To bring things up to date:
- Dexys played a great show at the Dome on Thursday: more than a little bonkers, but great. They did the whole of the new album, One Day I'm Going To Soar, with various theatrical bits along the way, and then a selection of oldies including 'Come On Eileen' and 'Until I Believe In My Soul'. Strong playing from the band, with Jim Paterson's trombone featuring strongly in the arrangements; Kevin Rowland and Pete Williams striding around the stage like a rap posse one minute and hamming it up in full-on am-dram the next. (If I was going to do a full review, the headline would be 'From Gangsta To Gang Show...')
serendipitously, one of my all-time favourite songs, Dusty Springfield's version of 'Breakfast In Bed' was played over the PA at the Dome in between the burlesque dancer (don't ask...) and the band's appearance, and then I find that none other than Wussy have recorded it too. Out now, on what I am sure will be a deeply desirable split 7" in a series of tributes to writer Eddie Hinton that is being put out by the estimable Shake It Records, and winging its way from Cincinnati as I type.
- on the subject of desirable records, Eat Lights Become Lights have a new album which should be on the shopping list of all right-thinking vinyl fetishists.
You will recall that last year's Autopia hit the heady heights of #8 in the Eden On The Line Records Of The Year. The new release is Heavy Electrics: sounds fine, though maybe not as immediately engrossing as its predecessor, and looks amazing, with a great sleeve and the disc pressed in three colours. Well done, Dom at Great Pop Supplement.
- And finally, my long-awaited (by me, at least) book about Van Morrison is with the printers. Saint Dominic's Flashback will be available next month in paperback and on Kindle. Watch this space for more details.