It was the 'Fuse' night at the Victoria Inn on Friday.

It's always a good gig there, but this one was out of this world.

If you missed it, you missed out on a fantastic gig!!

The first act was Sura Laynes. However, although it was supposed to be Tommy and Pablo, unfortunately Pablo couldn't get out of commitments and Tommy had to go it alone.

Despite a thieving so-and-so pilfering his capot from the beer garden, John had a spare ( probably from someone who forgot it at a previous gig!) and all was good again. So Tommy's set was about 5 songs longer than it would have been minus capot he said!!

We've seen him a few times now, and he has a sweet voice. He also has an axe to grind with people like Boris Johnson who made a complete cock up of the Covid crisis and he expressed this in a song. He has a plethora of songs and how he remembers them all is a mystery to me. He is reliable and is always a good act.  He is also very amiable with the audience and has a good rapport with people. He gave the gig a solid start which must have been terrifying for him as he is not usually performing alone.

The second act was Headgazers which Jade enjoyed ( I did as well!) and Jade is writing about them at this minute!

Jade- "Headgazer are one amazing, beautiful shoegaze band. I loved seeing them play at The Victoria Inn with Julie and June. I feel blessed for having seen them - it felt like a beautiful, intimate gig and I would love to see them again. You can follow them on socials!"

Have a look at them!

The headliners were fascinating.

They were a 4 piece band called Silverstate hailing from Lincoln.

They reminded me at first of being a bit like the Arctic Monkeys at times but they were so much more heavier.

The overriding opinion I had of them was that they were enjoying the gig so very much- and it showed in their performance on stage and in their music.

We loved them. They threw themselves into playing their instruments and headbanged through much of their set and thoroughly enjoyed themselves and it was wonderful to see.

It looked as though a couple of them might be brothers, they looked so similar.

Their original songs were brilliant and I will look them up as they are so refreshing.

The drummer absolutely slayed a solo piece in one of their songs.

But the best bit of all, for me a Radiohead fan, was a cover of one of their songs.

Now, I've heard 'Creep' for a gazillion times played, lets face it, mostly in a mediocre manner. Some, I've even had to go outside to get away from the band torturing the song because I like Radiohead.

But my word, Silverstate were something else.

They played 'Just'. 

Oh my god, it was brilliant. The rhythm and lead guitars were in sync and Johnny Greenwood would have been proud of them.

The bass player was wonderful all night long, as was the drummer.

You really have to see this band live. They are amazing.

If you missed this gig, then you missed out on an excellent night with superb acts.

The #Flash night at the #HairyDog had a good line up. Locals #TheRedLine were up first, #Rivia from #Liverpool were second and the headliners were the #Floodhounds, a combo of local and Sheffield talent.
The Red Line are known as a 5 piece #AltRock band from Derby. #Vocalist Jamie was in fine form and gave a solid performance. I actually think his voice is really suited to the heavier sound of The Red Line.
Connall was a smashing #drummer. He had bags of energy, he was extremely powerful and he didn't half give the drum kit a good walloping- it sounded great and he looked good with his mane of auburn hair! The guitarists Josh and Cole played very well and provided a rock vibe to the set, bassist Cam formed the other half of the rhythm section with Connall. They sounded more polished than the last time I saw them, which means they must have put a lot of hard work into their rehearsals and it shows. Visually, the band filled the stage with their presence and were exciting to watch.
Rivia, a four piece band from Liverpool, were the next to deliver their set. The drummer enjoyed twizzling his drumsticks around his fingers during his playing, and I don't think he dropped any! He provided a solid rhythm section along with the female #bass player. The #guitarist was also good and the vocalist was engaging. This band was adept at firing up the audience and getting us to participate in vocals! The singer could wrap the crowd around his little finger!
Finally, the Floodhounds came on. I've seen these headliners before and they take my breath away. #LaurenScanlon is a fantastic drummer and she must have been worn out after this set because she never stopped. The bass player Anna is also fantastic at her craft. The bassist and drummer also provided backing vocals Jack, the guitarist/lead vocalist was brilliant as always and he played a lovely ivory white guitar. They produce a driving, rock sound and the songs aren't too long, which means that they manage to cram into their set loads and loads of #songs! I think the Floodhounds must spend hours and hours and hours rehearsing to be able to give a rock performance like this.
Another good night!😊

 As someone who is neurodivergent it does you good to keep in touch with nature. It's almost as important as music for us!

