h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I was in the shower this morning. As usual I was thinking. Which is pretty dangerous.

First I was trying to come up with some Patriotic British Music for Mr.Gradient (aside of The Dambusters march and the theme to 633 Squadron) then my mind started wandering.

And for some reason I remembered John Peel, and how he used to do sessions by this manic poet who called himself Atilla The Stockbroker. The one I really remember is called The Reds are Running the DHSS, but then I remembered that I have a Cherry Red compilation album (Pillows & Prayers) with one of his on: A Bang and a Wimpy.

I found his webbie this moning, and it has a lovely tribute to John Peel, and a Radio 4 25th anniversary programme to download (called Giving it Lip - the man has a fantastic way with words)

Just thought I'd mention it.

http://www.attilathestockbroker.com/

Attila the Stockbroker Wow, you've opened up some memories of the glorious days of 1980s alternative cabaret Sho

I don't think I ever saw him perform live, but there was a pirate radio station I used to listen to regularly (Zodiac Radio) who had him on as a guest one day, along with Heathcote Williams (poet, actor, playwright - wrote the poem 'Autogeddon').

Me and the girlfriend used to go down to the Swan in Stratford (East, not upon-Avon) most Thursdays to see Roland Muldoon's weekly CAST show of alternative comedy and cabaret. He had shows like that at venues all over London, and he and his wife eventually went on to restore and run the Hackney Empire

it's amazing what happens in the shower

as I was wandering around town today, I was remembering seeing John Cooper Clarke (he of the impossibly thin legs) way back when...

I'm going to have to buy some Atilla stuff. I listened to A Bang and a Wimpey, and the guy is just fantasti.

Of course, back then Alxei Sayle was still rather good too.

I *did* get to see John Cooper Clarke one time He does the best bloody Jimmy Saville impersonation, bar none

I know I saw Seething Wells http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seething_Wells at the Swan one week, and maybe Little Brother too. I remember seeing Ian Saville the Marxist Magician http://www.redmagic.co.uk/ who does the classless rope trick (that's the one where he starts off with one piece of rope, cuts it into three pieces - long, medium and short, then makes them all the same length, then joins them back into one, and all with some Marxist philosophy thrown in. There's a clip of him doing it on this page http://www.newyouth.com/video.asp But I can''t get it to open ).

And then there was this strange bloke who I saw a couple of times, whose piece de resistance was a 'trick' where he got a washing up bowl of water, lay on it, allowed his (not inconsiderable) belly to displace the water, and then stood up, with the bowl stuck to his abdomen.

Truly bizarre