Today is a very special day for us here at Best days towers. Not only is it Martine McCutcheons birthday but today is also the day that we launch our website bestdaysvintage.co.uk! That's right from 5pm this evening you will be able to purchase the famous Bestdays product from the comfort of your bedroom wherever you are in the world. Picture the scene: You have one browser open playing Minecraft against some Korean kid, you've got some teenage boy getting his winky out on snap chat and as well as looking on Facebook at some holiday pictures of some one you used to go to school with, you think to yourself I really want to buy a vintage denim jacket right now. Well now you can buy one from your favourite shop from anywhere at any time and you can do the whole thing in just your pants. Just think bestdaysvintage.co.uk and everything will work out. (I don't mean to imply that all of our customers are perverts and geeks by the way. I don't really know what Minecraft is actually. Do you play against somebody or are you on a team against some kind of evil enemy? Do let me know.)
McCutcheon: 'This is their moment"
As well as being able to buy online from a huge range of vintage clothes and accessories the website will be packed full of other interesting gubbins. As you will no doubt discover there will be a gallery page dedicated to pictures of all the events that we're involved with such as our club night Leisure and the in store gigs we put on. If you're from Colchester you may well be on there. If you're from anywhere else in the world I imagine it's gonna make you want to move to Colchester. Or at the very least visit us. We've got a castle remember.
Colchester Castle: we've got one.
You'll also have access to all our hilarious social media content including all my blogs. If that's not reason enough to visit then you are probably dead inside. We will also have all sorts of guest bloggers writing about fashion, sex, music and modern life in general on here. It's gonna be a one stop shop for all your cultural needs. There's plenty of other stuff on there too for you to peruse but instead of me waffling on about it why don't you just go there and see for yourself. Unless you're reading this before 5pm on Wednesday the 14th of May in which case you can't get on it yet. Try again later. If you're out celebrating Martine McCutcheons birthday then have a great night but stay safe.
Sneak preview: bestdaysvintage.co.uk
Colchester folk make sure you keep coming to the shop as well because we love talking to you and just because we now have clicks doesn't mean you should ignore the bricks. We offer a click and collect service so you can buy a product online and then pick it up from the shop to save on postage fees. You can also say hello to me while you're at it. Also make sure you tell all your friends and family who don't live in Colchester that they now have access to your favourite shop via the magic of technology. Share the link to our website on social media and whatnot and we'd be very grateful. While I have you here I would like to thank all the people who have helped us out with modelling and photography for the website. Big up yourselves Ellis, Sally, Lora, Mark, Amelia, Frankie, Anthony, Jenna, Nathan, Chloe, Amber and special thanks to Brittany and Matt who have been instrumental ion making this website work. Literally. You are all in my good books which is a lovely place to be. Right. Start buying stuff. Jez x http://www.bestdaysvintage.co.uk
You can't turn on the TV or the Radio at the moment without being reminded that it's been 20 years since Britpop. My Facebook timeline is clogged full of people who have taken the "How well do you remember Britpop?" quiz.( I got a disappointing 8 on 10). I figured, given Britpop has been such an influence on my life, that I should wade in with my own experiences of it. I was probably late to the party but it all started for me when I heard my elder sister's copy of Parklife at some point during 1994. She had it on casette and would play it every morning while she was getting ready for school. I'm pretty sure she would listen to the first three tracks of side 1 and then flip the tape over and find This is a Low on the other side. I imagine the 14 year old me was annoyed at being woken up at first but after a few listens across the landing I was completely hooked. I stole the casette and it's not stretching the point to say my life changed forever. Before this epiphany, like most teenagers I was just trying to fit in. I was almost certainly wearing crap sportswear. The right pair of trainers was key. I never had them Mum. Music wise I was listening to whatever was in the charts. I definitely had Now 26 which I've just googled and to be fair has an amazing tracklist. (Mr Vain, Boom shake the room, Distant Sun by Crowded house, Maximum Overdrive by 2 unlimited). Parklife changed everything. My aim in life now was to look like Graham Coxon, which meant wearing thick rimmed prescription spectacles that