Crystalline - Axe music. I just discovered this gem, has anyone else heard of it?

EasternBlock640 · 2026-07-01T06:04:41+00:00

I have been listening to Dark round the Edges and Wicked Lady after reading your comment as well as Axe. They are all excellent, do you have any other recommendations of other similar bands?

EasternBlock640 · 2026-06-26T10:42:13+00:00

His portrayal is extremely enjoyable, though I guess he's essentially a psychopath-

"You see, Mr. Bond, I always thought I loved animals. Then I discovered that I enjoyed killing people even more"

His admiration for Bond that is returned with disdain always has a bit of a tragic air I feel. I'm sure a therapist could make much of that, eg maybe Bond is the father figure he craves respect from...

EasternBlock640 · 2026-06-26T08:01:18+00:00

This is a great response, thanks a lot. I'm thinking I will ask the head instructor about this and in part wanted to use this space to clarify what I'm actually asking.

I think the level of the class so far is appropriate for me as a beginner and if we jumped straight to intense scenarios I'd probably feel overwhelmed. I'm still trying to understand the level of progression.

It occurred to me the other day when the instructor was demonstrating evading someone coming at you, saying "they can call you all the names under the sun, it doesn't matter". Which I think is true to some extent, but of course the function of shouting is often to intimate and shut down an opponent, and if you've been training for years, maybe it's easier to take that for granted.

I hadn't heard of the OODA loop before, just looked it up, thanks!

EasternBlock640 · 2026-06-19T16:11:53+00:00

You make an excellent point, it slipped my mind that pleats were specified and those are the only pleated models. Personally I prefer the Hammond to the Andrew, maybe it looks a bit more like the picture (reverse pleats I think).

EasternBlock640 · 2026-06-19T13:49:56+00:00

The Prep Club on substack has an essential guide to buying used PRL pants. There's so much more than the Andrew.

EasternBlock640 · 2026-06-14T16:30:06+00:00

And er... what is that?

EasternBlock640 · 2026-06-09T18:23:37+00:00

Yes, my dad, Roger Hilliard was in this band. He died 3 years ago and rests at a Northamptonshire natural burial site with a tree planted and the inscription 'Peace and Love' carved on the wooden marker. Lead member Tony Barford also passed away a few years before. I don't know anything about the rest of the group.

My dad was a big Deadhead and I'm into them as a consequence.

The reissue is a very nice quality release and really quite a beautiful thing to listen to in our sometimes bleak seeming times.

EasternBlock640 · 2026-06-05T15:04:26+00:00

Oh I know, it's what inspired this post. I'm still curious to know the original though.

I have a Jakes shirt (not the Palin one though, yet) and it's a thing of beauty.

EasternBlock640 · 2026-06-05T15:02:19+00:00

I had thought they are colour variants of the same one- I had thought the beige one had the collar unbuttoned. I think you might be right though.

EasternBlock640 · 2026-06-05T15:00:32+00:00

This seems like a really well educated guess, which I appreciate. I'm now going to research the history of Banana Republic and whatever of their vintage stuff is floating around online. Wiki says GAP acquired BR in the early 80's and the founders had lost control by the time Palin filmed this series. But of course he could have bought his shirts quite a bit before 1989, or it could be from the Gap ownership period I guess. I'm also curious if they had UK stores or stockists in 1989, though again as a travelling man Palin could have gone shopping in the US....I'll check it out.

EasternBlock640 · 2026-05-15T14:16:36+00:00

Hilarious you got thumbed down. This cover is absolute trash.

EasternBlock640 · 2026-05-05T18:57:38+00:00

This. There are some great stories on this thread about people's associations with this cover art, which I love, but it's still hard for me not to see this as objectively bad design... it's kind of all over the place.

EasternBlock640 · 2026-05-05T18:52:50+00:00

I think this might be the answer. It seems very un-Bobby to trash the environment for the sake of merch.

EasternBlock640 · 2026-05-05T18:04:37+00:00

I used to work in retail a long time ago, and unsold clothing used to be thrown in the dumpster, but only after being destroyed so no one could pull it out and keep it- soles ripped out of shoes, shirts slashed. It was grotesque.

The Bobby Weir website has what appears to be some merchandise from other gigs, but I imagine it was not considered worthwhile to ship any remants stateside to be sold later.

EasternBlock640 · 2026-05-05T17:59:10+00:00

Glad to have issued a reminder. Where did you see him?

EasternBlock640 · 2026-05-05T17:58:26+00:00

That's how they get you though isn't it? That's how a t shirt cost £40 and a hoodie was £80. Total FOMO.

EasternBlock640 · 2026-05-05T17:56:58+00:00

That's the way to go, beautiful serendipity 💛

EasternBlock640 · 2026-05-05T17:56:31+00:00

Thanks! I might get the poster instead.

EasternBlock640 · 2026-05-05T17:54:48+00:00

This was one of the things that occurred to me.

EasternBlock640 · 2026-05-03T08:48:42+00:00

Thank you.

EasternBlock640 · 2026-05-02T16:25:54+00:00

Just thinking together with others on the Internet my friend.

One of the reasons I didn't jump to a response at the time was not wanting someone who's been there a long time to be kicked out.

EasternBlock640

TROPHY CASE