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Football

Manchester United handed much-needed defensive boost ahead of Chelsea clash

Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans look set to bolster Manchester United’s beleaguered backline at Chelsea as Erik ten Hag’s side continue to search for answers to their ongoing injury problems. The Red Devils have been besieged by issues during a difficult second season for the Dutchman, with the side struggling in the Premier League and […]

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Rock Concerts

A very happy birthday to Nick Mason!

All of us here at Brain Damage offer our very best wishes to Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, who celebrates the very special occasion of his 80th birthday today (January 27th). We all hope you are going to have a fantastic day, Nick! The cornerstone of the band, he had his first drum kit at the tender age of 13. A member of Pink Floyd since the earliest iterations, he is the only one to have appeared on every one of their albums. Thanks to his late father Bill, he has been a petrol head from a young boy, and cars have been – and remain – one of his major passions in life. His most recent book, Passion for Speed (http://www.brain-damage.co.uk/books/passion-for-speed-nick-mason-and-mark-hales-2.html), is worth checking out, as is the DVD of the same name (http://www.brain-damage.co.uk/dvds-and-videos/passion-for-speed-ferrari-enzo-dvd-nick-mason-and-mark-2.html) focusing on his Ferrari Enzo car (with Nick heavily involved). Of course, for those who haven’t read it, Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd (http://www.brain-damage.co.uk/books/inside-out-2011-edition-updated-paperback-nick-mason-2.html) is an absolutely essential read, and available in a variety of editions: hardback, paperback and an audiobook, which is read by Nick himself… Nick has contributed to a number of magazines on motoring issues over the years (including a fascinating monthly column in Octane Magazine), and also became president of the Guild of Motoring Writers. He is a trustee of the Beaulieu National Motor Museum, and a life member and Guardian of the BRDC (British Racing Drivers Club). He has been involved in motor racing since the early 1970s and has entered Le Mans five times. Musically, of course, the big news over the last few years was the launch of his new band, Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets. The four initial, small gigs in May 2018 held in London lead to a very successful and critically acclaimed European tour in September. This was followed, of course, in 2019 with dates in the US, Canada, and more dates in the UK and Europe. 2020 saw the release of the superb London Roundhouse concert film on audio and video formats, and was due to see the band play more shows. Sadly, the pandemic put the halt on any such plans for 2020 and 2021, but the band were back with a bang in 2022 and 2023! This year, Nick and the band will be back on tour, with six dates in Italy, and one in Germany, announced so far – click here to see all the 2024 gigs as it stands (https://www.brain-damage.co.uk/nick-mason-s-sos-2024/index.php) – and we suspect there are plans for other shows too. Obviously, we’ll let you know as and when we get any further dates through. Many happy returns, Nick, and see you on the road!

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Rock Concerts

Pink Floyd The Wall poster in #ILoveLive3 fundraiser

In its 25th year, Stagehand, the original live event production workers charity, is running the third of its Christmas fundraisers, #ILoveLive3. This year’s campaign recognises the immense challenges faced by the live event production industry and aims to provide crucial support to UK-based touring and festival crews dealing with serious physical or mental ill health. As ever, the fundraiser includes items from big names in music, from signed set lists to drum skins. Jonathan Higgs, frontman of art rock band Everything Everything, emphasised the crucial role crew members play in touring activities, stating, “Our crew are a vital part of our touring activities; we couldn’t do it without them. I’d encourage all live music fans to get involved and give back to the people behind the scenes.” Lighting Designer Tom Campbell of MIRRAD, who has worked with an array of high-profile bands, said that “research has found that touring professionals are 5-10 times more likely than the general population to experience mental health challenges, facing industry-specific challenges such as irregular sleep patterns, performance pressures, and demanding travel schedules: all of which contribute to the vulnerability of touring personnel to serious mental health issues.” #ILoveLive3 runs through Crowdfunder with tickets priced at £5 to remain accessible to all music fans. The prize draw is scheduled for Friday, January 5th 2024, when winners will be announced. Entries will close on Friday, December 22nd. The Pink Floyd poster in this prize draw is an original The Wall poster that was designed by cartoonist and illustrator Gerald Scarfe for the release of the band’s iconic 1979 album of the same name. Since 1979, the poster has been the personal property of the band’s one-time live sound engineer Bryan Grant, who has now kindly donated it to the Stagehand fundraiser. Bryan was the Managing Director of the legendary company, Britannia Row Productions, the live sound rental business which was founded by Pink Floyd. You can buy your entry tickets for the next three days, through this direct link at Crowdfunder.co.uk (https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/win-original-pink-floyd-the-wall-poster#start). Good luck!

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Football

Arsenal want to sign Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips

Arsenal are interested in signing Kalvin Phillips from Premier League rivals Manchester City in the January transfer window, according to TEAMtalk. The report has claimed that Arsenal want to sign a new midfielder due to injury issues over Thomas Partey, and that former Leeds United midfielder Phillips is on their radar. Phillips has failed to […]

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Football

Bitesize Prediction: Everton vs Burnley – 01/11/23

Competition: EFL Cup Market: Everton win Odds: 1/1 @ 1xBet Looking to punch their EFL Cup quarter-final ticket on Wednesday night, Everton will welcome Burnley to Goodison Park. Starting with the hosts, while Everton might still be dealing some public issues behind the scenes at Goodison Park, Sean Dyche’s side have certainly claimed a recent […]

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Rock Concerts

Pink Floyd Hakone/Atom Heart Mother special edition release announced

Just announced is the worldwide release – housed in a 7″ gatefold sleeve – of a special edition of Atom Heart Mother, originally sold only in Japan in August 2021. This is a very interesting package celebrating the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s pair of concerts at Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, Hakone, Japan – the band’s first in that country. This special edition will be available from December 8th, 2023. The background to the release is this: an original 16mm film of Atom Heart Mother from the 1971 Hakone Aphrodite shows was recently discovered in a fan’s garage. A long time was spent digitizing, restoring and remastering, and to mark the 50th anniversary of the ’71 Hakone Aphrodite event, a special edition (a two disc set of a CD and Blu-ray) of the Atom Heart Mother album was released in Japan. Now, finally, this enhanced video will be released outside of Japan. The Blu-ray disc contains the restored footage of Atom Heart Mother, showing the band on stage performing the song, and travelling around Japan, together with some additional bonus footage of Pink Floyd’s crew, setting up the show, dealing with issues, etc., which hasn’t been seen before. The pack comes with a 60-page photo book with never-seen-before photos, a reproduction programme, venue map flyer, Osaka show poster and Hakone Aphrodite ticket reprint which all looks great! ORDERING INFO:A very nicely put together package – and orders are now possible through a number of retailers. Ordering any item after entering Amazon through our links helps with BD’s ongoing running costs as we participate in their affiliate programme, at no extra cost to yourselves, and we really appreciate it: Amazon UK (https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0CLPKK7CL/braindamage-21), Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0CLFSNB5M/braindamage-20), Amazon Canada (http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0CLFSNB5M/braindamageon-20), Amazon France (https://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0CLPKK7CL/braindamageon-21), Amazon Germany (https://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0CLPKK7CL/braindamage0f-21), Amazon Spain (http://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B0CLPKK7CL/braidama01-21) and Amazon Italy (http://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B0CLPKK7CL/bradamonl-21). You can also order through HMV.com (https://hmv.com/store/music/cd/atom-heart-mother-hakone-aphrodite-japan-1971-spec). If you want to see a quick comparison of a short part of the footage, comparing the newly restored film with what many of us will have been familiar with for many years, here’s something that Sony Music Japan put together in 2021: