Good Grief, I'm in the Guide

And now for some trumpet-blowing of the self-serving variety. Parp. That's Not My Age is featured in this week's Guardian Guide. This little piece of internet news plus a large cup of coffee meant I spent most of yesterday in a state of giddy excitement - followed by an evening celebrating with the Blog Widower on top of a multi-storey car park in Peckham. We know how to live it up. Actually, Frank's Café and Campari Bar is much more glamorous than it sounds. The pop-up venue has a strong New York-y feel, amazing views over London and a gaggle of young hipsters in difficult clothing. The boy in the unfortunate, zig-zag patterned acrylic jumper and acid-washed jeans, I'm talking about you.






And the best thing about this week's Guardian Guide? The coverlines:



That's Not My Age: angrier, deadlier, sexier. Read all about it here.

Quote of the week

It's good having a friend in the music business, you get to go to the occasional free gig, hang around at crappy after-show parties and use the backstage toilets at Glastonbury. That's Not My Age and friend once went to see Suede at the ICA, London. When I say went to see Suede, I mean the last five minutes. Music industry types have been to so many gigs they don't seem to mind just catching the encore - whereas us civilians like to get our money's worth. So we spent most of the evening in a wine bar round the corner, but what little Suede action I did see was bloody brilliant. Brett Anderson, now 43, is sexy in a Bowie-like way and has the kind of stage presence I'd like to bottle and sell to X Factor wannabes.

He's also straight talking. This week dispelling the myth that life on the road is all women, wine and song:

'Rock's not all about carnal glamour. You spend a lot of time sitting on grubby sofas backstage, fiddling with bits of cheese.'




Oh and Mr That's Not My Age has just informed me that this Suede gig is in his all time top 10 live performances:



The band are reforming in March but Mr TNMA doesn't want to go, oh no! 'One should never go back,' he says. I didn't need telling. After seeing New Order at Glastonbury in 2005, Bernard Sumner's embarrassing dad-dance was enough to convince me revivalism is wrong.

And, now for a small survey:

1. Firstly, I'd like to know if anyone has ever been to a decent post-gig drink-up? (I want dates, names and rider details, please.)

2. Have you ever seen one of your all-time favourite bands 10 or 20 years down the line? And how was it for you?

3. Don't you think Mr Anderson looks very fine in his classic shirt?


Quote and photo from The Guardian.

Natural ingredients: mulled wine and moisturiser

After one too many glasses of fine mulled wine at the local pub last night - which incidently made The Guardian's top 50 festive pubs list - That's Not My Age is feeling her age. The south London boozer is proper traditional, like - serving the best mulled wine this side of the Thames, full of cloves and spices, each glass made to order - and as reviewer, Garth Cartwright points out, ' The Hermit's Cave offers plenty of consistency. Why I don't think they've changed the carpet (or anything else) since I first started supping there in 1994.'

So, it was a huge relief when the anti-age introductory set from Aromatherapy Associates landed on my doormat. This selection of skincare products made from natural ingredients and essential oils is going to give me a 'firm, plumped and more youthful complexion.' Hooray! So readers, I am going to conduct a little experiment. Mr That's Not My Age will take the before and after shots, and unlike the misleading Twiggy/Olay advert, these photos will be natural, untouched, wrinkles-and-all. You have been warned!