Indigestion - In More Ways Than One

So we went to the pub and had a good old chat about all sorts of stuff. Inevitably the subject of the new show came up and I aired some doubts about the new title. My wife agreed, and so now Clockwork Toy Box is also in the bin. After the pub we called in at Zaytoon, a Persian kebab house in Temple Bar. They do very nice kebabs and, like a fool, I bought one. If there's one lesson life has continually tried to teach me, it's 'don't eat kebabs before you go to bed'. When you're a young man, you can eat just about anything at any time of the day; but the more mature stomach is more discerning in what it's prepared to digest. I've spent most of the night tossing and turning and gulping down Milk of Magnesia.

And it's not just my stomach that's been working overtime; my brain keeps throwing words together and coming up with myriad name possibilities for the new show. It's a nightmare; it reminds me of when I was in bands in my youth and we'd spend hours trying to come up with a name for whatever new band we were forming; no sooner would one person suggest a name than another band member would shoot it down. This time however, I'm both the suggester and the shooter. Now, at five a.m., after three hours of raging insomnia, my brain is littered with the blasted debris of about two thousand possible show names. It's word carnage; all smouldering adjectives and buckshot blasted nouns. What I should really do is call it something simple, something light and unfettered, something with only one possible meaning. Something like, 'Mike Bennett's Other Podcast'. Hmmm, I'll think about it... probably for the remainder of the night and most of the day.

#27: First Draught Recording Down

Episode 27: First recording draught finally completed after the Quasimodo Chorus packed it in and shuffled off. The episode at the moment weighs-in at about an hour and twenty minutes, though of this about 55 minutes will be deleted as I spend a further ten hours or so listening and deciding which, if any of the lines I've read are suitable or will have to re-recorded (as so often happens). As I said earlier, it may be a Wednesday posting this week, this is going to be a tricky one. Though to be honest, they're all tricky blighters for one reason or another. Episode 28 is probably going be to the toughest one EVER; a serious range of voices, new characters and a new setting.
Hey, but that's a week away, let's stay focused on #27. It's a great episode; the conclusion of Chapter 24, in which Gaz's plans to, basically, f*** Sally are revealed. What's going to happen? (Evil laughter that gradually rises to a hysterical pitch which is followed by an explosion and a bunch of dogs barking. Why dogs barking? I don't know, maybe there's a dog pound nearby). Anyway, I'm going over to the pub for a pint with the Mrs. It's Sunday after all.

Clockwork Toy Box

OK, finally, I've settled on this, I still like the bike image, but I prefer this name. It's more representative of what the show will be about - eclectic, different, odd.
I'm writing this now as I wait for the bells of Christchurch Cathedral to shut up. I was recording episode 27 and they kicked off like a gaggle of manic Quasimodos were hanging on to them. Sunday is a dreadful day to record, but I was busy with the new show art yesterday and Monday and Tuesday are the editing days. Right now it sounds like the Quasimodo Chorus is going to go on forever. It could be another Wednesday upload this week. But hey, console yourself with the knowledge that you can soon also be enjoying The Clockwork Toy Box - hopefully by Friday.

Yeah, but saying that...

I've spent most of the afternoon doing that image and I do rather like it. I'll see how I feel in the morning.

New Show
Yes, I'm still fussing over that new show. I've spent most of Saturday kicking ideas around and writing bits and pieces. At one stage I felt sure I had it: I even made a show logo - see picture. But now, a little the worse for wine at 3.00 a.m. (and listening to my big new music splash-out; The Sisters of Mercy 'Merciful Release' package - O.K. out of some 40 or so tracks I really only like about five, but I get these nostalgia urges and I must obey them. I remember going to the Black October tour at the Lyceum in London in 1984... but hush, now I'm showing my age.

Er, what was I saying? Oh yes, the new show. I've done this artwork for the show, but still haven't settled on a title, 'Podcast Sidecar' is one option, but I'm still not decided.

Winter of Different Directions on Amazon.co.uk

Calling U.K. and Ireland book lovers: Steve McDermott's Winter of Different Directions is now available of amazon.co.uk. If you're up-to-date on the podcast, you may recall the promo for Steve's great podcast of the collection back on OAtS #25. Well, now you can have the actual book in your home collection. Follow this link and order it today!

Finally... Episode 26

So I got home, all gritted teeth and smoke coming out of my ears. I turned on the computer and began the upload and all was going well... until the signal flatlined for no apparent reason after 15 minutes and the upload was cancelled.
After I'd removed from the head from the wall, I began again. After an hour or so it looked like it actually uploaded - the green progress bar went all the way to the end and then went white again. Oh joy! But hang on, the files at Libsyn weren't showing it as present, if it was there, it was invisible. I was just getting ready to run my head into the wall again when a thought occurred to me: why not turn stuff off and then turn it on again? I did so - and good job too: Episode 26 was there. Oh genuine joy!

