Paul profile picture

Paul

About Me


Firstly, thank you for finding me!Born in Bristol, a city I love, I now live a short journey outside the city with my wife and son.
I've been a musician for quite a while now. OK, so it's hardly been a life of rock'n'roll excess. I've never thrown a telly out of a hotel window - well, not that I remember! I was however, guitarist with indie-pop band The Haywains back in the 80's and early 90's. We never 'made it' to the dizzy heights of Top Of The Pops, but we did however, have a lot of fun and got to make a few records in the process. John Peel played our music, which to me, was more important than Top Of The Pops anyway! These days, I'm in a band called The Westfield Mining Disaster. I'm afraid we're a little too old for sleeping in the back of rented vans - I left all that behind with my youth - but we are however, still making records and still playing the odd show for good measure.
I'm a self confessed record collecting geek - mostly early punk and indie stuff, but I love any kind of music that is innovative and challenging - soul, reggae, jazz, country, electronica, ambient - you name it. What I don't like is over-produced music. After all, anyone can make a half decent record with big budgets and endless corporate sponsorship at their disposal. I prefer to hear the human element. The same goes for movies - I prefer a camera to CGI gimmicks any day.
Away from music, I'm interested in modern art history, realist literature, socialism, existentialism and, best of all, beerism!
So, thank you for visiting! Please 'add me' if you feel inclined. I won't just respond with 'thanks for the add' (yawn) - I'll genuinely check you out. As for friend requests from bands? Yes please. I think it's rather ignorant that some people don't accept requests from bands. After all, bands are only trying to reach an audience, so why not give them a chance? If I discover my next favourite band via a friend request from Christmas Island then why not? Just one thing though - please, please don't ask me to 'vote' for your band - sorry, but that's sad - you should be doing better things with your band than begging strangers for virtual votes. Just make a record instead - and if it's good, I'll gladly add it to my collection.
Look after yourself and maybe we'll meet in person at a gig somewhere. Until then, take care!
Best Wishes,
Paul.

My Interests

I'd like to meet:

The thieving git who stole my jacket in Blackpool!

My Blog

DJ Set for 'Big Pink Cake'

Thank you to all who attended Big Pink Cake in Bristol on Saturday 6th June. People sometimes ask what records get played at the DJ nights. Matthew, Rocker and Scott all played brilliant sets, and her...
Posted by on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:53:00 GMT

Euro Elections - Let's keep the fascists out!!!

OK, so I guess we're all pretty miffed off with British politics at the moment. Many of us have quite rightly lost all faith in the entire parliamentary system. Fraudulent MPs from all parties may now...
Posted by on Fri, 29 May 2009 08:31:00 GMT

An end to Westminster's 'Gentleman's Club'?

First the bankers, then the police, now our politicians. Just how much more deception can possibly lie our so-called 'respected' British institutions? Let's face it though, the current row over MPs ex...
Posted by on Wed, 20 May 2009 09:41:00 GMT

Justice for Ian Tomlinson

In the light of the brutal, unprovoked attack on innocent bystander Ian Tomlinson by riot police just moments before his tragic death at the G20 protest last week, it would seem that we are witnessing...
Posted by on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:10:00 GMT

Stop The Royal Mail Sell Off!

I've often thought that being able to send a letter anywhere in the country, for it to ordinarily arrive the next working day, and for all this to cost just a few pence is a truly wonderful service th...
Posted by on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 02:54:00 GMT

BBC - Stop 'Playing God' over Gaza

Shame on the BBC for refusing to broadcast the Disasters Emergency Committee's appeal in aid of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The BBC's absurd suggestion that airing the appeal would 'compromise' t...
Posted by on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:41:00 GMT

2009 - Thirty Years Since Thatcherism

The arrival of a new year is always a time for both reflection and anticipation. This new year though, I spare a thought for the many unsuspecting, hard working people who have fallen victim of the cu...
Posted by on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:48:00 GMT

Why do the NME keep banging on about Oasis?

Why do the NME keep banging on about Oasis? OK, so they're still a 'good' band in a lyrically-remedial kind of way, but why all the fuss? Let's not forget, this is the very band who humiliate the fema...
Posted by on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 04:56:00 GMT

The Bush regime is dead! Congratulations Barack Obama.

What a wonderful day for the world! The Bush regime is dead and imperialistic neo-fascism has taken a kick in the teeth. I woke up this morning with a feeling that a curse on this planet had suddenly ...
Posted by on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 01:29:00 GMT

Voting Tory is not the answer to economic recession

I hate to think of Britain living under another tyrannical term of Tory rule. Sadly though, it appears that those dreaded Conservatives are readily gaining popularity in the electoral opinion polls. O...
Posted by on Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:24:00 GMT