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James Morris

@jamesdmorris.bsky.social
323 followers 118 following 95 posts

polling, politics, music, misc other

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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
Two nights, two sold out gigs in the round. The O2 slightly bigger than the Cockpit, but still each five brilliant musicians playing together, collaborating, creating sounds you haven’t heard before and ones that sound deeply familiar, to tell stories and inspire feeling. Both, unabashed art rock
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
Last night. Tonight. Tomorrow night. Saturday night. London is an amazing place to live.
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
Fair play to the picture editor for finding an image to summarise their reaction after mentally reconciling the second part of this sentence with the opening.
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
John Zorn at the Vanguard. He’s an absolute genius. Klezmer, Blues, Eric Dolphy whoknowswhatness. Incredible band. And a tight, hugely enjoyable 60min set. Nothing better.
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 28/07/2025
Andrea Berta bringing a new approach to making Arsenal players available
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
Had tickets to see Beth Gibbons last night at the Roundhouse but gave them up to take my youngest to her first gig*; so watching her Glasto set now on TV. Sad to miss this tour - looks brilliant. *Olivia Rodrigo, Hyde Park, genuinely good, great band and top tunes. Will go down a storm tomorrow.
Olivia Rodrigo on stage - two huge screens at the side
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 20/06/2025
Yeah Yeah Yeahs at the spectacular Royal Albert Hall - even made use of the organ. Totally different to their full on 2022 gig in Brixton - pared back, intimate, less synth, more acoustic guitar. But still 100% them, continuing to try different things and push themselves even in their 25th year.
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 15/06/2025
Leaving the gig during their last Brixton residency, I wished I could go back. Three years later @lcdsoundsystem.bsky.social booked another stand & I got my chance. Exhilarating enveloping live sound - the drop in Tribulations, the sonic variation in Losing my Edge, the euphoria of All My Friends
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
Iggy at Ally Pally last night. He’s got great songs, including on the new album, and the only hint at his age came in the box he left the stage in. The Stooges tracks sound huge now, must have been extraordinary back then.
Iggy Pop (singing), Nick Zinner (guitar) and Ale Campos (more guitar) on stageIggy with Ale Campos in the backgroundIggy stepping into a coffin that is propped vertically on stage
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 04/05/2025
Very 90s night out at the Donmar Warehouse, watching Patrick Marber’s debut play be treated like a period drama. Somewhat amusing, highly engaging, ensemble piece where everyone is flawed in totally expected but nevertheless meaningful ways. Brilliantly staged in such a tiny theatre.
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 27/03/2025
What a treat the Bertha Dochouse is. A screen devoted to docs at the beautiful Brunswick centre cinema. Saw Dig! for the first time there on Tues. Great film about art, friendship, delusion and economics. Seeing the struggle, jealousy & conflict made Feb’s Brixton gig even more joyful in retrospect.
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 15/03/2025
Max Cooper at the Roundhouse was all about huge visuals and huge sound but for most of it I felt like Id wandered into a screensaver convention where the conference manager had figured out how to train an LLM on Insides by Orbital. I liked the Squarepushery and Swervey bits but all too retro for me
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
Tbh I didn’t know there was a big need for workwear for children any more
Photo of shop selling workwear (yellow vests, boiler suits, etc); with a range for adults and one for kids
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 02/03/2025
Jack White at the Troxy. A rolling sprint, rooted in blues and bringing the peak of Jonny Guitar rock; stitched together as perfectly as an uber produced stadium boring mega tour, but played with no set list. Firecracking energy without a pause.
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
Uplifting view from the office earlier
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
The greatest Swedish language indie song was, perhaps inevitably, written by Berlin-based Californian shoegaze psychfolk Brixton-Academy-filling seven-piece, the Brian Jonestown Massacre. A highlight from a wall of noise and lots of smiling faces. #Vad Hände Med Dem
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
The BBC can today exclusively reveal the faith of the pontiff
BBC news article. Headline ‘Prince Andrew’s Newsnight interview was ‘ill advised’, aide told alleged spy’
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 19/01/2025
In London yesterday the anger was aimed at Bibi. And he deserves it. But the war wouldn’t have happened without 10/7 - described by Hamas this week as ‘a source of pride’. @markurban.bsky.social interesting on views in Gaza, a world away from Corbynite zeitgeist. www.thetimes.com/article/de40...
An excerpt from the article linked to: In November Professor Salman al-Dayah, former dean of sharia school at Islamic University in Gaza, issued a fatwa, or religious opinion, condemning the group for the October 7 attack, arguing it should not have gone ahead because of its likely consequences for Palestinians. He added that Hamas had failed in its obligations "of) keeping fighters away from the homes of defenceless [Palestinian] civilians and their shelters and providing security and safety as much as possible in the various aspects of life".
In the first weeks of the war Moussa Abu Marzouk, a Hamas politburo member, noted that the group's tunnels were built to ensure the survival of its own fighters whereas the protection of civilians was not their responsibility. Months later in communications over a possible hostage deal, Yahya Sinwar, architect of the October 7 attacks went further, describing the loss of Palestinian civilians as a "necessary sacrifice”An excerpt from the article linked to: Just as there will be an eventual reckoning for Binyamin Netanyahu and the disastrous mistakes that allowed Hamas to succeed with the opening phase of its attack, as well as the times when he appeared to sabotage the chances of a ceasefire, so the Islamic movement in Gaza will face many questions as the peace plan takes hold. It is evident that support for Hamas has fallen during the past 15 months.