I didn't need and stealing my Dad's crap v neck jumpers. The idea was to look like a bit of an outsider and getting the piss ripped out of you by "townies" (I think that's what chavs were called in the 90's) was a rite of passage. I started reading the music press and getting into loads of other bands, some of which I still listen to (Radiohead, Suede, Massive Attack) Some of which probably don't hold up so well ( Echobelly, Ash, Marion). In 1994 my evenings were spent alone in my bedroom doing one of two things. Listening to the Evening session on Radio 1 was one of them. I'll let you guess what the other one was but bear in mind I was 14 and had just worked out that I liked girls. The point is that what probably seemed like a phase to my parents at the time has turned out to have shaped my rest of my life in many ways. I went on to join a massively unfashionable Britpop inspired band at university which is where I met Steve who it turns out had been having practically the exact same teenage experience in a different part of the country. Steve was going for more of a Liam Gallagher vibe clothes wise and it's worth remembering that he swapped his copy of Parklife for East 17's Steam album (Cheap shot) but from what I understand we were essentially living the same life. He's just arrived. Lets ask him. Steve:" I was listening to Nirvana, The red hot Chilli peppers and Metallica but the only thing that was connecting was the swear words. Rock and Roll Star by Oasis changed everything. Gotta go now." (Steve exits stage right to go to the launderette) Now 20 years later I'm writing this from the headquarters of a business named after a Britpop song in the town where my favourite Britpop band came from and I'm listening to Gene. I still wear thick rimmed spectacles, crap v necks of my own and on the odd occasion that someone says I look like "that guy from blur"I beam with pride for he is still my hero. It goes to show that a great chorus in the right hands can change lives. Here's some of my personal Britpop highlights:
While I have you here I'd just like to say thank you to the members of Octopus and Oh Daisy for playing our first in store gig last Friday. You were fabulous darlings. Thank you to everyone who came to watch/listen as well. Well done on the minimal drink spillage. We will probably do this again at some point so keep your ears to the ground. You know I love you. I always will. Jez x
Unless you've been living under a metaphorical best days social media style rock this week, you will have noticed that we've been going on about this guy Roddy Woomble quite a lot recently. I felt like I should explain our love for this man in a bit more depth and perhaps encourage you to go and buy his entire back catalogue and come and see him at Colchester Arts Centre on the 22nd of April. WARNING: If you don't like gushing praise it's probably best to stop reading now. Roddy is the singer in one of Steven and I's favourite bands of all time. They're called Idlewild. You thought we only listened to blur right? In my opinion they're one of the most criminally underrated bands of the last 20 years ok. Here's why I love them and specifically him. 1. They write great melodies 2. Roddy writes lovely evocative lyrics 3. They rock when necessary. 4. Their sound has evolved from punk, through sweeping widescreen anthems to a more folky vibe. 5. They're lovely people. 6. Roddy likes a stripy t-shirt/jumper like what I do. 7. They're amazing live. 8. Roddy has a lovely warm singing/speaking voice. 9. Roddy is movie star handsome and rocks long hair these days, sometimes a big bushy beard too. I could go on forever with this list but it's all starting to sound like extracts from my diary aged 13. The point is they don't get nearly enough recognition for being ace. Anyway Roddy has made 3 folky solo albums which, surprise surprise, I also really like. He is playing in Colchester next month in support of the most recent one. I suggest you buy tickets now and use the up-coming weeks to familiarise yourself with his work. Maybe go Partridge style and get the "best of" Idlewild to start with and take it from there. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. Here's some of my personal favourites from the Roddy Canon.
I hope you give these tracks a listen and enjoy them, they really are the tip of a majestic iceberg, and I also hope to see you at the Arts Centre on Tuesday 22nd of April. You can win a brace of tickets by entering a competition that we have running on our Facebook page right now! Steve and I will definitely be there. We'll be the ones at the front trying desperately to look cool but actually punching the air and generally being two over excited divs. Can't wait. Love you. Jez x
Good morning pals. I genuinely hope you are healthy and happy and if you're not then I hope something makes you happy today. If you're not healthy then there's not too much I can do except say contact your GP if the swelling doesn't go down within 24 hours.
