Good vibrations
(or a little bit about me...)

My name's Paul, I was born at the sharp end of the 70's (you do the maths...) into a world of Thatcher, miner's strikes, footballers with perms, The Smiths, Vauxhall Chevettes, and TV with only three channels.

I love making and listening to music, while away my time playing with my band and watching (mostly) crappy films, don't practice my guitar nearly enough, and get very excited about web pages that are marked up semantically and don't use tables to layout their content.

In my head I see myself as a Philip Columbo type character (deceptively intelligent, persistent, and in need of a new car) although whether my friends would agree with that is a different matter...

Musical timelines

Some musical timeline things I make from time to time...

Favourite books

I've always been a keen reader, and although you wouldn't believe it if you met me now, when I was (much) younger I used to go as far as setting my alarm for 6am to make sure I got a few hours reading in before school started.

Back in then it was Asterix and Tin Tin illustrated books, followed by Allerton Library's collection of Dr Who novels, before I got to grips with heavyweights such as Lord of The Rings. I've always agreed with Douglas Adams' quote that goes along the lines of...

"if you don't think the Hobbit is the best book ever written when you're 10 years old there's something wrong with you - and if you still think it's the best book ever written when you're 30 years old there's something wrong with you"

These days I still love Sci-fi and fantasy, although seem to spend a lot of time reading music biographies, or books on web design. So leaving aside the tacky manuals, and for no reason other than I feel like telling you, here's a few of my favorite books:

  • The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
  • The Strain
  • The Otterbury Incident
  • Lord of the Rings
  • Tearing down the wall of sound
  • Revolution in the head
  • Rock family trees

Favourite music

Now you're talking! Music is what it's all about at the end of the day. I've been a music lover for as long as I can remember, and find it difficult to function efficiently without it.

I've always been a firm believer that there's only two types of music:

I consider myself a lover of the former, and if you can navigate the choppy waters between the two, then you're alright with me!

I don't think I've ever really been a fan of the coolest bands, and I'm more interested in a catchy melody than a trendy haircut, so here's another run-down of things wot I like, for no sake other than my own amusement...

  • Roddy Frame/Aztec Camera
  • Neil Finn/Crowded House
  • Rufus Wainwright
  • The Beatles
  • The Zombies
  • Doves
  • Vincent Vincent and the Villains
  • The Beach Boys

Favourite films

There is an expression in the music business to describe someone who has no taste in music

"A tin ear - to like everything and understand nothing"

Well if there was a film equivalent (a brass eye?) I'd have one.

Much to the despair of my film loving friends I frivolously waste money on trips to see nonsense films at the cinema - money that could be better spend on, say, a baseball bat with which to beat some sense into myself.

Beyond what I like and what I don't like, there's very little that I know about film. But that doesn't stop one of my favorite pastimes being to plonk myself on the sofa and stick on a movie.

So yes, you've guessed it... list time again. Here's a snapshot of movies that can regularly be found on the Hagan telly

  • Tremors
  • The Blues Brothers
  • The Shawshank Redemption
  • Stir Crazy
  • Capricorn One
  • Rear Window
  • Misery
  • The Bourne Identity
  • Big Trouble In Little China
  • Groundhog Day