Jade writes:

"Today we visited Codnor Park Reservoir.

It is lovely and sunny, even two ducks came up to say 'Hello!'

There was a fisherman, and people enjoying being out in Nature. We sat on a bench and Julie took photographs and videos of our lovely visit."

It was the Bang! night at the Hairy Dog on Sunday.

There were 3 bands playing- Neurosys ( who have appeared several times at the open mic night run by Gez Addictive), SKUM (I've seen SKUM before at 1 or 2 open mic nights) and Ghrul, who were headlining.

Of all of the bands I preferred the second act called SKUM. There's something very endearing about the vocalist. His emotions are raw and echoed in his lyrics and in his singing style. He paces like a leopard up and down the front of the stage. You just know that what he's singing about is what he has experienced in actual life. The musicians are excellent and really support the singer. I can't see this band enough. They're really good. And well worth the money for a ticket for this band alone! Their music is a mix of Nu-metal and with a bit of rapping thrown into the mix, making it quite unique!

The first band was Neurosys. Jade absolutely loves this young band, although she missed this gig. The young vocalist in this band had a chest voice for the higher parts of the song and diaphragm voice for the deeper more demonic sounding growling elements of the music. I like the young lad's physicality with his singing. He places his left hand on his stomach when he sings the harsher parts of the music. He was bent over at times and he got the crowd going and they moshed like good 'uns! The musicians supporting their vocalist were amazing. They were heavy enough to maintain the audience's attention and then let loose with rampant abandon!!

The final act was Ghrul. I knew there was something about the sound which I wasn't too sure of. It was heavy, but it was deliberately slow and it took a bit of time for me to get used to it!

All in all it was a good night.

The bar staff and Laura handling tickets on the door were, again, busy and hard working and are a credit to Mr. Keenan, along with the doormen.

I ended up watching Seattle Thrift Store on my own as Jade was overwhelmed with things over the past few days. 

The blurb told us to 'expect an atmospheric first half, recreating the legendary MTV Unplugged performances'. Well, STS lived up to the blurb. The acoustic first set was amazing and featured several Nirvana songs, amongst others. The second set gave the electric sound of In Bloom by Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden, two anthemic songs by Hole and much more.The  singer/bass player really was a standout performer with her immaculate rendition of Celebrity Skin, she looked the part, as well. It was a good night, lots of singing along with the band and dancing. I bought a little treat from their merch stand to take back for Jade.

Tonight is the Bang! session again, at the Hairy Dog Derby, beginning at 6pm until 9pm. It features Ghrul, SKUM and Neurosys. I've seen SKUM before and I really like their raw sound which is a heavy type of nu-metal, Neurosys we've both seen at several open mic nights at the Hairy Dog and they're good as well.  

...also known as Deano!

"Hello, Deano! Hope you're keeping well. Here are some Q's for you to answer, if you don't mind!"

Q1- How do you define what you do Deano, as a Promoter and a manager?

A-1 "As a promoter, where do I start?

I always set out as a promoter to bring the best up coming bands to Derby as I was bored off having to travel over to Nottingham for gigs Every single band I book to play our shows I have personally make sure I have seen them live travelling all round the British Isles to see them play. As a manager of a band it's literally none stop applying for the bands to play on festivals and also being a bit cheeky and asking bands I have seen for support slots. On top of that making sure they get rehearsal time, also sorting out travel to and from gigs there playing on top of that managing there bookings and chasing invoices for gigs they have played, then sorting out tours, hotels, photo shoots, radio appearances. I speak to one member of the bands at least once a day also sending there stage specs over to venues the list is endless to be fair, but I love it."

Q2- What made you go into Promoting?

A-2 "I went into promoting as a dare Christmas Day 2023 my lad who was 15 at the time said that he wanted me to put on a gig for his 16th birthday in November 24 so after a few soft drinks ha,ha! one night in the pub I got chatting to people and set the wheels in motion".

Q3- Considering that we've seen your phone, how vital is it for you to keep organised around the bands you put on? ps. with its hi-tech gadgetry it's very impressive!

