Not so swell

Nikki Sudden, legendary singer with Swell Maps died after a show in New York on Sunday. The short-lived Swell Maps - his brother Epic Soundtracks died a few years ago - remain an almost undiscovered by-way of late 70s music - neither punk, nor art rock but some amalgam of the two. Go buy the records. Last night's Verberate was a resounding success, ably managed by Zoe, and a mixture of the entertaining, the funny and the poignant, though inevitably more of the latter, since it included several remarkably confident readers speaking in their second language. The first Verberate live CD, produced with help from Citizen 32, is playing as I type, and it's good idea, that I hope they get a chance to repeat. Escaping the rain - it is Manchester, after all - the night went on; the 24 hour city only available in town as Fallowfield seemed closed or costly. It means I'm hardly capable of doing any of the things I was planning to do today, or even remembering what they are! I feel dumb, dull tasks are the order of the day - lying on the couch, looking out the window, watching the birds skating on the thermals.