Geoff Stockham

"Oh My God!"

That's the first track of the new It Bites album, "The Tall Ships", and it pretty much sums up my reaction to it.  I've waited 19 years since the last studio album but it certainly was worth the wait.  Ever since it was announced that John "how many bands?" Mitchell had taken over lead duties from Frank Dunnery I knew this would be a good album.  Kino's Picture is among my top 5 albums, and his work with Arena, Frost* and the Urbane is exemplary.

So, a quick review...

This combines the best of old and new.  Some parts are pure old-school IB ("Oh My God", "Great Disasters", "The Wind That Shakes The Barley") but other tracks bear the mark of JM's other bands - especially the Urbane on "Memory of Water" and "Fahrenheit".  And there's even room for a 15 minute epic "This is England".

This is closest in spirit to "Once Around the World" to my ears - easily the best "old" IB album

Go out and buy it now!

I saw Frost* the other night at the arches in Glasgow.

Unbelievable.

Only downside was that most of the band scarpered as it was the last night of the tour, so I only got to meet Dec.  Top man for coming out to say hello.

Thank you very much for entertaining my kids every day for half an hour or so.  They really enjoy watching you create something artistic from those ingredients.

But, seriously, have you actually tried getting a 5-year old kid to eat something with olives in...

The radical Islamist Abu Qatada  has just been released on bail.  In his "strongest ever" bail conditions he has to be electronically tagged, and is banned from meeting Osama Bin Laden.

BBC NEWS | UK | Abu Qatada's bail 'disappointing

What were they thinking!  He's tagged for goodness sake.  Surely they should be positively encouraging him to meet Bin Laden, and just follow him in.