A-3 "I have to be so organised I have 3 diaries currently. One for the Derby Indie Collective gigs and Hot Fuzz bookings. One for gigs I am helping out with behind the scenes and also gigs I am going to. And diary 3 is one just for Taylor Liam Jackson bookings only. My phone is also like a diary, I have alarms go off in my calendar for every single gig I am going to, putting on or managing 31 days before they happen so I never forget one."

Q4- Do you see yourself more as a fan or a Promoter of Indie bands? Or both?

A-4 "I am generally a massive music fan and always have been, whether it being going to gigs, buying records, listening to music- always looking out for new music. My range in genre of music is varied I got brought up on the Beatles, Queen, Iron Maiden- my Mum and Dad was rock fans, my eldest sister was into The Smith's and then later rock music as well, my other sister was a girly girl and loved cheesy 80s pop Brother Beyond, Wham, Spandau Ballet. Then my brother was a raver and he introduced me to the Indie scene Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, James, The Farm. Then me, I was a teenager and into my 20s when the Britpop scene was about in the 90s. I never set out to become a promoter I just got the bug for it after the first gig I put on!"

Q5- With your (retirement plan!) Taylor Liam Jackson and the bands, what type of a manager are you?  Are you strict/lenient/ or a combination of both?
A-5 "Ha,ha, my retirement plan, Taylor Liam Jackson. I like to think if you asked him what kind of manager I am I would like to think he would say I am protective of the band but I have to be strict with them as well, sometimes, but on top of that I work my nuts of for the lads behind the scenes. When I first met Taylor I told him let me take him under my wing and I will get him on the best gigs I possibly can and I like to think I have kept my word on that one for him. I would also like to think that despite being serious and organised for the lads we all have a proper laugh together and I am also planning a year ahead as well, not just for tomorrow. I think my words to Taylor first time I was chatting to him was I have never managed a band before so let's get on the surf board together and ride the waves and enjoy the fecking ride, haha!"

Q6- How do you manage a musician who is neurodivergent? What are their strengths, in your experience?

A-6 "How do I manage him? He is such a great kid, but I have to be careful with the lad, if I tell him about a gig in say December, but he has a gig tomorrow he will be off promoting his gig in December, ha,ha! At the beginning of the month I tell him all the gigs that month and he has to promote them all like mad. I also have to look after him as he takes everything people says to him on board and he will never say no to anyone. His strengths are his ability to write songs at the drop of a hat and his manner with people in the public- the most lovable lad I have ever met. A genuine gem."

Q7- What bands have you seen as a fan in your past and which is your favourite ( I think I know the last part!!)?

So, at the Delta Echo Fest 2026 on Saturday 28th March one event was held at #MrShawsHouse, Sadlergate, Derby.It was an acoustic set with these acts appearing, in this order- Leah Wilcox, 2/3rds of Sura Laynes!, Graveyard Cop and Leyland Franklin.It got quite busy in Mr. Shaw's House and it was a successful day!
Leah Walsh was the first act to appear. I hadn't seen Leah before and she was fine.Her guitar work almost sounded a little like Spanish guitar playing at times and her voice strong and was a little gravelly towards the end of the set, which suited her, as
she had "been singing at an Irish bar" the night prior! Her songs were personal and self penned.A talented singer songwriter I would recommend that if you haven't already seen Leah Wilcox you really should!
Sura Laynes said that they were missing one third of their band! But these two fellows were great.Talented singer songwriters with a keen sense of humour- which made me laugh like a drain! Keep the squirty cream joke in, lads!!Excellent guitarists, this duo played their set extremely well and both had voices which complimented each other during their harmonies.I've seen Sura Laynes a few times before and they're good!
Graveyard Cop was the third act. A solo act, this singer songwriter was well supported in the audience and it's nice to see when someone hastheir family and friends rooting for them. He sang a couple of songs from 'Skeeve', his previous group which disbanded. He has a lovely, gentle voiceand a talent for singing ballads. I've seen him before as Graveyard Cop and also as the frontman/lead guitarist in 'Skeeve' and I'd go to see him perform again.
The final act was Leyland Franklin. I've seen Leyland before and he didn't disappoint this time either.He is also a singer/songwriter and I remember that one of his songs was about a 17 year old who died, which was heartbreaking when he sang it at the Victoria Inn, Derbyand still stirred the emotions this time.
I'd pay to see any of these artists perform in the future but we were lucky enough to be treated to a free show today, which was fantastic.
It was good to see Mr. Shaw's House crammed again, and also to see some familiar faces.

