So once again, while I should be working, I find myself immersed in another MMO. But this one is an indie Flash MMO called Skyrates! RPS readers will already know it but it has a great feel and works off good old fashioned IE-fire and forget gameplay instead of the tradition high graphics grind which MMOing has become recently. It's early days for me and my character Ginger McBiggles so far, but we've already sold some bread and fish, shot down three bastards, and upgraded the engines in our old Junker. Happy times.

In case that wasn't clear, Skyrates is a game where you pretend to be an air pirate and fly between floating islands in the sky trading, shooting, and being variously awesome. Chillgasmic.

Greetings sports fans, I return from a sojourn in London which included the second ever convening of the Hectic Eclectic Folk Choir! Fun times were had, "whacky" times, great times, SUCH GREAT TIMES. The results of the recordings will be seen on Myspace within the next few, but given that the results of the first iteration of the HEFC have yet to see daylight, I wouldn't exactly wait by your computer. Each dolphin's flipper's five-fingered.

THE CHOIR THIS TIME consisted of Dhalsim Shahban III, Rames O'Jiley, Fudge Wentworth, Heloise, Al Vybz, Imogen "Pintsize" Bryan, Thomas Guy Jackson, 2 $haÿ, and the Dapper Swindler. Thanks again to all of them!

Okay, linkgasm.

I draw you attention especially to the phrase "It was completely primeval". Now not that I want to say I fucking called it, but this reminds me of a song called 'Mellow Drama'. And such a great pun in the title! I wonder who wrote such a brilliant piece of &c.

Actually, the crazy old fart has been around here most of the last 24 hours. I deeply love him and his many ways, for they are mighty. Amen.

Here's a conversation extract for you.

Emily: No. Do explain.
Will: basically
Will: within our pseudo religion of the vibe there are two pillars
Will: proximity to the vibe, which is controlled by the vibe
Will: and proximity to the drill
Will: which is controlled by you
Will: knowing the drill is essential to reaping the vibe
Will: but the vibe's presence isn't guaranteed by drill knowledge
Will: his absence does however, generally suggest a lack of drill
Will: either in the room
Will: or within YOURSELF
Will: because the drill is easy to forget
Emily: Um.

Went to the Academy on Cowley Road last night, and am pleased to see that Carling have stayed with their dependable "Big Black Box" venue ethic. Cos that's what music needs. The character of a big black box. Anyway, that's by the by - my visit last night reminded me of a rant i've been meaning to do for a while now.

I know the theory. Support acts ramp up crowd anticipation. The pause between support and main bands is a lot like the "putting on condom" section of foreplay. And when the band finally explodes onto the stage, their love is heightened by the wait. I know the theory.

But if putting on a condom took an hour, sex would be really really... um... flacid? OKAY let's try and talk about this in non-sexual terms.

Reasons not to piss about with a "sound test" for more than 15 minutes between bands:
1) You had all day for a "sound test". How good a sound guy are you? Plus, sound in these large venues is always shit anyway. You gaybians.
2) Standing up for an hour for no reason in a tiny room jostled to the teeth with a full capacity crowd is neither fun nor hygenic.
3) Some big artists might like to play more songs before close, and the audience might like that as well, especially given the way you ripped them off on the tickets, you heartless bastards. "But some artists only want to play a normal length set", I hear you cry. Okay, so start the whole evening later. OHMIGOD CAN IT REALLY BE THAT SIMPLE
4) If it comes to it, do you really think a crowd of Radiohead lovers (say) are going to enjoy the gig MEASURABLY MORE for the wait? It's quite probable that they'll enjoy it QUITE a lot anyway. Most people who are gonna shell out £50 to see a truly big band are going to enjoy them at 1 minute's notice at the bottom of a pit in cheshire just as much as anywhere else. Cos that's what being a fan is all about!
5) This is a serious one: being a support band is a dangerous business at the best of times, but the point of it always used to be that you got yourself out there to a similar group's established fanbase. I don't know about you, but I'm starting to deliberately turn up to gigs late so that I don't have to do this waiting around thing. So I'm missing the support bands, with their nerfed sound and imploite audiences, and my musical palate is suffering. I'm not the only person who does this. Where are tomorrow's bands going to come from? Oh wait, I forgot, the fucking X factor. I take it all back.

I know it's showmanship, I know live music is more about spectacle than music these days, but it's unpleasant, it's wrong, and it's hurting the vibe. I'd say "substance over style", but there's no style in this anyway so I'll confine myself to "playground tactics, no rabbit-in-a-hat tricks".

Just add classic rap shit from Jurassic.

Well, tomorrow my new course starts. It's a big day, eh? So how have I been preparing myself?!

Need you ask?

Yes, it's the now level SIXTEEN Tabitha Sackbutt, supported as ever by the dps/healing marathon-in-a-man that is PARKES. At the end of this evening's session I hooked Tabby up with some new armour ("armor") which cost probably about 3 platinum by the time I was done. Because I DYED IT RED.

Ooo baby.

Plus this new armour will probably be redundant in about two days. But you have to spoil a girl sometimes.

This is getting weird.

Anyway.

Yes.

I'm often asked* what the point is in continuing this facade, living as a talentless gypsy of a singer-songwriter, perpetually in the shadow of MC Lars. Lars, who I 'discovered' (thanks Clare) earlier this year, is my musical, lyrical and intellectual superior, and I'm the jealous type. So why don't I just throw in the towel? Well, the fact is, Lars' shadow produces a more satisfying bask than any sun you could offer me.

But if you're unconvinced by post-punk laptop rap, I heartly invite you to check out Lars' latest podcast. In this we find out not only that Lars plays a C F Martin & Co guitar which looks very similar to mine (oh lars im like totally your biggest fan i like have your record and like i totally love you and like we have the same guitar and man like you are just so awesome ohmigod OHMIGOD) but that he makes comedy videos as well as he writes songs. As if you could have doubted him.

I'm seeing him in Oxford in a few weeks and I couldn't be more stoked. As long as people like Lars are getting the exposure I never will, music is safe.

/toadying

*by myself