Stray thoughts

February is now shaping up to be an excellent month for live music. As well as the wonderful Michael Chapman, I now have tickets for Kelly Joe Phelps and Fred Eaglesmith in that month. But a bit of a fallow period till then...

Meanwhile, I'm starting to think about the best of 2012. No shortage of fine gigs to choose from, again, but more decent albums than great ones, I think. I'm digging some out to re-listen and will finalise the list next month.

Along the way I'm being pleasantly distracted by old stuff that I've been hunting for a while. Sometimes eBay can still come up trumps: this week it was great to get a first issue copy of Can's Tago Mago, sleeve intact and vinyl bordering NM, for just £31. Astonishing stuff, however often you've heard it.