Steve Ignorant, Carol Hodges and Band at the Hairy Dog

Well, this afternoon we went to the Quad in Derby for a lovely cup of tea and a brownie and then onto the Hairy Dog for a drink before tonight's show which was Genesis Songbook, a tribute act.

They played 'Turn it on again' and 'Mama' along with some early stuff in the first half of the set and then in the second half they played a lot of the more popular ones. The audience loved it- and this included some stalwart Genesis fans who were cheering along and having a right good time! The set ended with 'I know what I like ( in your wardrobe)' after songs including 'Follow you, Follow me' ( a bitter sweet song for me), 'Abacab' and 'Jesus, he knows me'. They were all good musicians and the lead guitarist played a double necked guitar at times. The drummer had help from the singer who turned out to be a good drummer as well, and it was good to see two kits on the stage. The singer had a good voice and a magnificent stage presence, winding the audience up with hand gestures for applause and he did a spectacular display with his tambourine, hitting different parts of his body with it, including his head, his knees and his feet! The keyboard player was amazing and did the group proud. There was a film playing in the background while they were on stage and it was interesting to watch. This band was well worth watching and if they come to Derby again you should really make sure you see them! Good value for money as well!

The title of the event at the Dubrek Studios, Derby on Friday 13th 2026 was 'Two Piece or not two piece? 6 men, 3 bands, no bassists'.

This event was wicked. Each of the duos had something different to offer the audience-and we were in for a treat!

The night kicked off with the Atomic Tide.

This was the third time we'd seen this band..and they just keep on getting better. This duo's self-penned songs are upbeat and catchy. Connor the drummer is also the vocalist and he performed well and sang well.

Jake the guitarist moved his feet with the music while he was playing, stepping around. Visually he attracts your attention with this movement, and retains your attention with his guitar skills! He's such a good guitarist. I was transfixed watching his hands fly along the frets.

Atomic Tide were an excellent band to start the evening with and they were exciting to watch and hear.

The next group up was Cull Season, a duo who have as their bio on Instagram " Cruelty Free, Bassist Free, Vegan 2-piece punk band from Derby".

They sounded like good people and Jade is going to write about them later. 

This Indie Night event involved Nigel Clark, the lead singer from the Britpop group 'Dodgy', who was supported by The Mancunions at Mr. Shaw's House.
Unfortunately, due to power cuts along the street the venue had to be changed to the Old Bell Hotel at Sadlergate, which was built in 1655 as a prestigious coaching inn and is now a Grade II listed building.
This caused a lot of last minute change and extra work for the Indie Night and Karl and Emma Shaw of Mr. Shaw's House in redirecting the audience etc, but they managed well.
It was the first time I'd been in one of the rooms at the Old Bell Hotel and it was an absolutely beautiful venue. The room we were in had architecture in the Regency style and according to the website, this room was built in 1900. The room had 2 large oval stained glass lanterns, which were stunning.

A beautiful place to see a gig at, and the management had helped out Karl and Indie Night at short notice, so kudos to The Old Bell.
The support group the Mancunions told us that they are usually a 4 piece band, but due to work responsibilities etc. they had come out tonight as a duo on acoustic and electric guitar.
They were very good and sang and played really well. Their voices were clear and strong. The audience liked them and they played a good set of original songs.
They were a really good act.

It was time for Nigel Clark to come on. He sat down and played his acoustic guitar faultlessly. Sporting a natty yellow hat over his blonde, curly hair Nigel was a laugh a minute.
He had a glass of white wine with him as he regaled the audience with tales and sang songs.
During the set he sang the 'Dodgy' hits 'Staying out for the Summer' and 'Good Enough'. My word! He did not need a backing group at all! He was brilliant!
His voice was really strong and his lyrics were clear and loud.
Nigel's sense of humour was evident in the evening and he even got the Derby lot to sing along with him as his backing singers on a few songs!
At one memorable point, he even got us meowing like cats!!

