Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Get Ready for Love

Small Stories (31 July 2026)

Haven't written one of these for ages. It's been so long I've forgotten the format. I'll get it together.

Let's cut to the chase - I saw Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds play at Preston Park in Brighton at the end of July. 

Despite buying his records on and off for more than 40 years I'd never seen him play live before. I found myself on a priority ticket list for his one gig in the UK this year so I was delighted to secure a couple for me and Mrs Tea at Johnny's.

I learnt a few things. Preston Park is much bigger than I thought for one. I had no idea there would be 45,000 people there in a festival-style environment. I also learnt that I really don't enjoy festival environments.

But the main thing I learnt was I was surprised with how much I wanted to be there. I didn't hit me until the first song kicked in - Get Ready For Love. I think you get a bit blase with age, well I do.

It didn't have the emotional pull of From Her to Eternity or Where the Wild Roses Grow (Kylie Minogue joined Cave for that one) which both had me on the edge of tears.

Get Ready for Love, from the double album Abbatoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus, gets the vote as it is a brilliant song and one that lit (small) fire in me again on a hot Friday night in Brighton.

Double Gig Week!

Small Stories (3 October 2025)

Not just a double gig week - but back to back on Tuesday and Wednesday. A week of firsts and lasts too.

Tuesday was a trip to Bath to see Edwyn Collins with old friends David, Ben and Colin. The four of us in the car had also travelled together to see Orange Juice in 1984 and we met another old chum in Michael. It seemed an appropriate way to see the man off as he takes on the last tour of his career.

Early reports had said his Glasgow show was 'bittersweet'. We didn't get that, we got uplifting. After all his health problems he could still tackle a 90-minute 22-song set and the voice was still there.

That set was split 50/50 between Orange Juice songs and his solo work. Falling and Laughing was a highlight but I've chosen The Campaign for Real Rock, the opening track of his 1994 album Gorgeous George. A dig at style over substance and the watering down of rock, particularly at festivals, it's a pretty good manifesto.

And on the subject of real rock, the next night it was a trip to Oxford to see Coach Party. The gig was an 'outstore' show (a first for me) to celebrate the release of new album Caramel at the Jericho Tavern. Also my first time at that cracking little venue.

The band played the album live and then did a signing. It was another superb, energetic show with my favourite from the new album (at the moment) being Disco Dream.

The Cramps: You Got Good Taste

Small Story - 26 July 2025

We had a visit from Thames Water this week. Specifically, one of their employees who takes samples after reports of water tasting funny. It seemed to involve running a lot of water and occasionally filling up small bottles and jars. 

It wasn't us that reported it. Someone nearby must have complained and we obviously lived close enough to get a visit. It's the second time in a couple of months.

I wasn't aware of anything wrong with the water but maybe some people just have better taste than me.

You Got Good Taste appears on psychobilly legends The Cramps' magnificent 1983 live mini-album Smell of Female. I got to see them play live in Bristol in 1990. They were extraordinary.

So, for all you Gucci bag carriers out there...

Wire: Heartbeat

Small Story - 13 July 2025

After my loss of consciousness a couple of weeks ago I was back at the doctor's for some tests. I had some blood taken for analysis and was also hooked up for an ECG.

First time I'd had one. There were wires attached to sticky pads around my heart and also to my wrists and ankles. It took longer to hook me up to the machine than for it to do the job and tell me that there was nothing wrong with my ticker. Good news.

How fortunate for this series of posts then that post-punk legends Wire have a song called Heartbeat. It's from their second album, Chairs Missing, which was released in 1978 and also contains the fantastic I Am the Fly.

The Monkees: The Door Into Summer

Small Story - 11 July 2025

Rare excitement at Tea at Johnny's Towers this week as we had a new front door installed. I thought I'd recognise this event with a 'door' song. 

As I'd already used The Fall's My Door is Never my attention turned to The Doors but they seemed more interested in back doors. The door is a dark blue so that also rules out Green Door. Sorry Jim Lowe and Shakin' Stevens. 

So The Monkees become the choice with their The Door Into Summer from the 1967 album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.

As we're into the third heat wave of the year a door into summer seems doubly appropriate. The lyrics highlight a man more interested in making money (from 'the war') rather than enjoying life. That might have happened in the sixties but surely wouldn't go on now.

Tinie Tempah: Pass Out

Small Story - 27 June 2025

I don't want this blog to become a 'what's wrong with me this week' noticeboard but that's the way it seems to be going. This week I did, in fact, pass out.

I was at the desk, listening to the Horace Silver Quintet album Song for My Father* and moving some files about when I suddenly felt incredibly anxious. And then I woke up.

I felt pretty bad straight afterwards and Mrs Tea at Johnny's dialled 111 but, long story short, it doesn't appear to be anything serious thankfully. I was worried it might have been a seizure but the nurse practitioner I saw suggests it was a vasovagel. That's a new one on me. More tests in a couple of weeks.

I don't know much about Tinie Tempah but I do know that I like Pass Out, his 2010 chart-topper that would go on to win the Brit Award for Song of the Year the following year.

I do have something in common with Mr Tempah, in that we've both been to Southampton and neither have us have been to Scunthorpe.. 

* Did the discordance of this Hard Bop classic cause the unconsciousness, in whole or part? I'm not going to listen again to test the theory.

Queen: Flash

Small Stories - 15 June 2025

I was out with my friends Ben, David and Dave for an occasional curry meet-up this week when something happened.

I started to experience flashing lights in the left side of my left eye. It was very strange, I've never had that before. I thought it was reflections from the lights off the cutlery or Ben's watch or the mirror behind where we were sat so I didn't say anything. But when we left the restaurant it continued.

I've heard of optical migraines but I had no headache and I could still see perfectly well. It seemed to be something in my peripheral vision.

After doing a bit of online research it seemed like these flashes in the eye aren't a good thing. a day or so later I was also getting an increasing problem with floaters in my eye. (Not those sort of floaters, grow up.)

I went into my opticians and explained the issue and was immediately sent into triage. I was there for three and a half hours as they searched for the problem and was eventually referred to hospital.

Turns out I have a partially-detached retina. I've had some laser retinopexy to stop the problem from getting worse and have a follow-up appointment in a couple of weeks.

My thanks to all the professionals at the Swindon town centre Specsavers and Great Western Hospital who helped me navigate this over the last few days.

So I think I'm allowed to choose Flash by Queen which reached number ten in 1981 and is the theme song to the film Flash Gordon which came out the year before.

I can't hear it without thinking of Frank Sidebottom's (superior) version though.