Sweet Baboo and Olympian at Chorlton Irish Club: ONLY Clue for Local Girl that it ISN'T 1992

One of the unexpected pleasures of getting older has been the discovery that whilst one may no longer be at the cutting edge of fashion, one actually no longer cares that this is so. This brings with it a hugely enjoyable freedom - the freedom to do what you want, and eat what you want, and drink where you want, and wear what you like, and listen to the music you actually want to listen to, rather than worrying about what everybody else is doing and thereby spending a precious Friday night wedged in some dive or other whilst a child of about nine plays music that makes your head hurt. Even better is the fact that it really is true - if you wait long enough, all the things you have always liked become popular once more. Every day, for example, there is at least one student amongst my classes wearing a Smiths t-shirt, often with the insouciant air of someone who has done something terribly clever and discovered a band that NO-ONE has ever liked before. Almost all of the female students wear leggings and little flowery tea dresses, or skinny jeans with ballet pumps; in other words, the same default outfits that I have been rocking through thick and thin since about 1991.

In other early 90s news, my favourite album of the year is Suede's Bloodsports - a mighty return to form that has been marred only by the sight of Brett Anderson, now an uncomfortable-looking middle-aged family man, hamming it up on Jonathan Ross. In the last week I have booked tickets not only to see Suede, but also New Order and Johnny Marr at Jodrell Bank. Tonight, I am going to see Clint Boon and the Clone Roses, and maybe have a drink at Jabez Clegg first. There is a new Primal Scream album to look forward to. It is honestly as if the last twenty years have never happened, and it is MAGNIFICENT.

Occasionally though, I do deign to listen to something new. A few weeks ago I fell in love with a song by Manchester band Olympian, called "Kill the Lights Suzanne" - it features Badly Drawn Boy and it is beautiful, so I am most excited to hear more of their stuff when they support Sweet Baboo at Chorlton Irish Club on the 9th May. This is the first in a series of regular live gigs organised by Bop Local, who have always understood that people over the age of 25 are still quite partial to going out dancing but would also quite like to do it close to home and ideally be in bed with a nice cup of tea by midnight. Full details can be found on the Bop Local website, but this looks a real bargain at just £7 a ticket and has obviously proved beyond all doubt that my finger IS still firmly on the pulse. Now, just to pick out some nice leggings and perhaps a cardigan to wear on the night...