My two major irritants as of 20:23 30/04/2009: the neightbours upstairs who seem to move about on pogo sticks with clogs attached and the girl in Borders who seem incapable of looking anything less than filled with all-consuming hatred.

I don’t talk a great deal about music on this blog. I guess I see it primarily as a photography blog. Anyway, I went to see Bridge And Tunnel last Friday. Fantastic. All three support bands (The Cost Of Living, Carraway and OK Pilot) were pretty good too, especially OK Pilot: kinda Lifetime/Avail sounding stuff. Was pleased to discover The Cost Of Living are Manchester based, they sound like Fifth Hour Hero with a little Servo thrown in, two bands I miss an awful lot.

The distro stand(s) caught my eye. Bought plenty goodies including a couple of Ergs! albums, the Superchinchillarescuemission/Bottledirt split 7″ on Snuffy Smile that I’ve been after for about five years, an Against Me! 7″ and various other bits.

Then Bridge And Tunnel came on. Brutal, tight, anthemic. Best gig of the year so far? Without a doubt.

Paul Graham has won the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2009. I hoped he would but still remain surprised that Taryn Simon didn’t come away with the prize.

This was the first shortlist I’ve seen in a long time where any one of the four (the other two being Tod Papageorge and Emily Jacir) could have deservedly won which is definitely something the judges should be applauded for.

In my mind, Graham’s photographs make up probably the best body of work made over the past twenty years. From his work on British unemployment during the early 80s to his photographs dealing with race and identity in America, his work is always more than the sum of its parts.

Paul Graham – American Night

Paul Graham – American Night

Paul Graham – American Night