Showing posts with label Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox. Show all posts

Sunday, 27 September 2026

Life in plastic, it's fantastic

After a tortuous two-and-a-half-hour journey to even get to the venue [the Piccadilly Line was down for "planned maintenance", our local train line was (as we only discovered when we got to the station) completely up the creek and trains cancelled, so we had to get a bus to Finsbury Park to connect with the Victoria Line, all of which took over an hour, and when we got there that line was itself running a haphazard service so we were crammed in like sardines, before getting to Oxford Circus to change for the Central Line], we had a fun time again at our "film club" evening. We managed to watch two films, despite the delay, and I had never seen either of them - the hilariously slapstick Clue, with its great cast including Lesley-Anne Warren and the late, dearly-departed and sadly-missed Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn and Eileen Brennan...

...and Barbie, with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling! It was a surprising, clever, and brilliantly performed movie indeed, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Missing from its soundtrack, for some inexplicable reason, was Aqua's mega-hit tribute to the classic doll - and, it being Sunday, I was delighted to discover that "our house band" here at Dolores Delargo Towers had indeed done a version of it!

We love Postmodern Jukebox.

Sunday, 20 September 2026

Pictures came and broke your heart


Being adored must be such a burden for a diva

The Madam, John-John and I are off early (for a Sunday) for a most intriguing event this afternoon - a panel discussion at the Southbank Centre hosted by our old friend Rupert Smith titled "Why Do Benders Love Divas?".

Why indeed? We know already, of course, but it'll be interesting to hear what panellists Neil Bartlett, Sadie Lee, David McAlmont and Travis Alabanza have to say about it.

Meanwhile, speaking of "divas"...

...how about a little "Sunday Music", courtesy of our "house band" - and a vocalist who takes on the legendary Freddie Mercury's vocal theatrics very well, but on a most unlikely song indeed:

Enjoy!

Sunday, 6 September 2026

Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin'


Always wear a hat in sunny weather!

After a fantabulosa trip to see the V&A's latest spectacular Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art yesterday, today was a far more sedate affair.

I didn't surface until well after midday. However, being a beautiful sunny late summer's day, after a few cups of coffee to wake up, the rest of the day was spent out in the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers. Madam Arcati had begun the inevitable round of watering and feeding, and I spent a few hours doing the rest. It's amazing how much growth is still in our plants, given that all the talk lately is about Autumn, the shops are full of scarves and padded jackets, and Primark has even got its fucking Hallowe'en tat out on the shelves!

It hit 28C/82F here this afternoon, ffs!

To suit the laid-back mood, here's something a little different from our "house band" [which could also serve as a further "tribute" to Mr Barry Gibb]:

Yee-haa!

Sunday, 19 July 2026

He'll wrap you in his arms, tell you that you've been a good boy


Happy 50th birthday, Benedict Cumberbatch! As I have said before: Magic's come a long way since the days of Tommy Cooper and Paul Daniels...

It's a verrry slow day again today, dear reader. After a mammoth telly-and-film binge (mainly Marvel stuff) at John-John's yesterday [we started at 1pm, and I got home in a taxi at 1am], I didn't even surface today until about 2 o'clock!

At least it's not as searingly hot as it has been of late, so it's quite pleasant to sit out in, and I might, if I feel arsed to, do some pottering in the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers.

Meanwhile, some suitable "Sunday music" from our house band is in order, methinks. [The original version of this was used as the theme tune to Peaky Blinders apparently; I wouldn't know, I have never watched it.] .

On a gathering storm comes a tall handsome man
In a dusty black coat with a red right hand

He'll wrap you in his arms, tell you that you've been a good boy
He'll rekindle all the dreams it took you a lifetime to destroy
He'll reach deep into the hole, heal your shrinking soul
But there won't be a single thing that you can do

Those lyrics bring back memories of cruising grounds of old...

Sunday, 12 July 2026

The Final Frontier?

As I turn once again, on this warm Sunday, to seek some suitably "cool" music from our house band - I was hardly prepared for this extravaganza:

Featuring themes from:

  • Close Encounters of the Third Kind 0:00
  • Doctor Who 0:38
  • Battlestar Galactica 1:06
  • The X Files 1:26
  • E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 1:57
  • Star Wars 2:38
  • 2001: A Space Odyssey 3:10
  • Star Trek: The Original Series 4:10
  • Star Trek: The Next Generation 5:11

Possibly one of the most bizarre things I've seen from PMJ!

Postmodern Jukebox is on tour again in 2026 [when are they ever not?!], but not "crossing the pond" this time around, it seems...

Sunday, 17 May 2026

Music and passion were always the fashion

Still coming down to earth after our fantabulousa Eurovision Song Contest party last night - I finally got to bed after 4am! - and still reeling from the UK entry's disappointing performance [more on that later, no doubt], there is only one thing that can help me now.

