Dirty little barroom band

The Fargo Railroad Co. operate out of Sheffield; for what it's worth, and it's pretty well documented around these parts, Sheffield  is one of those cities I find hard not to like. It's neither glamorous nor glitzy, a lot like Fargo Railroad Co., which is precisely why I like it/them. Fargo are touring later in the year - it'd be nice to see them headline a bill; thus far I've only ever see them play second fiddle to, so called, 'bigger' names. 

Their latest album is an absolute belter. Time & Grace¹ (released last year) sees this dirty little barroom band (their words, not mine) come of age. Southern Rock, south Yorkshire style, with a side order of UK Americana makes for a heady mix. Jackie Come On was lifted as a single and sets out clear their intentions from the get go². You'd have to be deaf not to tap yer foot to this. 

Fargo Railroad Company - Jackie Come On 2024)

 

★

1 Whose cover, as you can see at the top of the piece, pays homage to Hopper's Nighthawks; yet another reason to love this album. 

² A recent caller to Johnny Vaughan's 4-7 Thang informed him that her mother says "from the gecko." Which I may well adopt myself.

It begins

Although not unheard of, it is, nonetheless, very rare for me to pull the car over, get out and take a photograph of a billboard. But that's precisely what I did this morning. I know there's probably more superheroes than plumbers in the phonebook but there was something about this particular image that stopped me in my tracks. Literally. 

I thought for a minute I'd torn the very fabric of the space-time continuum and gone back to a world where the Odeon and the ABC had never been demolished and Christopher Reeve was still flying. Then I looked more closely and could see it was just some interloper (David Corenswet) passing himself off as Clark Kent's alter ego. A man can dream, can't he?

As to whether this Superman reboot is a classic or a turkey I have no idea; our visitor from the planet Krypton has been with us in various guises (beginning with his inaugural appearance in Action Comics - published by DC Comics - in June 1938), some better than others (like Dr. Who), so I guess there's only one way to find out. Up, up, and awaaaay.

★

Superman -  Official Trailer (2025)

Hey Jude you were alright

Weller - walking over Soho

Last year, not long before I was hospitalised, I was particularly pleased with a playlist I'd put together simply titled 'London'. So much so I sent it hither and I sent it thither. Most people seemed to like it. One of the standout tracks on it, for my money anyway, was Brian Protheroe's (minor) hit Pinball from 1974. I think it's probably one of the best songs about the capital ever written. Paul Weller has obviously got a soft spot for it too. You'll find his take on it contained within his new long player, 'Find El Dorado'. It's also the B-side of his new single (with a rather fetching green Parlophone sleeve; very retro).

Paul Weller - Pinball (2025) 

 

Straßenkunst

Welcome to July's Photo Challenge. I said I was looking for street art and, boy, did you send me street art! Thank you so much to everyone who took the time. There were only a handful of 'doublers' so, apologies, I went with the first one that landed in my inbox. I hope you enjoy poring over the collection as much as I did putting it together. 

The earth would spin off its axis if Rol didn't go first: "Hello John, Hope you're well and continuing on an upward path. I have two photos for you this month. The first is a piece of graffiti in a Leeds subway that I often see. I'm guessing it was painted during lockdown, and I always find the message cheering. The second is a piece Louise and I discovered in our first home together when we decided to decorate the attic. Peeling back the wallpaper, we discovered someone had painted a huge Dennis The Menace face underneath. It was a little scary until we saw what it was. Being a comic fan myself, I'd have been more impressed to discover a Spider-Man mask. Take care, Rol." Great stuff, Rol. What happened to Gnasher, I wonder?

Ernie: "Hi John, as I may have mentioned I have approximately 7.2 million photos of street art, so to avoid spending the whole month wading through them I decided to limit myself to street art within walking distance of Casa Del Fuego. Here are one apiece from Brick Lane and Hackney Wick, the two street art hubs round here, and a detail from the magnificent mural depicting the Battle of Cable Street, Ernie. P.S. If you haven't seen the mural before we should add it to the schedule for your next London visit." Cheers, Ernesto. Yes, let's get something in the diary.

Coops: "As usual John, three from my travels: A pedestrian underpass in Eindhoven, Netherlands is dedicated to Monty Pythons Ministry of Silly Walks (and was opened by John Cleese).Secondly, on the end of a block of flats in Łódź, Poland a mural celebrating 40 years (in 2021) since Widzew Łódź won their first Polish League Championship (Ekstraklasa). And lastly from my trip earlier in the month - a garage door in Zaragoza, Spain. David." Much appreciated, Coops. Keep on globetrotting.

George from Portugal: Hi John I hope you recovery/recuperation is going well. Here are two photos I have just taken today of a mural on an underpass in Vila Nova de Santo Andre, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1974 revolution. George - your occasional correspondent in the Alentejo Litoral." Obrigado, George!

