still be shit. 

In Bristol With a Pistol

I am officially old.

I was just on Park Street, window shopping and the like, and walked past the flyer pushing kids at the top o' the hill, toting for the Thekla. 

They didn't hand me a flyer. They made a point of it. Everyone else got one, 'cept me.

I was going to the Thekla before they were born for Christ's sake!

Maybe that's why I  didn't get me a flyer. 

Kid's today...they can smell the old folk coming up the hill.

Imelda May

Hello,

Christ knows who I've signed in as, this blogging is confusing the hell out of me!! Anyway further to Rich's recommendation about Imelda May I watched the Jools Holland show and she was very good. I then got an e-mail of Mig with the upcoming shows at the Louis and on 18 November Imelda May is playing. Anyone fancy a DukesofMumbai cultural evening at the Louis. I'm game. Mig might even do us a group discount.

Cheers

Tom

When he becomes President

Perhaps Mr McCain would like to join us for a meal when he visits the UK. Looks like he enjoys his tikka masala!-)

I know I'm banned from talking about it but....

The invites have gone out........

......Come join our geek party!

1,2.......1,2........TESTING.....

Can anyone hear me?

GEEK NEEDED

WANTED: Teenage bispectacled boy, few friends, unhealthy interest in the internet. Needed to sort the DUKES out so that we ALL get to post under our own names , and we ALL have a user profile etc.

Also needs to show idiots how to post MP3 files up.

Any takers?

Geoffrey's first blog

My first blog is coming out a bit weird. PERHAPS it'll take some getting used to.

hERE'S a nice PICTURE OF a chimney, anyway...

The Dukes of Mumbai mascot

I love both this blog and this woman.....Rich Again

From Rich

I found a picture of Seans Naan.

And hello fellow Dukes from Pete Stilly - ghee I'm looking forward to the next curry (having missed out on the last one). Dhal 'C' for curry!

All hail the TRUE duchess of the curry club!

Found this pic of our founding blog godfather...

Hello its me Tom, but have I signed in as you Cris? I'm a bit confused!

An Historic First

Without further ado, pray fall silent and deadly for the historic first electronic gathering of the Mumbai Dukes.

To celebrate, Junior Pete Thorpe brought along his Fox Brownie.

Here we all are at our last night out wondering what to talk about, having already exhausted the passing of The Smiths and the arrival of Season 435 of The Shield on box set. 

Another Kingfisher, anybody?