Thank you to everybody who came along to our club night at V Bar the other week. I must say I had a rollicking good time. Why wouldn't I? There was banging tunes, 2 great bands and an atmosphere that one reveller described as "lovely stuff". I think it may have been Shakin Stevens. Sure for a while it did kind of smell like burning hair but that's only because someone's hair was on fire. Yes I did knock a man's pint out of his hand doing an over exuberant Jarvis Cocker impression, and yes he was a soldier and yes I was genuinely frightened but I talked my way out of a rumble and we said no more about it. I would say it was a rip roaring success overall which is why we're ruddy well doing it again.
Friday the 28th March is the next Leisure and we shall have all the key ingredients for a cracking night out. This month's bands are Electric Child House and The Jorneta Stream. The former are a London based psychedelic rock band who cite The Beatles and Radiohead as influences. That's good enough for me. Look out for the double Maraca action in this video. You don't see that enough in my opinion.
The second band are The Jorneta Stream who are from Colchester (Woo!) and play that stop starty, time signature shifting, clever brand of alternative rock that when Steve and I were in a band couldn't play because we weren't talented enough. They have a song called "Do you know the fireman, who lives on Pudding Lane?" so they're in my good books straight away. This song is called Third Wheel and is ace.
Then after 2 cracking bands lets dance the night away to indie classics until 2am whereupon you can either get a kebab and go home or come with me to Climax gentleman's club. First band will probably be on around half nine so I'd get there promptly if I were you and remember it's free to get in.
In other shop related news you may have noticed that the weather has taken a turn for the better. We have responded and the store is full of spring /summer items now such as playsuits, summer dresses, t shirts, Hawaiian shirts, Harringtons, sunglasses and lots more. Remember we get new stock in every week and it's all one off pieces so if I were you I'd come and see us at least once a week to get first dibs on the best stuff. First dibs is a technical term we use in retail, sorry to bore you with jargon.
We're also working very hard behind the scenes getting ready to launch our website. We're not too far away from selling our wares online now but obviously I'll let you know precise launch co ordinates nearer the time, I just wanted to whet your appetite a little bit. Here's a picture of Matt taking a picture of a Lion T shirt that will be available on the website.
Matt takes great pride in his work. Please e mail me more lion pun based captions.
Anyhoo, it was nice speaking to you and I hope to see you soon. Enjoy the sunshine but do remember to rubber up. Love you. Jez x
I always intended this blog to occur weekly, but like many of the things in life I commit to (the gym, jacket potato- based new years resolutions, Buddhism, monogamy) it doesn't always work out. New policy is to write when I have something to say or when I feel like I've left it too long. I think it was Greta Garbo who once said "Make sure your blog is regular and make damn sure you've got some jokes". Yeah I'm pretty sure it was her. Very wise woman. I'm trying to remember what's happened since last we spoke without checking the archives. If memory serves we were about to have our student lock in thing which, without bragging, was an unmitigated success. There was a queue right up the street to get in and when we opened the doors it was absolutely rammed inside. In many ways it reminded me of a gig by Steven and I's band, except that there was a queue to get in and there were lots of people there. It went so well that I'm sure we'll be doing more in the future so keep your ears to the ground. Talking of in store events, we're looking to put a gig on in here on Wednesday 12th of March and then every 2nd Wednesday of the month, so if you're in a band and consider yourself up to the required standard of "quite good" then please drop off a demo or send us a link to your soundcloud or whatever bands put their music on these days. If you're a real showboater then come in the shop and serenade me. I'll turn my back and if you hit "quite good" I'll turn around like on The Voice. What a shit programme. Who Dares Wins with Nick Knowles, now that's a programme.