Despite saying at the start that he didn't do requests, he did play one for the lad who danced all evening who had Down's Syndrome, and it was 'Sweet Caroline'. The audience stuck in all the popular extra bits- that aren't strictly in the original lyrics- with gusto! Nigel then awarded the lad his guitar pick and the lad was over the moon with his gift.
The audience loved Nigel- and I hope he loved us.

Cannot wait to see Nigel Clark and his support return to Derby in the future. We'll be there.

Then for a snack and drinks at the Hairy Dog, where Jade shared that she felt 'edgy' ( she thinks it was more linked to her neurodivergent condition than MH) and we had to come home early.

In the meantime, go and visit the website for Mr. Shaw's House https://mrshaw75.co.uk/shop/ where you can find some beautiful, original clothing which celebrates Derby!
And remember...for all your design needs you can also contact Karl Shaw, who is an excellent designer, via his website above.

All in all, another good night out in Derby!

Right- Graveyard Cop setting up for his part of the show.

#DanielTroop was the first act to get on the stage at the #VictoriaInn on Sunday 18th January.He played an #acoustic guitar and was quietly confident.

His name on the billing was 'DT- songs for the people' and his self penned songs each told a story.

He was a really talented guitarist and he had the ability to chat with the audience like a good un.

His voice had a clarity to it and his lyrics were thoughtful. He describes his music as being influenced by folk, acoustic-indie and grunge. He was a really interesting artist who we enjoyed listening to- and it's refreshing to hear so many original songs.

Daniel Troop is one to watch, I think.

Perhaps one of my most favourite bands ever is the #Stranglers. I had the #RattusNorvegicus album when it came out and the cover is iconic- a black rat walking jauntily in front of a red sunset and foliage.
Every song is perfect.
Every song is built up of different layers from each musician and I always liked that part of them. 
Last year someone asked me if I could only listen to one song forever then what song would it be?

My answer- #Toulouse by the Stranglers. Always will be.

For various reasons, I never got to see the Stranglers before Hugh Cornwall played his last gig with them on August 11th 1990 at Alexandra Palace, and I just couldn't bear to see them without him afterwards.

So, I was looking forward to seeing this band that were playing at the #VictoriaInn, Derby. Somehow, between booking the tickets and the gig Rattus Inheritus had discarded Inheritus and were #Rattus. I liked that. Simpler.

However, I really couldn't visualise just how they were going to have a keyboard player who could come anywhere close to the late, great Dave Greenfield. There was no way.

So, I thought that if a keyboard player could get through this set without murdering every song, then that would be good. And to his credit, the keyboard player did an amazingly good job, a lot better than I was anticipating. Yes, there was the occasional tiniest slip, but the majority was fine. He was fantastic! He had a #Hammond keyboard in a burgundy colour and a few more keyboards around him. The guitarists had #Fender brand guitars, like the original band favoured.

The lead singer, complete with backing vocals by the bassist and keyboard player, was very good, he made a fine job of singing the lyrics and he played the guitar extremely well.

The band are obviously a few decades younger than the band they cover. Hugh Cornwall is 76 years old now, Jean Jacques Burnel a little younger at the age of 73 years. Jet Black and Dave Greenfield have passed away but were 84 years and 71 years old respectively when they died, but Dave would have been more around Hugh's age now and Jet would have been 87, born in the same year as my late Dad.

Anyway, the set started with the band entering the stage to the sound of #Genetix and the lead vocalist said that they were going to play songs from a band 'who knew what was what about world affairs decades ago' and after the bassist and vocalist kicked each other's foot for good luck, they set off into a cracking rendition of Shah-shah-a-go-go. It was brilliant!The volume of the music throbbed into the floor and fittings of the room. Wonderful! The room was packed with an appreciative audience who loved the set.

The bass player was excellent. He didn't miss a beat. Professional.The other half of the rhythm section was a fabulous drummer. Jet Black had always made playing the drums look so easy, but when you watched this drummer- never missing a beat to all these Strangler classics- it was quite obvious that Jet had made it look easy when it was far from it. His arms were moving quickly and he must have burned off so many calories! #Duchess and Nice 'n Sleazy were played, as well as other tracks. The last song in this part of the set was #Longships from the Raven album and it was cracking! At the end of the set all the musicians were sweating, despite the temperature being in the minus figures outside! They were extremely ready for the break in the evening!
The musicians were open to speaking to fans and listening to people asking for requests, which was really lovely.

