The High Town journal
22.8.10 - Hackson and Smoke have been back from Edinburgh for days now, and apart from muttering about easyJet ("twatJet more like" - Smoke), have kept pretty quiet about GOINGS ON. Fitzagre has also been spotted following his near death experience with a mutoid contact lense, and is muttering about the Czech Republic. There's an ominous, clamourous feel about the place.
And this ominous, clamourous feel was exacerbated on the staffers' Friday night jaunt to the Carpenters (see map). A hastily scrawled sign correctly advised that HT's favourite hostel was closed due to a power cut. The staffers repaired to the Moaning Mule ph, although the visit to the other side of the tracks wasn't much to write home about. Town was utterly DEAD apart from the Wetherspoons, which looked Hogarthian in its short skirt, pastel polo, red face, outdoors furniture type sinister way. Some ground was made up in The Diana Dors, although the pub chat was too informed between locals and landlord, and Paul the Mod appears to be turning punk.
7.8.10 - High Town has been putting the new Drowned UFO cd together, and also receiving some excellent advice about preventing runny cauliflower cheese:
1: The cooked cauliflower is not properly drained prior to mixing it with the sauce and thus diluting it. You may be cooking it just before combining it with the sauce, in which case there will be quite a bit of water still trapped in the florets. Consider steaming the cauliflower instead of boiling it, since this will minimise the amount of water absorbed. Alternatively, leave a good 20 minutes between draining the cauliflower before combining with the sauce. Steaming also avoids the chance of over-cooking the vegetable, which you also need to avoid. Remember that the cauliflower will keep cooking in the sauce when you shove in the oven, so don't let it go soggy when pre-cooking.
2: The ratio of milk, flour and fat may be wrong; this is your key to success. For a thick sauce, you want at least 50g (2oz) each of flour and fat (butter, margarine or even oil) to every 600ml (1 pint) milk. If this is still too runny, just use more flour and take extra care to add the milk more slowly to avoid lumps. Use full-fat milk.
(If your sauce does go lumpy because you became distracted by something trivial while adding the milk to the roux, just press the goo through a sieve and stir in an extra tablespoon of flour blended with some cold milk to make a paste. It's awful having to throw away good food when you can spend hours trying to save it and create another mountain of washing up in the process.)
3: You don't actually make enough sauce for the amount of cauliflower. Never make less than a pint of sauce.
4: Not enough cheese. You want to use mature cheddar. For a pint of sauce, I'd use a good 175g (6oz).
5: Not enough seasoning. Add salt, black pepper, a pinch of mustard powder and a pinch of cayenne or chili powder. Add more seasoning before you mix with the cauliflower if it's not tasty enough. Adding a good handful of fresh chopped parsley is a very good idea if you like this herb.
22.7.10 - Some sort of tension building in the air, and it's not just because the Hatters look like being thwarted in trying to sign a player called TONER. Recent sightings of Clod and Luton Haiku people have been amusing, as in turns, they all realise the enormity of their poetry and spoken word gig at the Free Fringe festival, Edinburgh. Oh dear.
The tension in the air has also been ratcheted up by an ice cream van which plays what I think is the theme tune from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. It might not be that film, but it's certainly Morricone's music from one of those Spaghetti westerns, in which Clint wears a car blanket and shoots Lee Van Cleef's teeth out all over the smack-headed leader of the rebels. Whichever film it is, it's wholly INAPPROPRIATE. The Pigeon Toad Orange Peel section from Coogan's Run may have worked, but was not chosen.
28.6.10 - All quiet on all fronts, although plenty of rumours; new items and materials ready soon, completists. And it was odd seeing senior members of the High Town team furtively NATTERING away to Luton poet and institution Lee Nelson (no, not that one) in a public house the other day. P'raps Lee was getting some tips for his annual jaunt up to Edinburgh.
19.6.10 - Just saw three ducks, on their way to watch the England game. Each of them was carrying crackers and had a dip. The first duck's was pink and fishy. "What is it"? the second duck and the third duck asked the first duck. "Taramosolata". The second duck's dip was brown and smelt tangy. "It's houmous," the second duck replied when the first duck and the third duck asked. The first duck and the second duck turned their attention to the third duck's green dip. "What's your dip?" the first duck and the second duck asked the third duck. "Quackamole".