So, what's the story? Gaz, Jimmy, Glenn, Ted, Kay, Sally and Adam all sitting around the beer garden of Shenanigans. Suspicions, jealousies, doubts, desires and weirdness; and that's all in the first 15 minutes.

Promos: Jack Palms 2: This is Life / The Homegrown Podcast

Tried Again, Crashed. Try Again Later

I tried again, it crashed again. I'll try again later.

Episode 26 - It's Ready, But...

I can't upload it. Pathetic isn't it? Irish Broadband are notoriously slow; it's like trying to suck wet cement through a straw. At ten p.m. our time, Europe is checking its mail, the U.S. is in the middle of it's day and Asia / Australasia is getting up and checking its mail too. Everyone is watching all kinds of on-line video and stuff and the Internet is slow, which is why my FTPs keep cutting out before upload is complete and Libsyn times out through sheer boredom. What this means is: no show tonight. I'll get it up first thing tomorrow while The U.S. is asleep and Europe is trying to ignore its collective alarm clock.
Goodnight.

Episode 25: In the Can: Uploading Tomorrow Night
Episode 25 is finished, I just finished sticking the various bits together and getting volume levels right. I'll upload tomorrow evening: UK time 6 p.m. A day earlier than usual, but then after a two week break, I think that's acceptable.
As for the content; if you think things have been a little tame lately and are wondering when things are going to start heating up again, this one comes with one of those coffee cup warnings on it: Caution - Contents Could be Sick and Wrong. Not that you see that on too many coffee cups, but you get my drift.

Noisy Neighbours, Hangover and Re-write

Almost as if on cue, the warm weather brought a night of riotous noise throughout the apartment building last night. Very loud music and people screaming and 'woo'ing almost relentlessly into the courtyard (why do people do that?) I stayed up with a bottle of wine, resigned to the impossibility of sleep without alcohol.
This morning I had to do some re-writing on episode 25. I managed to do it, despite a dull hangover. I just recorded it. Now I'm taking a break with the remains of my Easter egg and a cup of tea. It's another beautiful day outside. I'm expecting another night of screaming. I'm also looking on the Internet for another flat.

Last Trip to Meredith House
I just finished recording the last trip up the Mississippi to Meredith House. Things between Rick and Leanne have moved on. I don't want to spoil it, but the action takes place in a bedroom and 'Ohhhh!' gets moaned quite a lot over a tray of 'sumptuous breakfast pleasures'.
'Oh! It's hot darling.' I should co-co; now I have to go and take a cold shower to cooool down.

Oh Bollocks!
Well the first five minutes were great, but the next ten or so threw up flaws in the make-up of the new show that means that it's going back into the development box for a while. Sorry to whet your appetite and then not come up with the goods - I will do the new show, just not yet. It's obviously very important that it's good. A show that isn't good is, well... crap; and none of us want to hear a crap show. Am I right? I think so. OK, so all my energies can now go into OAtS #25. I start work tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully the good weather won't mean the neighbours all decide to party hard everywhere and make a damn racket while I'm trying to record.

OK, No Episode This Week, But...
I began recording my new show (still under wraps)today, and so far I really quite like it. I've done 4 minutes so far and I hope to do a double whammy next week with Episode 25 of OAtS and the first programme of the new podcast coming out back to back. I'm being typically secretive about the content, but what I can say is that Seth Harwood will be my first guest. Seth will be talking about Jack Wakes Up, A Long Way from Disney and his forthcoming podcast sequel to JWU: Jack Palms Two: This is Life.
So it should be pretty good if I can master all the new technology I'll be using to make it happen. Keep an eye on the blog for updates.

'Episode 24' and 'Second'

I've just recorded Episode 24. At the moment it's over an hour long, but that includes all the fluffed lines and pauses for sirens, planes and the Monday evening big-wheelie -bin-rubbish-takeout in the building courtyard. Once I edit it, it should whittle down to about the usual 30 minutes. This week we're going to the beach, so bring your bucket and spade.

Promo: Dwight Dunlop's 'Much To Do About Nothing'

In other news, are you familiar with 'Second' from Murcia, Spain? I came across Second while I was living in Spain last year. They're a great band and you can check them out on MySpace or at their homepage. And if you want to stay here and investigate before you go clicking off elsewhere, here are the videos for their classic tracks, 'Behind the Pose' and 'Segunda Vez':