Unfortunately, Jade was feeling overwhelmed by the evening and she wanted to move on.

Jade described it as "My brain says 'Oh, you're really enjoying this!' Well, you're overwhelmed and you're going to have to leave now, whether you've loved it or not!".

And that's the way it is.

This time it's not caused by being neurodivergent, this time it was down to Jade's MH condition.

We've learned to just go with the flow.

I don't know what songs were going to be played in the second part of the set, but I imagine it was a good selection of Strangler songs and it would have been great.
Instead, we drifted along to the #HairyDog for a drink in a familiar place which had #music played by the resident #DJ #Kris.

An excellent night at the Victoria Inn, Derby and finished at the Hairy Dog!

I'd recommend anyone to go and see Rattus, they do justice to the songs of the Stranglers and I'd pay to see them again, no problem.

4/1/2026

( written while I'm listening to #Genetix by the #Stranglers and other songs).

Jade and I went to the #Quad and had our usual tea. We were going to go to a charity gig at the #VictoriaInn as well a little earlier, but Jade was too tired and we decided to miss that.

Next we went to the #HairyDog at Derby for the gig that I managed to get #2for1 tickets for, which was a clever marketing strategy by the #promoter ( which might be an idea for other promoters to use to boost their sales instead of cancelling gigs). The groups which were playing were #TekkinbackSunday, #MeYouatSix and headliners #ADaytoRememberUK.

Tekkin back Sunday were good. The vocalist was energetic, camp as Christmas and powerful. He sported a faux American accent which he hilariously dropped from time to time into the wonderful, broad Yorkshire accent of their true origin! We really liked this group. The bass player had a white guitar and a silver padlock and chain around his neck. The guitarist also played well and the drummer provided backing vocals which contributed to their heavy sound. The audience absolutely loved this band and they were dancing and singing along. Their set was pretty lengthy and gave good value for money.
I thought I recognised the vocalist, but it wasn't until today that I realised that he is the same man who sings for #Mustardmitt. We'd caught the tail end of that act at the Vic early last year and the singer was literally dripping wet with sweat, so much so that he had to change into a dry T-shirt when he came off stage!

After a brief change over and sound check, Me You at Six came onto the stage. The three guitarists provided a loud sound which the vocalist added to. The drummer provided a solid rhythm. The singer encouraged the audience to gather closer and he really got them dancing and jumping around. A couple of the band resembled TV personalities! Once I'd seen it I couldn't not see it, which was amusing to me.

Jade enjoyed both of these bands ( but my favourite was Tekkin back Sunday).
Prior to A Day to Remember UK coming onto the stage Jade admitted that she'd had enough for the night. Our ways of communicating this to each other and family is Jade ( or the affected person)  to say "I've hit my limit" or another very recent saying we have adopted is "My social battery has run low ( or out)" which I think is a perfect way to express that you need to leave and that it's no one's fault, and our nuclear family understand this. I also felt emotionally 'flat', for some unknown reason. 

Another thing that happened last night was that I had to 'pay' some #ADHD tax.

Basically, I can have anything in my hand and I will lose it.
Over the years I have lost countless umbrellas, sunglasses, pairs of or single gloves, scarves and hats. Every year, consistently losing things.

I used to think it was my fault, why was I so useless? Now I know it is a symptom of my ADHD.

Anyway, in the bar I had my black hat and red leather gloves on the table.I had them when I went to show our tickets to Holly ( who is lovely!).

Between going through the door to the gig room and coming out again I managed to lose them! I have no recollection of what I did with them! So, going out I told Holly about my lost property but to be honest I don't think I'll see them again despite the best searching by the staff. It only involves a small amount of money, but over time these financial losses mount up.

Afterwards we had something light to eat at Matic's kiosk and went to catch the bus home.

3/1/2025

( Written whilst listening to a selection of songs/videos including #Veloria by the #Pixies).

