Easy Rider . . .

"First time I read Emma Goldman wasn't in a book. I was sixteen, hiking near the Nevada border . The quote was painted on a wall in red. When I saw those words it was like someone ripped them from the inside of my head.

'Anarchism... stands for liberation of the human mind from the dominion of religion; the liberation of the human body from the dominion of property; liberation from shackles and restraint of government. It stands for social order based on the free grouping of individuals.'

The concept was pure, simple, true, it inspired me, led a rebellious fire, but ultimately I learned the lesson that Goldman, Prudot and the others learned. That true freedom requires sacrifice and pain. Most human beings only think they want freedom. In truth they yearn for the bondage of social order, rigid laws, materialism, the only freedom man really wants, is the freedom to become comfortable."

Fooking deep or wot? That's an excerpt from the latest telly series that is causing ripples with its ratings - Sons of Anarchy. Its nay real surprise that this show is getting a lot of hype given that it is brought to ye by the writer of The Shield & the producer of The Sopranos - two heavy fooking hitters in recent TV history.

Creators of the show have been leaning towards The Bard fer inspiration, no less, with plots & characters being borrowed from Macbeth & Hamlet. And in this series, the main players are members of Sam Crow - Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original - whose main source of income is from its gun running activities.

Friction arises when VP (Charlie Hunnam) starts to question the methods & leadership of El Presidente (HellBoy himself - Ron Perlman). The fact that the SOA are at war with Meth-dealing Nazis & a rival Chicano biker gang adds to the spice. Throw in a black gang who controls the heroin trade & you've got a combustible mixture.

Already, the first season has all the markings of a great series with the second season garnering rave reviews & the network already ordering a third installment. A worthwhile investment the next time you visit yer friendly neighbourhood pirated DVD emporium.

Sex, Drugs & Rock n Roll

He loves his vinyl, is schooled in the rich traditions of rock, smokes like a fooking chimney, drinks like a sailor on shore leave & . . . is hell bent on losing himself in a sea of meaningless pussy!

That's the flawed but ultimately lovable character played by David Duchovny in this Showtime series. Californication tells the tale of a down & out author who was once dangerously cutting edge but is now just a parody of his former glory. His former books - South of Heaven, Season in the Abyss, & God Hates Us All (sound familiar?) - captured the zeitgeist of early 2000s but hasn't written a jot in 7 years. Living on past glories, he is also deeply embittered that his last book was turned into a shmaltzy romantic comedy by Tinseltown.

The underlying plot to it all is his quest to win back his ex-lover & teenage daughter. The ex loves him but cannae stomach his philandering & child-like behaviour while his teenage daughter revels in the fact that her dad is cooler-than-thou but wishes he could be more of parent sometimes.

Set in decadent LA where everyone's a hustler, the stories play on the loneliness & dark comedic value of adults lost in a fug of over-indulgence. Fer instance, Hank Moody (Duchovny's character) gets himself in a fine mess when he inadvertently beds his ex's underage stepdaughter & opens himself to all sorts of blackmail by the little Lolita.

Funny, heart-warming & strangely addictive, Californication has all the right ingredients to be that perfect rainy Sunday afternoon companion. Highly recommended.

ps: Strangely enough, with a new arrival in me household, wifey & meself seem to have more time watching films / series. Suppose we are just stuck at home with Seth fer now & all we can do is zone out in front of the idiot box. Who says having a kid means having nay time fer yerself?

pps: Check out this snippet below & see if ye recognise the actor playing the deejay (clue . . . Black Flag!!!)

The Mighty Boosh - Genius Fooking Comedy!

Fer those of you who don't know, there is an absolute cracker of a comedy running on Astro ch731 (BBC Entertainment) every Sat nite (1230am me thinks) called The Mighty Boosh.

Its manic, psychedelic, chaotic & plain out-of-this fooking world funny & keeps wifey & meself in fooking stitches every sat nite. Fer those who have ch731, please tune in. Fer those who don't, do keep yer eyes peeled fer the DVD box set.

The two main protagonists, Julian Barrat & Noel Fielding, have been winning all sorts of rave reviews & comedy awards in the UK. Call me Anglo-centric but proof again that the one thing the Brits know how to fooking do is comedy.

The Mighty Boosh follows in the rich tradition of Monty Python's Flying Circus, Extras & Little Britain. Completely original, funny as fook & damn fine tunes to boot too.

Fer a sampler, me has posted two vids fer yer enjoyment. First one is a just bonkers monologue about this guy's "novella" about "a chewing gum called Charlie". Second one is a little taster of their musical prowess.

Enjoy!