No change HERE:
Honolulu Suncream sales = 26
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 35
To
sell = 39
8.6.10 - Long-term High Town target 'Charlie' Chaplain has been spotted in the Arndale bedecked in a whole load of England gear. It wold appear that the usually excellently attired airman has fallen on a sartorial sword and been woo-ed by those charming chancers of 'our national team'.
One can only hope, perhaps for the return of the Charlie, Chief and Blondie dream team, or from one more 'asleep and spreadeagle, but with two beers' from the redoubtable Chief this summer, but we're not holding our breath. We'll probably have Mr Believe again.
8.5.10 - Thank God the football season's over. Bespoke tailoring can come back from the rock it's been hiding in, fine wine enjoyed and arias, symphonies, modal jazz and the music of The Knockouts can re-emerge in what will hopefully be a glorious summer before the return of the replica kit, lagerrrrrr piss and rubbishy terrace chants from dyspeptic blokes with receeding hair lines and big bellies.
Thank God the election's over. No more canvassing and having to chat to people with 'political conviction'.
Honolulu Suncream sales = 26
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 35
To
sell = 39
18.4.10 - Nothing of note happening.
11.4.10 - The Esther Rantzen campaign is gathering steam. Jeez. Surely she strangled dogs in the late seventies, and convinced That's Life viewers that said pressured canines said 'sausages'? Oh my word; why are people falling for all this boloney? It's her; the sleazy mainstreamers, nutzoid indies or that bloke who's being bankrolled (allegedly) by the developers who want to join Caddington and Slip End to Dallow Road; you, that former consumer champion from the local radio set. This electron's going to be DISMAL.
On a BRIGHTER NOTE, word is that Drowned UFO will be back with more recordings soon.
Honolulu Suncream sales = 26
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 35
To
sell = 39
28.3.10 - Apologies for over-egging the football, but a 1-6 away and 8-0 home? Six goals in the second half of the away game and seven in the first of the home game? Surely time, if you're not already, to start paying attention to the Rip-Roaring Hatters.
Anyway, on the music front, the dust is still settling from the George gig last week. After an excellent set from DJ Nephilimbabe, Hackson wobbled and stand in bongoist Paul the Mod is now seeking specialist help. No really, he is. So our thoughts are with him. Still, sales were made at the fairly frenzied concession stand. This included two (we think) of the Honolulu Suncream album of hitz.
Honolulu Suncream sales = 26
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 35
To
sell = 39
13.3.10 - "'Cos we are the Luton, and we are the best; we are the Luton, so f*ck all the rest.........." Tidy win today. No sales.
6.3.10 - Have just spotted Elliot P Smoke, alpine skiing up High Town Road with a brassy walking stick with a polished ivory onyx head motif. Smoke was evasive about this showy opulence, but admitted to THREE more Honolulu Suncream sales on line since the UK Decay gig.
Honolulu Suncream sales = 24
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 35
To sell = 41
28.2.10 - An unnerving and unexpected sales flurry at yesterday's excellent Sub Club, with a whole host of ents headed up by Lutonian legends UK Decay (heck, they were loud). If you're still thinking of buying a 'Suncream' for that difficult aunt, then heed this:
Honolulu Suncream sales = 21
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 35
To sell = 44
26.2.10 - Wasn't the beer festival MAGNIFICENT? No extra Honolulu Suncreams sold; still 74 off breaking the triple figure barrier.
Walking up Chapel Street yesterday, I spotted a young fellow further up, who appeared (albeit briefly) to be air drumming. As he came closer I saw he had a bird badge on his beanie hat.
I saw him again this morning. Whilst my beanie currently sports a Peregrine Falcon (betwixt homemade Ricky Hill badge and the black and white target I got from the NPG) his has, what I now believe to be, a tern in flight which he’s strategically positioned in the central gap of the embroidered legend “LEE EVANS”.
