Sat 27th Dec: Festivities

I have been ill since waking up last Tuesday. I'm still ill. I can't stand this any longer. Any advice for shaking the cold from hell, please let me know...........I'm desperate

(image, christmas card from Andy Hilllman)

Mon 22nd Dec: Ministry Of Fun

When we received summons for the Andy Knight's Christmas Party via a Ration Book with vouchers for drinks, we might have been able to guess the attention to detail on the WWII theme. The South London set builders (to the likes of Tim Walker & Hermes) went CRAZY this year building an entire set straight out of the blitz. They are quite the best "scenesters" in town and this is why:

1) The smoking area outside was a constructed subway station with curved tube wall, black painted tunnel with lights, posters and even a cheeky little banksy graffiti!
2) The band's stage had a video 'sky' showing spitfires in flight through a bombed hole in the fake wall......
3) The dj booth was a masterpiece in scenic painting ......... shrapnel damaged stone, shadowed with meticulous one direction perspective
4) There was an English pub area with real ale and on the opposite side a French bar with wine and a Parisian night sky silhouette through a glass "French" door....................("Double Club" Eat your heart out!)
5) Not to mention the guy wearing an actual life sized grenade costume complete with pin

So what was our studio response to the theme? Andy Hillman's team made a plane for us to carry in sections on entry to the venue. Alex made the pilots moustaches and goggles and I made a couple of quick scarves wired to look like they were flapping in the wind. But the fancy dress winner was photographer Jo Lacey (seen here) who had her hair set especially for the occasion!

Thank you to everyone at Andy Knights for an astonishing evening! An annual event without fail!

Sun 21 Dec: No Days Off Take on The Pallyacho Tapes

The designer's behind the identity of Pure Groove have recently been getting literally hands-on with records, devising a limited edition artwork for London Folktronic act "Barbarossa". Patrick Duffy and Teo Connor have left their computer screens to get messy and double dip a run of 12". Each of the 100 articles has been hand made at their studio by fixing plasticated sleeves with a neon latex seam along each edge. The colour was mixed specially and is that perfect fluro colour that I love which is half way between orange and pink. On the subject of such a colour.............

(Absolutely useless and tenuous trivia from Fred: "Barbarossa" is the Italian for "red beard" due to the facial fuzz of James Mathe, the man behind the music. HOW BIZARRE since the other hotly tipped London act of the moment "La Roux" means "red haired one" in French. La Roux is Kitsune's latest hyped act Elly Jackson who is on tour in Jan/Feb and supporting Lily Allen in March, see: http://www.myspace.com/larouxuk)

"The Pallyacho Tapes" is released tomorrow so to guarantee getting a piece of original vinyl wrapped with love, click on the following:

Roughtrade.com

Puregroove.co.uk

Fencerecords.com

or visit the Rough Trade shop in Notting hill or the Pure groove shop in Farringdon.