C: "Hi John Hope you're doing well. This is going to be a brilliant edition! Just the one pic from me this month as there's not much interesting street art going on in my neck of the woods unfortunately. However, this one was spotted on a wall in York, and it's right up my street! C x."

Pete Zab: "Hi John, I've got so many street art images, I'm spoilt for choice. Anyway, I've settled on these - 1. Carrington Street, Nottingham Graffiti on an empty building (2024). 2. Disney's King John which appeared briefly, with other characters, at Nottingham's skate Park (2023). 3 & 4. Both taken at Leicester's Bring The Paint Festival in 2019. 5. This was on some boarding opposite the immersive Van Gogh exhibition held in Leicester in 2022. 6. A Kid30 one ny the Old Angel in Nottingham (2025) All the best, Pete." Nice one, PZ - a sexy sextet!

Vaughan found this in Norwich. Cheers, Vaughan.

Neil Abdo:  "Mastricht, Radford and Arnot Hill Park featuring Deter the dog." Cheers, Neil. Some great shots.

Tim with an amazing portfolio as ever: "Hi John, street art is somewhat of a hobby of mine. A cursory glance in my phone's album revealed well over 1,500 pics (probably many more that the phone can’t detect). So here is a random selection, hopefully covering a few bases. 

Firstly the supremely talented Phlegm with this offering in Herne Hill. There’s plenty of his work in Sheffield so always worth keeping an eye out. His attention to detail & strange figures & worlds is incredible."

"Here’s a bit of a cheat it’s a montage of the doorway by the Old Angel in Nottingham. Local street art legend Kid30 continually repurposes this space. Again plenty of his works large & small round town if you keep em’ peeled." (I too am a huge fan of Kid30 and have taken scores of photos of his work across town - JM.)

"This monumental effort was in Berlin not got a clue what’s going on but the detail is absolutely insane. You need to zoom in on this one."

"From vast to small. I’ve never been a fan of spiders & this just looks way too realistic at a glimpse."

"Porto: Monumental rabbit mixed media offering. Looks far better when you’re there, there’s big chunks of mopeds, metal sheeting etc all of which I think was found dumped as rubbish. It stands out from the wall in 3-D but retains the correct perspective. Genius!" 

"Porto: blink & you’ll miss it, just round the corner from the giant rabbit were these tiny refuse workers. Again cracking detail yet only a few inches tall. Always keep an eye out when mooching round a city." 

"The legendary Ian Curtis, Port Steet, Manchester. Just a stunning picture. This got painted over (unbelievable!) but is now replicated on the Star & Garter pub visible as trains pull into Piccadilly."

"Finally, a little number from Palma. I think we can all relate to this. Over & out, can’t wait to see the rest, I’ve got a feeling you’re going to be providing a very strong street art game this month. Tim." Thank you, Tim. Yes, a strong street art game across the board and some brilliant contributions from yer goodself.

Riggsby in San Diego: "Hi John. This month’s theme triggered a memory from deep in the past, the art on the Berlin Wall. Some friends and I visited Berlin in April 1988 (l to r, Conny my flat-mate (Mitbewohnerin), and Mike, our dearest friend (the three of us are still in contact), and Stefan, Conny’s university classmate). How young and well-dressed we were! We were waiting (if standing and leaning qualify) at the Wall, while viewing a stretch of the art. These are the few samples that I must have been particularly impressed with to have captured them on precious film. We didn’t go over the wall, and no guards shot over our heads, though."

"Up to date - here are a few pics from a trip we took last week through the Southern California beach cities from Newport Beach to Manhattan Beach, including a Wyland mural." Thanks, Richard. You've excelled yourself! (Did I detect a Pistols reference in there?)

Claire: "Spotted in Radford, near the old Raleigh factory, October 2020. A lockdown Banksy - 'Bicycle Girl'. The wall was removed in February 2021."

"And the Berlin Wall." (Ditto above - the wall was removed, 1989 - JM.)

 Thank you, Claire. Was the wall link intentional?

Johnny Legs has been Hanging out in Bristol.

Walter, our erstwhile German correspondent: "Hi John, here are some pics for Photo Challenge. In almost every town I've visited during the last few years I've found street art whilst walking around. "The first one was in Nantes, photographed in a former industrial park"

"Salzburg - in a pedestrian underpass."

"Dresden - in a student district near to our hotel."

"Bristol - from our recent gathering." Thanks, Walt. An impressive collection.

Matthew: "Hi John,  Lapa steps (Escadaria Selaron), Rio de Janeiro. Became a twenty year obsession for one Chilean artist, Jorge Selaron. He fixed up the steps outside his house and progressed to decorating 215 steps with tile pieces from around the world. He was found dead on his steps in 2013. Lennon Wall, Prague. Started off as a mural as a Lennon tribute. It then became a place for free expression in Czechoslovakia. Then painted over and added to over the years. I think it has been tidied up quite a bit with another Lennon mural since my 2018 photo." Thanks, Matthew. Every picture tells a story.

