David Bryant
@23daves.bsky.social
950 followers 420 following 6.2K posts
Feel the music/ And you'll wonder/ Is he a Yankee?/ No I'm a London-aaargh The views expressed here are personal, not that of my employer. Owner of Everybody's Number 1 to Someone, a blog about NME Indie Chart toppers: https://indienumber1s.blogspot.com
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23daves.bsky.social
Blog update: Almost 40 years ago this week, "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side" reached number one in the NME Indie Charts. As a factual record of Morrissey's career-based frustrations and woes, it's a record which has no right to sound as beautiful and gripping as it does.
68. The Smiths - The Boy With The Thorn In His Side (Rough Trade)
All the singles to top the NME Indie Charts since its launch in 1981, complete with an overview of the other music in the charts each week.
indienumber1s.blogspot.com
23daves.bsky.social
An incredibly cheap sounding number one, too. The choir, chimes and thumps and bumps sound like something you would hear on a CD from a Cathedral gift-shop rather than a proper hit single.
Reposted by David Bryant
guitarmoog.bsky.social
It’s a pervading paradox of anglophone politics that people simultaneously love seeing civil servants fired and hate dealing with public services that are not or barely working due to a lack of civil servants.
23daves.bsky.social
Absolutely. And also, if you're at the point where communicating with someone raises your blood pressure, there's usually a really good reason for it, and it's better not to prolong that situation through carefully worded missives. Trust your instincts.
23daves.bsky.social
CD4. "Rock Your Baby" is one of my favourite singles of all-time, plus there's "If I Can't Have You", "Rock The Boat", "Dance (Disco Heat)", "Native New Yorker", and the list goes on... it's just wall-to-wall wonderful.
23daves.bsky.social
I considered sending the only long-term contact I've ever blocked an email of explanation, but honestly, it was at the point where they'd not only crossed the line, but done so a dozen times over (and they were beginning to get creepy too). How much help do you have to give an adult human being?
23daves.bsky.social
It's disturbingly pathological. I genuinely can't get my head around stuff like this. I can just about understand how human beings end up becoming depraved, but to be hopelessly addicted to that depravity?
23daves.bsky.social
(Of course, Glitter's naïveté is far from the biggest problem here, I realise).
23daves.bsky.social
I've always been baffled by either the arrogance or the stupidity of that; if you have a ton of incriminating stuff on your laptop, why take it into a High Street store to be repaired? Just get yourself a new one (especially if you're Gary Glitter. Wouldn't his budget have stretched to an Acer?)
23daves.bsky.social
Bit of an earworm for me right now.
Reposted by David Bryant
carolinerussell.bsky.social
Reform are so grim and bad sports to boot.

Tied elections get settled at the toss of a coin. Standard practice. No need for law suits.

I’ve donated - please donate if you can.

donatetothe.greenparty.org.uk/make-sure-we...
23daves.bsky.social
I've only been once before, on business - which gave me completely the wrong impression because I really wasn't here when things were busiest.
23daves.bsky.social
Spending a weekend in Cambridge as I thought it would be a peaceful break. It's hectic, in fact - absolute touristville even in October when I thought things would be quieter. The dopiest, most camera-obsessed tourists on earth too, who I'm staggered aren't regularly splatted by passing traffic.
23daves.bsky.social
In an Indian Restaurant and it’s safe to say the soundtrack is what I’d generally expect, if a bit funkier than usual… until, for some unknown reason, XTC’s Yacht Dance came on!
23daves.bsky.social
Grew up near there and bought a house near there which I lived in until a few years ago. There's three reasons to go there:
1. The station, which is fantastic
2. Valentines Park
3. Astoundingly cheap but very good Indian/Afghan/Bangladeshi restaurants.
These are the three things I miss.
23daves.bsky.social
That’s interesting. I’d have had that lot pegged as a band few would be interested in anymore, but I suppose it’s about how it’s pitched.
Reposted by David Bryant
durutti74.bsky.social
Good luck to everyone trying to get tickets today. The eternal paradox of asking this question to Kraftwerk fans...
Reposted by David Bryant
eddieburfi.bsky.social
Former Head of Comms for the IEA, Annabel Denham, says the super rich will leave if we have a wealth tax.

Yes, the very same IEA that brought us Liz Truss’ disastrous mini budget. 🤦🏽‍♂️

Green Party leader Zack Polanski explains that their taxable assets can’t leave. #bbcqt
23daves.bsky.social
There are surprisingly few albums I needed to play 10+ times to actually "get", though. One of them happens to be an all-time favourite, but that occurs so infrequently. If I'm not at least getting a little spark here and there from the second listen, something is usually wrong.
23daves.bsky.social
If it's a band I love I will still rush out and buy it before listening to it on streaming - I like the ritual of going to the shops, picking it off the shelf and still having that connection and "investment". Sometimes it's backfired, obviously. And I doubt I'd carry on doing it if I was broke.
23daves.bsky.social
It happens to be a bloody good single and one I actually own, but that's by the by.
On the other hand, there's also a crock of shit coming up from somebody you'll all have heard of who really should have known better. Sometimes that's just the way the dice land.
23daves.bsky.social
The number of webhits my blog gets depends on who I'm writing about. Just researching forthcoming entries and God - there's a string of none-more-indie "6 men and a dog at the Camden Falcon" non-pullers coming up. One isn't even on streaming and I'd be amazed if any reader under 45 has heard them.
23daves.bsky.social
Martin Amis would probably like a word!
23daves.bsky.social
Fiona Bruce just asked "Who's laughing?" on Question Time, then asked the person in question to speak. She'll be asking them if they're chewing next. I might tune in more often for that.
Reposted by David Bryant