Of Cracktown and its predilection for midgets

Lordi, my blog has gone stratospheric. 17 comments thanks to a link with Dr John's weblog over in the deepest of USA. So having reeled you all in, its time to lose you promptly again with a blog all about Hull semi-legends Cracktown. Two men (one always top-hatted who goes by the name of the Silver Fox, one a shipping clerk with a love of hill walking) who have been hammering away in the clubs of Hull, writing acoustic ditties with a leftish, slouchist mentality for years. Well, last night (namedrop alert) they were in my front room scoffing hob nobs and quaffing Ethiopian fair trade coffee as they readied the art work for their upcoming album There Must And Shall Be Midgets. Housemate Jobes (the Jazzweasel) is playing bass and designing the artwork for the album, with me doing the odd story and review for the papers I'm employed by. Yesterday involved a virtual midget gathering exercise with Jobes, finding and then discounting the munchkins of Oz, assorted Time Bandits and the entire cast of Even Dwarves Started Small, before settling on Nik Nak and Gary Coleman from Diff'rent Strokes (why the loss of the E?). Its a purely Thoresby Street affair, having been recorded and mixed at 134 before a quick saunter down to mine for PR and design chops. The neighbours didn't even know that great music was being created next door. It may not be enough for a blue plaque from National Heritage in years to come, but these guys are a part of Hull's heritage and it was a pleasure to have them in my front room. And the silver Fox never removed his top hat once, which I would generally think rude, but hey, he's a rock star.