Get on your Dance'n shoes...

I feel really old like! Not 21 for another few weeks at least, I should be well in the groove now of going out every week, failing to turn up to work, and bearing the fortuitous consequences.

This is not the case; I’m turning into a boring old fart. Maybe I peaked too soon? Surfing the streets of Sunderland at 16 has done nowt for my social verve in my elder years. Before long I will be banished to my bedroom preferring cyber friends to drinking buddies. Town just doesn’t do it for me anymore!

Sunderland in its own right felt like its own socialistic bubble, where the majority of folk knew one another, or at least knew someone, who knew another person, who had sex with a mate of your brother’s. I loved the place, it reminded me of ‘Cheers’ where “everyone knows your name!” However, as I got older the bubble seemingly burst and I haven’t a clue who anyone is anymore.

For anyone synonymous with Sunderland on a Thursday night they will surely have an incline to what I’m talking about. It was shite, but we loved it!

It's well documented that neighbouring Newcastle is regarded as nightclub capital of the country, amongst the other big hitters, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, and of course London. But in a strange way I prefer Sunderland.

Couldn't Help It...

The old ones are always the best!

On the Buses...

As usual when I need to be somewhere the bus always seems to take the piss. It just turns up when it wants to. When the driver eventually decides to pass by, I often contemplate paying for the bus, but instead opting to blag my way on with yesterday’s day ticket. However today was different.

I remember when penny chews only cost a penny, space raiders had that scary looking wifey on the front, and the bus was only 15p! So why does it cost 10 times that now to go a few miles down the road.

Well it was evident today. Sunderland bosses appear to have coughed up the coin and spent wisely buying 12 Mercedes buses. Gold ones!

The buses with plush seats, tinted windows, TV’s and air conditioning have been aptly named 'The Laser'. And they’re bloody brilliant!

However they remain a far cry from the red double decker buses of old. Although before my time the big red bus remains a national treasure with its conductor in tow and no laser will ever replace that.

This is Radio Clash

Undoubtedly for all avid Radio 1 listeners out there, you may be having severe difficulties turning your mind set away from the fact Radio 1’s One Big Weekend will take place this weekend in Maidstone.

Plugging the festival at every ample opportunity, radio producers and DJs alike, find it increasing difficult to be subtle in their approach, devoting every other minute of their show hyping the event. The fact that the event takes place in the lower regions of the isle has now become second nature to me, and the words ‘very jealous’ spring to mind.

It was but a few years back when Britain’s biggest free ticket festival made its way up North in 2005, pitching its tents in Herrington Country Park.

The park a mere 5 minute walk from my house, saw superstar acts such as the Chemical Brothers, Foo Fighters, Jamiroquai and Gwen Stefani. Sunderland art-rockers The Futureheads, were also given a monstrous ovation as they were welcomed home by fellow wearsiders.

The defining setting afoot Penshaw Monument bare witness to what could be described as the catalyst to recent revelations in the Sunderland music scene, and no longer a far cry from that of London.

But as people in Kent are about to endure a day of herbal highs, underage drinking, loud music, and if history’s anything to go by, snow! Revellers are in for a treat.



Notions that it will be a long time before the Radio 1 team make a lap around the circuit and return are harrowing, so a bid to counter the sinking feeling means the volume on my headset will be firmly turned down.