I think he was checking my bird out too.
21.2.10 - High Town team travelled south to a public house on Sunday. It was in Hampstead. "I ain't shttin';" no less luminaries than John Hegley and Robyn Hitchcock read out a few Luton Haikus (response mixed) to an audience which included former haiku subject and friend of the birds, the one and only Bill Oddie.
High Town staffers - Hackson (bullishly took everything in stride; asked Hitchcock how Egyptians were) and Smoke (waffling about his long-term admiration of Hitch)
7.2.10 - All talk this week has been of the latest edition of Clod Magazine. High Town's jazz bars and speakeasies are divided on the continuation of the Sound Archive series (there was nearly 'fisticuffs' at The Rubber Band after last Thursday's 'Poems'n'Pastis evening) but response to the magazine itself has been overwhelmingly positive. Hearts of Darkness, the local Joseph Conrad reading circle, have nominated the zine for their bi-ennial Nostromo award for "resilient parochial bluster in the face of everything".
Honolulu Suncream sales continue to be puzzling, and members of The Knockouts have been forced to start sellling their equipment to pay for rehearsals.
Sold = 16
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 35
To sell = 49
22.01.10 - Clod 21 IS AT THE PRINTERS. The Buffet Lounge is back open, and the following vaguely familiar news:
Honolulu Suncream sales = 16
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 35
To sell = 49
21.01.10 - The Empress of India, The Buffet Lounge as was, The Freeholder Public House before that, has closed again. This time a pen written note explains that it’s closed because of an electric fault. The restaurant never seemed busy, which is a shame – but the food got mixed reviews (one good, one not) from HighTown Records staff. One wonders under what guise the plot will reopen if/when the electric gets going again.
Better news for THIS IS IT!, the High Town Road bric-a-brac merchant, who now has a bone fide shop front having taken over “The Experiment” art gallery. The gallery, from the exhibitions I saw, was encouraging stuff; but it seems such enthusiasm wasn’t shared by other High Townsfolk (Lutonians are wearyingly hard to please) and/or students from whichever university bussed them in to stage exhibitions. The last exhibit was a Christmas tree, stuffed in the front window of the locked up gallery, dying.
This is it!, which was formally housed in a garage block behind the shops, is run by an affable fellow who once sold me two fountain pens, and since then has me down as a “dealer”… maybe because I told him that, no matter what the book says, he isn’t going to get top price for a Parker 61 lacking its arrow nib decal – original box or not. I’m no dealer, I told him, I just like using them. I couldn’t use them, they don’t work. Still, he has other stuff including books and records, a WWII helmet or two, a sign saying “Adult DVDs available” and old Blue Peter annuals. Nothing of any real value, presumably, but worth a thrice annual rummage.
Honolulu Suncream sales = 16
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 35
To sell = 49
20.12.09 - Did it snow? Didn't notice, until the Town game was called off on Saturday. Rather disappointingly, the gritting lorries did a REASONABLE JOB and silenced the annual pernicious paranoid attacks on the local councils, which we at High Town take great pleasure in hearing.
Honolulu Suncream sales = 16
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 35
To sell = 49
13.12.09 - Some real, recent movement on the Honolulu sales front. Allan at Topplers mentioned some time ago that the £10 deal had been taken up a few times, and since the Black Horse gig, we've taken Giant Steps.
Honolulu Suncream sales = 16
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 34
To sell = 50
Some discussion about The Knockouts supporting UK Decay and playing at the Luton Beer Festival early next year.
11.12.09 - The Christmas tree is up in the 'traditional corner' at the Bricklayers ph and looks magnificent.
7.12.09 - News from the High Town office. After a good gig at the Black Horse public house in Hastings St., Luton (the other side of the ring road, let alone tracks), another Honolulu Suncream has been sold. Let joy be unconfined. There's still no sign of the Quixhall bootleggers, but Fitzagre's trip to the North West over the weekend whifs of damp and dreary conspiracy.
