Not Going to Glasto and Not Drinking Tea

I've had another quiet month on the old blog front. There's a few reasons for this, but it's mainly laziness I'd say. And being busy and all that.

A few things to talk about today: firstly, I got my hair cut off. It's the shortest hair I've had since I was about 8, so it was kind of a risk. I got a bit overexcited in my trendy hairdressers and allowed the heady mix of complimentary beer, loud rock music and beautiful androgynous hairdressers to warp my sense of reason. It might not seem a big deal to a lot of people, but I ran a serious risk of allowing myself to be shorn to look like a boy, circa 1984, with learning difficulties. Very few people can carry that off.

Luckily, Lorenzo was fabulous as well as gorgeous, and gave me a brilliant haircut which makes me feel liberated. Though one of the first responses I got to such a "forward, strong-look" cut was "Now you're definitely a Shoreditch Twat." I was hoping I was still borderline. I'm not wearing a fake-fur coat, red lipstick and pointy shoes. Well, just the pointy shoes.

Other things this month that I feel like sharing: I'm not going to Glasto. I know, after all the bloody fuss I made last year, sat whining on the sofa and pathetically trying to recreate the Glasto experience by drinking cider on my balcony, TV on loud and sporting a straw cowboy hat. I scored my ticket deposit on the day they were released, and spent a good few months telling everyone that I'd got a ticket. Then I started thinking about it as the payment deadline for settling the balance drew closer.

I know that Glastonbury isn't about the headliners. I know there's a million stages and acts playing, and you can see lots of epic sets without going near the main stage. But - Muse, U2, Stevie Wonder as headliners? Really? I could see myself enjoying Stevie on the Sunday night but I have a seriously ingrained hatred for Muse. I'm not sure what it is. Perhaps the weasely-faced Bellamy, the pompous, overblown rock anthems, the lazy lyrics, the "we are a stadium rock band and therefore are EPIC" sentiment implied in their unsubtle, teenage song-writing. Can't quite put my finger on it. Oh hang on, smug. That's it.

Same goes for U2. There's something about U2, Bono in particular, that makes me cringe. That stupid song about 'putting on your boots' makes me want to hurt other people, or myself. U2 and Muse in the same village at the same time (there are rumours of an on-stage collaboration, I'm gagging just writing that) - there's a serious danger of mass, passive smug.

So, I made the decision to let my ticket go to a Muse-lover. I am certain that come June, I'll be bemoaning missing out on the 40th anniversary Glastonbury. If you hear me bitching about it, please remind me that it was my own fault. I'm going to the brilliantly local-but-proper-festival-with-proper-acts Lounge on the Farm which mainly involves being a bit hazy in the sun with my Canterbury friends; and will be attending Lovebox since the line up is really good and it's in my local park five minutes from my flat - result.

In other news this month, I caught the utterly grim norovirus winter sicky bug thing the other week. Absolute hell. The worst part for me, apart from spending hours sobbing on the bathroom floor in agony, was not being able to drink tea for a couple of days. Seriously depressing. It wasn't so much the projectile vomiting and not being able to eat for three days that got me down, it was the kettle being sat unused and forlorn and my lack of hot, calming tea. I hope it never happens to me again. I've been tea-drinking with even more fervour since then to make up for the tea void.

Finally, I've been very angry this week. Furious. At the BBC's announcement of the closure of 6Music. BBc, what the fuck are you thinking? This is the only non-commercial station that actually caters for music lovers. I base my musical discoveries on it's playlist. It's like a friend whose music taste you trust, and actually follow their recommendations. The DJs are brilliant for the most part. I'm actually on a mission to marry Shaun Keaveny from the breakfast show.

What other station wakes you up with a vintage Buzzcocks archived live session followed by the latest cutting edge new band? I actually look forward to waking up on a Saturday morning to listen to Adam & Joe's inane in-joke ramblings and listening to Jon Richardson on a Sunday morning in bed with a brew is actually one of life's great pleasures. What am I going to do now?

So it's all about budget cuts and the fact that "Only 20% of adults questioned knew about 6Music." This is the point! It's that 20% of discerning adults who really, really care about quality music. It's not about the populist 80% who will happily listen to Radio 1 and not give a shit that they will hear the latest auto-tuned Black Eyed Peas track five times within two hours. The BBC have said that they will listen to the public: so make your voice heard, email the BBC on srconsultation@bbc.co.uk and let them know what you think. There's Facebook groups, Twitter hashtags and online petitions. So get involved.

Right, I am going to go and concentrate on Jon Richardson's final 6Music show with another brew. Have you emailed the Big British Castle yet?