A trio from Charity Chic: "The Big Yin in Glasgow city centre."

"Teach Peace."

"Freedom Corner." Cheers, CC.

Harry Harrington Harris: "Not necessarily the best street art in Leeds, but it was my grandson's first time at Elland Road." Thanks, Harry. Start 'em young.

Alyson: "Dundee is a great place for street art. There was a lane next to our Airbnb where the Council pay street artists to create new work on a Sunday. We had an interesting chat with one of them." Nice one, Alyson. I really liked Dundee when we swung by in '22. I'd like to linger longer next time.

The Swede (who, by the way, suggested this month's theme): "The modest town I call home, occasionally allows itself a proud boast - a small town with a creative heart. It's an accurate boast too. We have two galleries, a couple of annual festivals, an independent theatre and we're home to an array of well known artists, musicians, poets and writers. Not too shabby for a population of only 9000. All of the above are usually enthusiastically supported, with the glaring exception of one exhibition back in 2023. Renowned artist Vinnie Nylon brought a show to one of the galleries and to promote it, created a number of site specific public art pieces around the town. The work garnered an unexpected level of small-minded local criticism, which shocked and disappointed me. As soon as the exhibition was over, all traces of the public work were painted over, but not before I'd been out with my camera." Miserable bastards. Thank you, TS. They'll be burning books next.

Kyhem from the Kotswolds has hit double figures: "Hello John, I hope you’re keeping well. It’s hard to believe we’re coming up to a month since BlogCon25! Thanks for the latest photo challenge. I’ve tried (and failed) to whittle it down to less than ten! Cheers, K. First up, a mural in Adelaide, Australia, 1991."

"Entrance to Lakota nightclub, Bristol, 2022." 

"Stencil of MLK (juxtaposed with hilarious handwritten note on the left), Gloucester, 2022."

"Support Ukraine, Gloucester, 2022."

"Are You Dead? graffiti, Valencia, Spain, 2023."

"Bill postered doorway, Bristol, 2024."

"You Are Loved, Hesters Way. Nr. Cheltenham, 2024."

"Lego Vs. Dino, Hesters Way, Nr. Cheltenham, 2024." 

"University mural, Cardiff, 2025." 

"England’s Glory, Gloucester, 2025." Thank you, K. You too are loved! 

Kate: "Hi John, the wonderful Sincil Bank Art Project in Lincoln, I love this image of Isaac Newton pained on the side of someone's house."

"On a less cheerful note (but as I was thinking about the state of the world atm), this memorial to women who worked in the munitions factories in Bestow, Nottingham." Thank you, Kate. A pairing that works really well, I think.

Swiss Adam: "Hi John, some street art from my phone. Medusa under the bridge on the towpath of the Bridgewater Canal; Hot Loner Shit from Castlefield & ye olde male genitalia from Gran Canaria." I was waiting for someone to lower the tone, Adam! Nice work.

James is back - "Hi Dad, the first one is Bourj Hamoud, the Armenian quarter of Beirut. Lots of Americans live there having fled their country during the Armenian genocide; the words encourage the Lebanese government to boycott Turkish products, the Ottomans being the perpetrators of said genocide."

"The second two are in either Hamra or Gemayze; my photo album's a bit jumbled up. One commemorates the the paramedics who provided aid during the port explosion in 2020. The other looks pretty cool but I never looked into its provenance." Thank you, James. I love the back stories.

As usual, a few of mine to wrap things up. This one in Manchester throws up an interesting combo.

From #BC25 in Bristol - We mean it, man. (Note the subtly updated lyrics.)

Derby Road, Nottingham. Taken in lockdown. There were four or five of these little fellas all within a few yards of each other. I may post the rest later in the year.

San Fransisco, 1998. Street art by Portuguese artist Rigo 23. I think I may have  mentioned him before, if not I'll be sure to put that right.

Jarvis in Sheffield. Where else?

Tunnocks & Irn Bru in Glasgow! Again, where else?

Burnham-on-Sea; not really sure what was going on here.

Nottingham. Looks like Batman's pulled.

Local lad, Richard Beckinsale in Beeston, Nottingham. 

Johnny's Bar & Grill, Hollister, CA in 2022.

And there you have it. What a flipping collection, and no mistake! You people are amazing. I'll post August's theme in the comments in the next couple of days. See you next month...

Postscript 2.7.25

With apologies to any younger readers or indeed anyone of a nervous disposition. Let me explain: just hours after hitting 'publish' on this amazing collection of photographs I received a frantic message that said: "Is it too late for the Street Art post?" It was quickly followed by this clutch of photos. Ironically, for a quartet of snaps littered with the C word, these came from, yep, you've guessed it, CC. Someone, patently, is not happy with Battlefield Council up in Glasgow. I'd love to know how this plays out...