Honolulu Suncream sales = 14
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 34
To sell = 52
22.11.09 - We here at HTR should dissassociate ourselves from the Don Quixall organisation, or company or whatever the hell it is. They bootlegged some recent KO shows and, apparantly, are on the verge of releasing these recordings to you, the gullible public. High Town Records and The Knockouts would like to formally give this Don Quixhall the big 'heave-ho'. DQ has nothing to do with any of the worthy projects what we are involved with. They are dirty leeches, trying to milk the human and arty goodness for their own, stinky cash ends. If you see the logo below on any product, AVOID IT.
We seem to be stuck on having sold only 13 copies of our latest album. THIRTEEN. This isn't our problem; it's an indication that the willingness of the public to take a slight gamble is very, very NEGLIGIBLE. C*nts.
Even so, easier to just carry on than throw it all in now.
17.11.09 - Saw a programme last night in which Sue Perkins went round people's houses to examine the art they had on the walls. It was good because it was in no way condescending or patronising about people's deplorable tastes.
During a quiet period in the programme, I could hear the boozed up conversation of a group of unisex imbibers walking up High Town Road - the loudest was suggesting that anyone claiming never to have urinated in a public pool was a f**kin' liar. I'd possibly agree with him, maybe not so audibly in the street after 10pm on a Monday night.
The next morning reports on the radio said that Luton was one of the ten most miserable stations in the UK, and would therefore benefit from a government subsidy (about £2M) to tart it up. About time too. LBC have been touting the "Luton Gateway", a programme to renovate the station area so it appears akin to the Garden of Eden, for years. Those plans
have apparently been sidelined and they're now building a multi-storey carpark - on the High Town side of the tracks too. the bloody sods.
Not sure how far £2M can be squandered, but Luton Station is a mess; which is a shame as its not only a "gateway" to Luton, but is also the main pedestrian (the only way to travel in town) entry point to High Town. There was, apparently, according to my colleagues, a reporter from BBC 5Live there - gauging public opinion. He wasn't there (at 6.30am) when I walked through, thank goodness; I'd have only wittered summat stupid.
No more Honolulu Suncream sales.
14.11.09 - More than 100 hits on the Luton Haiku myspace site this week. Which might be small beer to some of you, but to us, we need all the beer we can get, and we're delighted. This 'spike' may have something to do with words being exchanged at the EXCELLENT and 'one day left' (at time of this entry) FILMSTOCK festival. It might have something to do with the popluarity of guest contributor Dan Mudford (seen here below):
8.11.09 - The High Town HQ glass bottle recycling bin is full to the brim. We had some drinks, alright? I note that, on this date, there are more than twice the number of links on our 'Links' page than we have sales of our latest CULT SMASH album Hon Sunc.
Honolulu Suncream sales = 13
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 34
To sell = 53
1.11.09 - Sale confirmed last weekend. One less to try flogging.
Honolulu Suncream sales = 12
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 34
To sell = 54
25.10.09 - Two good gigs on Bute Street this weekend, in among some lovely people. S'true, actually. Rumour has it that a sale of "Lounge" was made. Only one, though; and even this needs verifying. Rather surprisingly, The 'Kouts played the album through, in order, on both nights. Durr-brains. And some GEEZER was seen to be BOOTLEGGING both gigs, possibly in an ILL-ADVISED attempt to make some Buckinghamshires (BUCKS).
18.10.09 - Honolulu Suncream sales (post-appearance) = 11
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 33
To sell = 56
One lone punter struggled in through the clement Lutonian weather to say 'hi' at our launch. Oh well.
17.10.09 - Jumped out the bath this morning on hearing "Vendredi Maintenant" being played on Mike Watt's "Watt from Pedro Show". Got back in after the great one surmised that The Knockouts is a band with guys from the 'old days' making some music again.
High Town bereft of cobblers, so will have to venture into the stinking Arndale for re-soling my Jones Bros boats for work wear. Anticipating, or perhaps foolishly hoping to sell more cds at our instore appearance today, down near the Uni.
