Joe Blogs

Brian McDermott is a man of unchallenged integrity and unforced dignity. He is a football manager of genuine stature. He was systematically undermined before being sacked over the telephone on Friday night by a lawyer of whom he had never heard.

Yet again the Daily Mail never ceases to amaze. Although you can't argue with the evidence:

https://soundcloud.com/joe-stilgoe

Recently I went to a show at Soho Theatre by the Nabokov theatre group, in which one of the performers was jazz pianist and singer Joe Stilgoe. It's safe to say he is one of the best performers and most talented musicians I have seen, combining great stage presence with exceptionally talented piano playing and an equally good voice. I'd advise anyone to go and see him if they can. It's worth it alone for his improvised medley made up on the spot from songs shouted out by the audience which I suspect he does in a few of his sets. There can't be many performers out there who can fit the Tetris theme tune around Moonlight Sonata with a bit of Destiny's Child thrown in for good measure. Or indeed anyone who has even considered that before.

He also has a good name for his blog...

This man deserves to be a lot more famous than he is at the moment... Some of the most original music I've heard recently, and I reckon it's probably a lot more difficult than he makes it look. It's even more impressive when you watch the video and realise it's all done in real time with loop pedals, no backing tracks...

Sod the haters. I'm going to have my cupcake and eat it, too.

"In these times of austerity of course we need to cut our cloth on all spending, however the government’s proposals for the design and construction of future schools are far too restrictive with too much focus on short term savings,” RIBA president Angela Brady.