The Rise of the Covidiot

It’s been nearly ten months since the country went into it’s first coronavirus lockdown. The memories of what I experienced personally on March 23rd, 2020 are still clear in the mind.

A hell of a lot has happened since that day, but there’s something that has risen, something that has come to prominence since that day that is really starting to annoy me more and more, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is the covidiot.

Covidiots have become as prominent as the virus itself. You can’t go a day without seeing someone on your social media feed spouting some sort of nonsense about the pandemic, posting videos or images about how the whole thing is one big lie and how the lockdown is just another attempt by the governments of the world to control an increasingly agitated population.

When Phil Collins Was a Labrador

Here’s something for you dream interpretation peeps out there, although I doubt you’d be able to tell me what this means exactly.

The other night I dreamt that Pink Floyd legend David Gilmour had moved in next door, and being a fan I decided to pay him a visit. I found him sitting in a deck chair in the front garden, enjoying the sunshine with a Golden Labrador dog laying on the ground nearby.

The Two Sheds Mix Tape 43: The Music of Russ Conway

Over the past few weeks I’ve given you Mix Tapes featuring music legends, heavy metal icons and various other rock-themed compilations. This time around though I’m going to give you something a little different - The Music of Russ Conway.

For those of you who don’t know who he was, Russ Conway was an English pianist who enjoyed tremendous success between 1957 and 1963. He hit the UK charts twenty times during that period, scoring two number ones. Such was his success that in 1959 his singles spent a combined total of 83 weeks in the chart.

It Wasn't Wrong to Mourn Bowie's Passing

Today, January 10th, 2021, marks the fifth anniversary of David Bowie’s passing. I’ve already written about the effect his life and death had on me and others in my Mix Tape post, but there was one aspect of what I saw around that time that always gets me thinking.

The Two Sheds Mix Tapes Volumes 35-42: Tribute to David Bowie

On January 10th, 2016, the world lost one of it’s greats when David Bowie passed away just a couple of days after his 69th birthday.

To say that Bowie was a legend wouldn’t be understating things. He may not have had much success in his early career, but when he got it he grabbed it with both hands and held on to it for dear life.

From Space Oddity to Star Man to Diamond Dogs and beyond, Bowie gave a generation a soundtrack to live by, and soundtrack that lasted nearly fifty years, concluding with the brilliant Blackstar, released just two days before cancer robbed him of his life.

The Two Sheds Mix Tape 34: Tribute to Lemmy

On December 28th 2015 the world lost one of it’s greats when Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister passed away at the age of 70.

To say that Lemmy was a legend in the music business wouldn’t be understating things. He was at the forefront of the British heavy metal movement in the 70’s with Motorhead, a band which stormed the charts with classics such as Overkill, Iron Fist, Bomber, and, of course, Ace of Spades.

This Mix Tape includes all of the Motorhead songs that hit the UK charts between 1978 and 1982, as well as chart hits from his time with Hawkwind and his collaborations with The Damned, Girlschool and The Young & Moody Band.

The Two Sheds Mix Tapes 31-33: The Music of 1970

Back in January I saw a video on Youtube that featured a collection of songs that were twenty years old this year. The first thing I thought was that I could do better than that, so I compiled a Youtube play list of songs that were released in 1970, fifty years ago.

Eleven months later, and with 2020 in it’s final throes I thought it would be a good idea to revisit this idea with three Mix Tapes looking back at songs that made the UK charts back then, with nearly sixty songs for your personal enjoyment. Here’s the track listings:

New Fiction Addition: The Valkyrie Chronicles - Return of the Blob

An Earth-bound adventure for Captain James Watt, commanding officer of the U.S.S. Valkyrie, as he meets up with his newest crew member and journeys to Alaska to find out why all contact with a tracking station has been lost.

Originally written in January 1995 and inspired by a classic 1950's creature feature, the short story "Return of the Blob" is now available to read online by clicking on the links below:

 

Chapter One

Chapter Two

The Two Sheds Mix Tape 30: Christmas Number 1's

The Christmas number one spot is one of the most sought after prizes in the UK music industry. Some of the biggest and greatest stars in the history of recorded music have held the top spot on Christmas Day over the years. Some of them have enjoyed tremendous careers, while others soon vanished from the radar after getting their fifteen minutes of fame on The X-Factor.

The Two Sheds Mix Tape 29: Mariah Carey Not Included

I’m currently working for Morrisons here in Cromer over the Christmas period, and my job means that I’m constantly bombarded by Christmas songs from the moment I clock on to the moment I clock off. All of the usual suspects are there, and during some shifts it seems as if I’ve listened to five versions of the same song.

So I’ve decided to come up with my own Christmas mix tape featuring songs I’d like hear during my shift. The likes of Slade and Wizzard are included here, but there’s a bunch of songs that you won’t hear in any shop during the festive period.