As two weeks of hedonism draw inevitably to a close, and I steel myself for "back-to-work-time" tomorrow - our "house band" has come up with the goods! Again...

We love Postmodern Jukebox!

Sunday, 26 April 2026

Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty

We had hazy sunshine all day, but that didn't stop me getting out there to complete a few more tasks in the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers - more big salvias repotted into fresh compost, some primulas that have gone over tidied-up in preparation for their summer hiatus, and I split one of our indoor peace lilies that was looking very sorry for itself and needed a bit of TLC, among other pottering jobs...

Meanwhile... The bastard gnomes at Google/Blogger have been playing silly buggers again. I published a post at around 6 o'clock yesterday. It remained in Limbo, as far as the Blogger Reading List is concerned. Suddenly at 1 o'clock in the morning - boom! There it was...

WTF leads these creatures to think that a five-hour delay is acceptable is beyond me! Yet another blogging annoyance... Sigh.

Never mind, eh? Here's something soothing from our "house band" to ease our troubled souls...

Ah, that's better...

Sunday, 29 March 2026

You make me feel like I am home again


"Peel me a grape, my dear..."

If this is British Summer Time, it's not got off to a good start. It's grey and miserable out there, with a constant threat of rain.

Needless to say, not a day for the garden. It's more a day of light pottering about in the house (I've hung a few more pictures), listening to Radio 2 - and this! Our "house band" here at Dolores Delargo Towers, paying tribute to that "Goth national treasure" Robert Smith - brilliantly, of course:

Ah, that's better.

We love Postmodern Jukebox!

Sunday, 22 February 2026

Life would be much better


Our gorgeous Iris reticulata “Alida” is the star of the moment.

I've had a busy, productive weekend for a change!

I finally got around to rearranging all the "picture walls" in order to accommodate a number of new treasures I've purchased lately and had framed. As you will no doubt be aware, dear reader, I am an avid collector of autographs. We already had such icons as Eartha Kitt, Rita Moreno, Joan Rivers, Marc Almond, Kylie Minogue, Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Joan Collins, Tyne Daly, Bea Arthur, Dame Angela Lansbury and many more on our walls. Recent acquisitions including Dame Shirley Bassey, Liza Minnelli, Dame Judi Dench, Hermione Gingold, Beryl Reid and Hinge and Brackett and more needed space of their own to shine, so began the "Tetris" operation. It's now completed, thank heavens! [For the moment; there's more waiting to be framed yet]

Speaking of "Tetris", the other job that needed to be dealt with was the rearrangement of pots from their temporary places onto the shelving in the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers [that the Madam scrubbed-down on his last day off, just in time for a week of pissing rain]. It was - for a change - a sunny, relatively warm day here in London today, so I tackled that job, too! We now have a full "Spring collection" on display [photos pending...]!

Whew.

By way of a come-down after all that activity, how about a little something from our "house band"? [Although all that leaping about by "Mr Tambourine Man" is hardly relaxing...]

Thank heavens for Postmodern Jukebox!

Saturday, 10 January 2026

And you, you will be queen

Fuck, how time flies! Remarkably it is TEN YEARS today since we lost the greatest of all my icons, the god who walked amongst us, the peerless David Bowie.

As you will be more than aware, dear reader, I have paid due homage to the great man many, many times on this very blog...

Read my week-long series of "Bowie Tracks of the Day" following his untimely death:

Read my two-part magnum opus in tribute to the great man on his 65th birthday in 2012:

I still mourn his loss, needless to say.

As does, it would seem, our "house band" here at Dolores Delargo Towers...

RIP, David. Well done, Sara, Scott Bradlee and the band.

Sunday, 21 December 2025

Some boys romance, some boys slow dance - that's all right with me


Happy Midwinter's Day! It's uphill all the way from now on...

By way of a diversion away from all the forced-jolly Xmas-music shit that's clogging our airwaves, not to mention every shop and every pub, during this Festering Season, how about another slice of genius, courtesy of Mr Scott Bradlee - here moonlighting away from our house band Postmodern Jukebox [although one of its singers does make an appearance]?

Sublime...

Bah Humbug!

Sunday, 30 November 2025

Chasing love up against the sun

After the excess of yesterday's "Film Club" gathering/all-day drinking sesh yesterday, it has (understandably) been another very slow day - I didn't surface until 1.30pm!

A little slice of joy from our "house band" is in order, methinks:

They can make even the very worst songs from Stevie Wonder's crap 1980s era sound good...

Sunday, 23 November 2025

Orff we go!

Madam Arcati and I are off this afternoon for another slice of culture with a capital "K"; to experience the splendid Carmina Burana by Carl Orff - in the magnificently opulent surroundings of the Royal Albert Hall, no less!