We couldn't find a gig that we fancied on Friday so we dropped back into our second choice activity- the Cinema. Particularly the #Quad Cinema.
We find that it's pretty comfortable for our #neurodivergent needs- it's not crowded, the double seats are comfortable, you can take your drink up with you from the bar, there's chocolate for sale in the foyer and all of the staff are superlative. Every one of them. That's pretty rare!

The show times which we needed pretty much chose the film we were going to see which ended up being "The #Housemaid", rated 15. I didn't really put much hope into it being a good film, it sort of looked as though it might be one of my least favourite genres, a rom-com, and it did have elements which did fit that description including some gratuitous sex scenes (...and why are these scenes always depicted in an impossibly perfect manner, never messy or imperfect!). But my word, once it got going, especially in the second half of the film, it was definitely a woman's movie deliciously shot through with the themes of sisterhood, vengeance and the beginning of the elimination of paternalism in society.
And blood.
Quite a bit of blood...

(ps. we do *not* condone violence in any way. This film is fiction ).
Well worth a watch!

Then we visited a watering hole, The #HairyDog for a quick snifter or two before going to catch the bus. I added a bit of extra #ADHD clumsiness to the walk by slipping on the ice and becoming airborne briefly, before landing on the road. The only things that were bruised were an elbow, ego and my pride as ( of course) I'd fallen in front of an audience!
The lovely #Carrie from the #HairyDog came to see if I was ok, which was really nice of her.In this space, we share inspiration, tips, and stories that help you get the most out of our services. Whether you're looking for helpful tips, background information, or a behind-the-scenes look: you'll find it all here. We regularly post new articles, so keep an eye on the blog for updates and new insights.

30/12/2025

Jade-

This evening was magical. Another amazing experience at The Victoria Inn Derby. THE Matt Peach and Edd Saffell played acoustic covers in the pub room - they took requests. Magical. This was intimate music on another level. Sitting on the seat next to the amazing June and my amazing Panda companion in this amazing pub felt like home. Lovely people having a laugh and a drink, some watching Matt and Edd play before leaving to catch their train ( there was a Derby County match at Leceister). It was also amazing to visit The Hairy Dog afterwards. I've never had a night like it!

Julie-

We'd seen Matt before playing with Kelsey Carter and the Heroines and with Adam Slack and the Bangers. I don't recognise some faces sometimes and I had totally missed that Edd was the Eddie and the Wolves, who we'd also seen play before. It was just like watching someone fantasically good playing in your living room! They had already played a cover of the Proclaimers 500 miles song and their set included 'Where is my Mind' by the Pixies, a Bowie cover, Thin Lizzy and many more. As John the landlord at the Vic intends to put this kind of event on next year to fill that awkward lull between Christmas Day and New Year, we will be heading here again in 2026.

26/12/2025

We decided that it might be fun to ask Jade some questions about her love for music.

Here's the first part!
The first question I asked Jade was-

-"What is the first pop/rock song you remember? And why did you like it?"

Jade's response-"Hello, I look forward to answering your questions. The first pop song I remember is 'Wicked Game' by Chris Isaak. I remember seeing the video as a child, I still like the timeless quality of the song."

"The first rock song I remember hearing is 'Jump they say' by David Bowie. I was at a swimming pool and it was playing. I read that it was written for David Bowie's brother. It is rock that is unique."

( Info.-Bowie's half-brother was 10 years older than him and was called Terry. Terry lived with the severe mental health condition Schizophrenia. Sadly, Terry ended his life as he was struggling with his condition. The stigma around MH was even worse than it is currently.) 

-"What groups have you seen and where?"

Jade-"I've seen lots of groups, I used to travel and see bands in Liverpool, London, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield. I've seen Blancmange at Nottingham Rescue Rooms, The English Beat at Rock City."
( Info.- Jade cannot remember a lot of the bands which she'd seen before her diagnosis in 2013, but I know that she's seen the Pogues, Ian Dury and the Blockheads at Nottingham, Moloko and Garbage at Birmingham, the Skapones at Nottingham and many, many more.)

-"Which live group left an impression on you?"

Jade-"The live group who left an impression on me was #Blancmange at Nottingham Rescue Rooms. It is an intimate venue and it was the gig that felt like a door opening...I remember hearing Blancmange as a child too and after that gig I started experiencing live music again, especially locally."