Author Archives: Marcus Blakeston
Branded
Cirrus clouds dance across the sky like the vapourised remains of Hiroshima’s ballerinas. Men in suits scurry across the ground like bloated maggots feasting on the charred remains of a fallen fire-fighter. I stare down at the pavement as I … Continue reading
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You’re All Weird Festival Club 85 Hitchin 19-20 November 2022
When Mark Astronaut left this realm at the beginning of July it left a big hole in many people’s lives. His crowd-funded funeral was so well attended it filled the crematorium’s car park to capacity, and countless others watched the … Continue reading
An incomplete list of live gigs by Mark Astronaut and his various bands
If you can fill in any gaps, please comment or find me on Facebook. 1978 28 January The Corn Exchange, Hertford The Astronauts, Lol Coxhill, Johnny Curious And The Strangers, etc. ? May The Half Moon, Bishop’s Stortford The Astronauts, … Continue reading
Mark Astronaut 27 August 1954 to 6 July 2022
I don’t think I ever told him, but Mark was one of my teenage heroes, and the only person I ever put on a pedestal that stayed there for the rest of my life. I still can’t believe he’s gone. … Continue reading
Errors and omissions for the book Survivors 45 Years of The Astronauts
With a topic of this scale it was inevitable that a few errors would find their way into the book. I take full responsibility for these, and apologise to those whose reputations may have been affected. It was also perhaps … Continue reading
The Astronauts Book Launch Show Club 85 Hitchin
Our first Astronauts road trip since the apocalypse. We weren’t actually planning to go on one, but about a week earlier the owner of Club 85 messaged me and said they were having a launch event for the new Astronauts … Continue reading
Survivors – 45 Years Of The Astronauts
Formed in the summer of 1977, The Astronauts have been lurking in the shadows of the British underground music scene ever since, criminally underrated and ignored by most despite their extensive back catalogue of albums and singles – each one … Continue reading
Preview: Survivors — 45 Years of The Astronauts
Sample pages from the forthcoming book about Mark Astronaut and his various bands — The Astronauts, Restricted Hours, The Otters, Los Astronauts Muertos, and The Psephologists. Covers the period 1975 to 2020. Also includes details on fellow travellers Here & … Continue reading
The Astronauts / Zounds / Rites of Hadda at The Lexington, London, 29 February 2020
Another year, another Astronauts road trip. Last time, me and Mrs Marcus made the 300 mile round trip on our motorcycle to see them in their home town of Welwyn Garden City, which you can read about here. This year … Continue reading
The Astronauts In Defence of Compassion CD re-release
The sleeve notes I wrote for the 2020 Retroactive CD re-release of The Astronauts album In Defence of Compassion. You can listen to the album here, and possibly buy the CD if they haven’t already sold out. Bandcamp Recorded over … Continue reading
Tagged ambient, folk, mark astronaut, Punk
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Marcus Blakeston 