Polling, done remotely by phone, is problematic. But a survey done by Arab World for Research and Development last month suggested that just 16 per cent of Gazans would vote for Hamas if there were elections to the Palestinian parliament.
What nearly half of Palestinians want now, apparently, is a national unity government that would include some prominent Islamist Gazans, technocrats, as well as those parties committed to a two-state solution with Israel.
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 05/01/2025
A twelfth night celebration outside The Globe
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 06/12/2024
Playing material from throughout his career, it was a blues night with singers covering their favourite Lanegan songs. I’d never paid attention to Dave Gahan before but he was brilliant. So many great performances. A vivid band, up to 7 guitars plus drums, keys, strings and occasional solo slots too
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 06/12/2024
Mark Lanegan celebration at the Roundhouse. No one knew when it would start or the format so by 7pm there was a queue round the block and under the bridge in the pouring rain. It was worth it.
Very rainy street, with a car blurring past
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 24/11/2024
@jonnelledge.bsky.social thought you’d appreciate the design of the seats on the Lisbon metro
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 24/11/2024
Went to the recording of last night’s Later with Jools Holland: St Vincent, Yannis and the Yaw, Arooj Aftab and a little backstage tour, where the director told us a bit about how she helped create the show. Archetypal episode you can watch here: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 23/11/2024
Any band that can create a 30 square meter mosh pit for a song with lyrics about a James Joyce novel is special.
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
All standout players, but Anthony Coleman on keys was the standoutiest. Looked like my bored uncle waiting for a bus but hit the keys like Bernie Worrell. Part of that downtown Radical Jewish Culture scene and keeping the flame alive (looked him up and his latest album is with the YYYs drummer).
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
We went for Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos, bizarrely programmed at the Cadogan Hall (that’s Anthony Coleman on keys)
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 13/11/2024
Lots to admire about the clever and accomplished set from English Teacher in Shepherds Bush last night; but - despite the shimmering guitars, excellent vocals and occasional jams - it didn’t feel visceral. A really good band doing really good work, with another gear to come
The front of the Shepherds Bush Empire, with the name of the band (English Teacher) on the hoarding.
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 09/11/2024
There’s a thread of embattled optimism in Interpol. Last night, playing Antics in full, they dialled it up, turning on a warm filter on their sound. Lighting design made the most of their silhouettes and just occasionally you could see a great smile.
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 06/11/2024
There will be lots of read across from US results to UK politics, so worth remembering how very different the age profile looks. Here, Tories got almost double the Labour share among over 65s; there it was a tie (if the exit poll data is okay)
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 17/09/2024
Then last night PJ Harvey at Terminal 5 in Manhattan. Played the new album in full and it was beautifully warm and mesmeric - Nick Drake meets Meredith Monk on a Punchdrunk set. Then a second set ripping through the back catalogue. Wearing a cloak daubed with her own artwork, she’s a category of one
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 17/09/2024
Couple of gigs over the last few days. First Yannis and the Yaw at Koko. Afrobeat indie. Took me down a Vincent Taeger rabbit hole when I got home - a drummer worth seeing whoever he is playing with.
Bass player Seye Adelekan, with Vincent Taurelle in the background on keysYannis Phillipakis on guitar and singing, with Vincent Taeger on drums in the background
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 13/09/2024
Love this condescending quote from an official. Apparently - post election - Keir Starmer is making a ‘grab for power’. amp.theguardian.com/politics/202...
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 28/11/2023
Nothing wrong with this wording, but it’s not how marble-keepers would phrase it. Respondents reacting to the precise words rather than the issue as few have given this a second’s thought. That’s the problem for Sunak: voters DGAF - so snubbing an ally PM doesn’t look strong, it looks irresponsible
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 16/11/2023
This polls Muslim voters. No baseline to compare but evident Lab has not collapsed. Some general lessons. Highlights gap between: - ‘community leaders’ and the people they purportedly lead - borderline racist idea ethnic groups vote as blocs based on sectional interests, not NHS, competence, etc
Savanta poll of Muslim voters. Labour on 64, Con 19, Lib Dem 9, Green 5, Other 3
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 13/11/2023
This appointment is the kind of thing that gets some columnists salivating at political ju jitsu, especially if their best days are behind them. Like wheeling Tony out for the Labour Party. Meanwhile the country shrugs its shoulders. “Him again?”
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 31/10/2023
If views on Starmer’s Israel position explained the fall in his approval rating, you’d expect more than 7% to be paying ‘a lot’ of attention
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James Morris @jamesdmorris.bsky.social · 31/10/2023
What’s going on here? Is the favourability fall voters reacting to positions on the Israel/Hamas conflict? Or… - has the conference bounce simply faded (as it normally does)? - when I was doing focus groups in 2004/5 the Iraq problem wasn’t position; it was the focus on foreign policy over domestic
Graph showing favourability to Sunak and Starmer. Starmer is well above Sunak. It shows both had rises in favourability during conference season and then a fall in the last fortnight
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