Honolulu Suncream sales (pre-appearance) = 11
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 32
To sell = 57
7.10.09 - There's a strange air of gloomy expectancy following the departure of Mick Harford from the Luton Town manager's post. Still, this has been alleviated a little by a couple of HS sales:
Honolulu Suncream sales = 11
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 31
To sell = 58
22.9.09 - CLOD Magazine has recently been spotted shuffling round High Town Streets, getting ready for its ten day UK tour in Luton (having a cup of tea in Tim's Kitchen), London and a month's exhibition in Llangadog, Walesshire. See home page for details.
I woke up and opened the curtains this morning, to be confronted by the stary street cleaner. I kacked my dressing gown.
Honolulu Suncream sales = 9
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 31
To sell = 60
9.9.09 - No good news recieved. Some rather marvelous NEW Knockouts videos (see Links page), but sales show a worrying similarity to 16.8.09;
Honolulu Suncream sales = 8
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 31
To sell = 61
Topplers are finally shifting a few of their £10 deals though.
High Town was full of darkness and voices walking back from the Underground Cinema on Monday night. Has been boiling ever since.
26.8.09 - Good news expected. The week dominated by a lack of movement on the Honolulu Suncream and a plague of wasps in the Hitchin Road area.
20.8.09 - Loud Euro-express music pumping around the High Town shoppers' car park in the early evening. Sounds like a ruddy earache.
16.8.09
Honolulu Suncream sales = 8
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 31
To sell = 61
12.8.09 - Deja Vu proving to be a huge nocturnal hotspot with the local YOOT on a Tuesday evening. Kids all over the place, keen to demonstrate SPENT BELT ELASTIC, clinching and SNOGGING and drinking LAGER in the street. Quite a sight; would have been annoying to the local alehouse clientele had the Hatters not massacred the Stags of Mansfield.
Honolulu Suncream sales moving AT LAST = 5
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 30
To sell = 65
9.8.09 - Things already confused on the Honolulu Suncream sales front. Have £0 in the kitty at the mo, unless Hackson sold any at work. Twenty sent to the good folk at Topplers and a few comps (a very few comps - if you don't receive anything by the end of the week, you're not a comp). Here's the latest:
Sales = 0
Band copies/Topplers/comps = 29
"Might buy" = 4
To sell = 71
4.8.09 (6.30am) - A man, I surmised a labourer of East European descent, scurried past me on HighTown Road this morning. He was carrying a pink holdall, which seemed out of stereotype. Then I spied a cage grill at the end of the bag and, peeking out, a little puppy; couldn't tell you the breed - russet tones, some kind of spaniel? My reckoning of the fellow changed, albeit just a little. I still had him as a Polish worker, but discounted the theory that it was "pets on site day" and presumed he was taking his girlfriend's pooch to the vet, or to his girlfriend.
On the HighTown Road end of the railway pedestrian bridge a Tesco carrier bag lay apparently discarded - its kitchen utensil content was strewn around the Luton (and Dunstable) at Large magazine unit.
Honolulu Suncream latest
Pre-sales = 0
"might buy" = 3
To sell = 100
1.8.09 - Getting ready for the Alternative Press Fair and the chance to offload little pieces of High Town on to the unsuspecting hoardes. Have also undertaken to report on progress selling the 100 copies of The Knockouts' Honolulu Suncream. Having made the thing available for preorder at the shop on Thursday, the situation is:
Pre-sales = 0
"might buy" = 1
To sell = 100
29.7.09 - Was especially pertubed this morning, as the bottle-eyed staring street cleaner had got up into the northern most reaches of High Town. To most, it would appear that he was innocently picking up a Bounty wrapper; but I tell you, he's got an "agenda".
Thankfully, no sign of Evil Declan or Wanker #2. And far too early for either of the drunk houses.
26.7.09 - News from over the tracks. The George II 's days look distinctly numbered. Shame. There was also a drainy smell all the way down Bute St to the Arndale. Either the mighty Lea is angry, or the bin bags, noticed by Angela in High Town actually DID contain body parts, and these bags have now been tucked away in the old Engine public house.
17.7.09 - A quiet day. Mainly because I'm out for a large part of it. No sightings or disturbances to report.