You may also be aware that our brand new club night Leisure is launched in a few weeks. I trust that you have put Friday 28th of February in your diary and are prepared to watch some ace bands, drink booze and then dance like a gonk to some top tunes. It doesn't have to be in that order, in fact it's possible to do all three at the same time. How good does the poster look by the way? The very first Leisure will feature live sets from Arthur Gun and Summer Snowmen, both of whom I'm really looking forward to seeing. I made a massive list of all the bands that I'd like to hear played at a clubnight and it was hard to pick out the ones that represented the night best. I thought this list of some of the A bands just about summed up the eclectic mix of music that we play in Bestdays. I want to make it clear that bands beginning with other letters will also be featured.
Both of these bands strike me as being very handsome so ladies get there early so you can get to the front, and write I love you on your eyelids like that girl out of Indiana Jones. You don't see that enough. A lot of work is going on behind the scenes at the moment in to launching our website. We're hoping that by March we will have the capability to sell our wares on line to the whole world! I've finally admitted to myself and close friends that the internet has caught on and may well be here to stay. You have to embrace these things eventually. I remember vowing never to join myspace and when I finally did everybody stopped using it. I shan't make that mistake again. Needless to say you'll hear about the new super website when it's ready but I can say for sure that it's going to look ace because I've seen previews and the people working on it are very talented. We're getting some great new stock in at the moment and the old stock is getting marked down every week so it really does pay to visit us regularly. I must dash. I'm writing this in store and there's customers who need me. It was lovely speaking at you. Don't let the rain get you down. You could live in Somerset, or Seattle. love you. Bye. Jez x
Hi di hi campers! How is 2014 going for you so far? Personally I haven't noticed any difference from 2013 and that was good year so I'm perfectly happy. I haven't made any resolutions this year because last year I tried, and very quickly failed to give up jacket potatoes. It wasn't out of any need to lose weight or health reasons it was simply to see if I could. It turns out I have the will power of a horny teenage boy in a house full of porn. Anyway this year I haven't made any such foolish promises and for your information I am already in double figures for jacket potatoes consumed this year.
Keen eyed readers will notice the de-humidifier. I could have cropped it out but I thought you'd want to know how we kept our windows so dry.
Have you seen are new window display yet? Brilliant isn't it? It's hard to read the graffiti behind the mannequins but it says "modern Life is Rubbish" which I feel needs some explaining. Like many of the things we do here the band Blur are intrinsically linked. Blurs second album was named after a bit of graffiti that Damon Albarn spotted on the Bayswater Road in London around 1992. It's a significant album for me in many ways. Although it's not the first one I heard, chronologically it's the first brilliant album they released. It marked the moment when they stopped aping other bands and found their own identity. It's also just packed full of amazing songs which are simultaneously clever and have an emotional impact. It pretty much inadvertently invented britpop while it was at it as well. The band always looked cool but this period is where they dressed best. Tailored suits with doc martens, boating blazers, tweed jackets, classic British images. If you aren't familiar with the album then I suggest you go do some research.
It's a fuzzy picture but you can tell they look good
This is the video for the first single from the album, For Tomorrow, which is kind of a classic. My favourite song on the album is called Resigned. Go listen. On to other business. Next Wednesday which is the 22nd of January, we are doing a student lock in event in the store. Any student with a valid card will get 20% off any full price items, the first 25 of you through the door will get a goody bag containing all manner of fun stuff. There will also be dj's and high quality jokes at the till. Possibly. It all kicks off at 6pm so get there promptly. You may have also heard that we are collaborating with Colchesters hippest venue V Bar to bring you a monthly club night. It will run every last friday of the month from February onwards and will feature live bands and dj's playing what I would call "good" music. If you are in a band then no problemo bring us in your demo and we'll have a listen and maybe put you on. I'll bring you more detail like the name of the night when I have it but just put the dates in your diary for now. In store we have new stock coming in every week and old stock getting reduced to ridiculously cheap prices so I suggest you come and visit regularly. I look forward to seeing you. Happy new year. Jez x
