Thank the heavens above is it time for another expedition to Ice Station to visit Agent Johnny? Indeed it is, Agent Rob surviving Sunday bus drivers on a Saturday and dodging dodgy 20p pieces in LIDL to make the round trip to Slateford to see everyone's favourite secret agent (shh!). Only this time, as Rob was heard to remark, he was (in contrast to his previous, morose, trip) "bringing the vibes" - you get out what you put in for sure - as well as a couple of brilliant butter croissants, some luscious Lebkuchen and other assorted food supplies fer the day. And, yes, that means cooly kranking the Karmi, shaken (in Rob's rucksack) not stirred, with a cheeky can of Brooklyn Pilsner sandwiched between bottles, and getting deep down to Braw business....
Er, which basically involved a very pleasant afternoon of contented chuntering through Saturday morning serials (after a genuine and yet gentle negotiation addressing 'the elephant in the room' of last time - not forgotten!) that kicked off with chat about the Lifeforce fillum, before covering the Draculas of Prince of Darkness and AD1972, The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires, Shatter, Infinity magazine, the PBS channel, Public Eye, Star Trek old (positive) and new (negative) and Doctor Who - specifically the Target books of old, Rob talking at length about Tom Baker's The Nightmare of Eden novelisation, before Johnny got on to the topic of William Hartnell's run, continuing the 'classic' appraisal by recollecting The Web Planet and The Keys of Marinus in (incredible childhood) detail....
Talk then moved on to more musical matters with an interestin' back and forth about Hawkwind - a band Rob has only just begun to properly explore in depth - as well as his recent 'excursion' to see Rose City Band at The Hug and Pint in Glasgog. Oddly enough there wasn't much time to discuss any ongoing Braw projects which, y'know, was fine as they all remain in a sort of painful stasis, both Agents admitting they've done next to nowt (actually nowt!) in the past few months. What, indeed, happened to 2023's proposed burst of renewed creative energy...? Oh well, what's left to say but 'here's to 2024'....
Sights: The Buccaneers, Devil Girl From Mars, The Outer Limits and various Talking Pictures TV....
Hawkwind - Space Is Deep
