Sleeping Gas

I was in the enormous and ostentatious Westfield shopping centre at Shepherd’s Bush on Thursday night, wandering round waiting for our 6th formers to finish their shopping (a treat for them after a long day treading the streets of London). I nipped into the Fred Perry shop, weary and wanting to get back the hotel and also slightly disappointed with the new season’s line, when this Teardrop Explodes song came on the in-store stereo and perked me up no end- almost had me bouncing round the shop like a nipper. Although as the only customer the lad behind the till began to give me an odd look.

Sleeping Gas

In the picture is Wyndham Lewis, who London Lee pointed out was the Lord of the Vorts (Vorticists that is).

Starlite

No-one seems to split blogger/reader opinion quite like Paul Weller, and even some of the diehards are now suggesting the haircut should probably go for a man of his age. This year’s album (Sonik Kicks) had a cracking lead off single (That Dangerous Age), some krautrock influences, a dub duet with his latest missus, and various other things he wouldn’t necessarily have tried in the mid 90s. This song, Starlite, came out this time last year, a stand alone 12″. Listening to Sonik Kicks it’s difficult to see where it would have fitted. Musically it harks back to The Style Council. The voice may not be quite up to the tune, but it’s got a late summery feel that feels right.

Starlite

In the picture he’s wearing the white version of his Fred Perry limited edition, signature range. I got the black with grey piping one cheap in an outlet a good while back. Mine’s numbered 948/1000, and as Arthog noted re: the Bradley Wiggins Fred Perry range, black Fred Perry’s always fade. But white ones will stain. What you lose on the swings, you lose on the roundabouts.

Tour De France

It’s about time a mod won the Tour De France isn’t it?
And while trying to ignore Murdoch and Sky’s role in all of this we could coo over the very lovely Bradley Wiggins X Fred Perry range of cycling/leisure shirts, available here, in pale blue, white and black. Pale blue for me I think.

With crushing inevitability, from their 2003 remake and remodel album, here come Kraftwerk.

Tour De France Etape 1