Meanwhile, a bit of "Sunday Music" is in order, courtesy of our "house band" here at Dolores Delargo Towers - a classic pop choon as you never heard it before...

Faboo!

Sunday, 5 October 2025

Heard it from a friend who


Just a casual afternoon at home - fuck knows who that kid is, though!

The tail-end of "Storm Amy" has meant this weekend's been another very blustery one - loads of pots blown over again (and two begonias left looking rather sorry for themselves after smashing to the ground) - a good enough excuse (if any were needed) for a very quiet one indeed.

So, as is traditional - here's another Sunday treat, courtesy of our "house band" here at Dolores Delargo Towers...

So much better than the original...

We love Postmodern Jukebox!

Sunday, 28 September 2025

The ruin of many a poor boy


Fondue, anybody?

It's been dank, mizzly and grey all day today - probably just as well I had no plans, and had a good lie-in 'till 1pm...

Time for some "Sunday Music" to cheer us all up, methinks - courtesy of our "house band" here at Dolores Delargo Towers:

We love Postmodern Jukebox!

Sunday, 31 August 2025

You think you've got it, oh, you think you've got it


That's Sunday dinner sorted

It's my last day of freedom, dear reader - and true to form, I didn't surface till after 1pm. It's blustery as hell out there, so although there have been moments of bright sunshine to enjoy, mostly it's been threatening to piss down, so no pottering in the garden unfortunately.

Instead, let's welcome in some much-needed "Sunday music", shall we, courtesy once more of our "house band" here at Dolores Delargo Towers...

Love it!

Love Postmodern Jukebox!

Sunday, 20 July 2025

If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it


A view up my soggy back passage

This weekend's been a bit of a washout so far - gloomy, humid and we've had some torrential downpours! Shame. I had a few jobs lined up for the garden today. Hopefully it may brighten up later so I can tackle them...

Never mind, let's instead wallow in some appropriate "Sunday Music", courtesy of our "house band" here at Dolores Delargo Towers:

Lovely.

We adore Postmodern Jukebox!

Sunday, 15 June 2025

Never coming home


Happy National Beer Day!

Stil coming down to earth after the fantabulosa send-off on Friday night for The Shaston Arms/Lady Shaston [more on that later, no doubt - when anyone gets around to posting any photos!] (and an evening on the gin and cider with Madam Arcati's sister last night), today has been very, very quiet indeed.

Let's let our simply faboo "house band" take the strain, shall we? This one is one hell of a demonstration of Miss Effie Passero's vocal talents...

I am in awe.

For anyone (that includes me) who is unfamiliar with the original - check here for the (surprisingly tear-jerking) video.

Sunday, 18 May 2025

I'm smiling...


A view up my back passage; new garden shelving to the left of the photo [click to embiggen]

It's been a real "recovery day" today, dear reader.

I finally turned in at 4am after our fantabulosa Eurovision party last night [more on that later, no doubt]!

I'm inevitably the "last man standing" after any such do - and the guests departed (or had gone to bed; the boys from Essex were staying over) by 2am - but after all that (and after clearing the entire buffet and assorted detritus such as used plates, plastic cups et al into the bins) I love a chance to enjoy the silence for a while.

It has, however, been a heavy week of slog - in the house and in the garden - so [despite having my sleep disturbed by the stupid, yapping Pomeranian dog that our delightful neighbours - instead of walking the fucking thing - shut out in their garden every morning at around 7am] I really needed a good rest, and slept in until almost midday. Despite having arisen, had coffee and a few fags, I was still weary - so (unaccustomed as I am to doing so) I went to bed again...for another two hours!

Hey ho. I had no plans, other than taking down the flags and bunting from the party anyhow...

I think a little "Sunday Music" from our "house band" is in order:

It's not like me to play anything by that "culture-leech" GaGa, but since I don't even know the original, and the PMJ ladies do such a great job of this - and it's the last knockings before I return to work tomorrow - I forgive myself!

Sunday, 30 March 2025

Won't somebody help me chase these shadows away?


RIP, the lovely Richard Chamberlain (31st March 1934 - 29th March 2025)

We may have lost an hour in bed today - but British Summer Time is here! Yay!

I have made the most of the beautiful, warm sunshine today, and tackled another couple of huge pots - a phlox and a geranium [yes, we do have a lot of each], split up and repotted, all the while accompanied by the chilled-out sounds of Radio 2 - and trying to drown out the demon children next door who, to add insult to injury, now have a small, yappy dog to keep them hyped-up and screaming. I am going to thank their parents profusely next time I see them...

Speaking of "chilled-out", how about another faboo choon from our "house band" Postmodern Jukebox? That'll do nicely for "Sunday Music"!

Wonderful, as ever.