Former Clash legend Mick Jones and his old punk buddy Tony James of Generation X and Sigue Sigue Sputnik recently played a secret gig - a so-called 'public rehearsal' - at Mick's studio on an industrial estate in Acton.

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Funny that on the same day the new Robert Wyatt album turns up, the post brings three reissues by one of the British bands who learned most from him, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci.

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One last contribution to the Smashing Pumpkins war, which I promise I won't write about indefinitely. In response to some comments about my review here. "Funny lot the Pumpkins fans, aren;t they?" writes Chads. "Could never understand why people take it so personally when you don't like a band they do."

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A brief dispatch, since I'm fending off hordes of enraged Smashing Pumpkins fans, some of them Argentinian. My crimes are many, but involve bad grammar, liking Zwan and, OK, disrespecting the the untouchable genius of Billy Corgan.

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Public Enemy figurehead Chuck D makes his debut as a commentator on the Fox News Channel in the US. His first broadcast includes his thoughts about the ongoing trial of alleged bomber Timothy McVeigh, OJ Simpson prosecutor Marcia Clark's new book, a brawl during a New York Knicks basketball game, Tiger Woods' multi-million dollar sponsorship deal with American Express, and blockbuster movie The Lost World.

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It may not be the most wholly misunderstood album since Bob Dylan's Planet Waves, but as John pointed out in his Wild Mercury Sound blog yesterday, Wilco's new Sky Blue Sky has split their traditionally loyal critical fanbase.

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First, a couple of housekeeping things. Thanks for all your comments on the Smashing Pumpkins review from last week. In response to TROY, yes, I have definitely heard the album and, yes, I guess I have bad taste according to your criteria. Sorry! If I can just point out again, though, that if I leaked my copy of "Zeitgeist", the iron fist of Warner Brothers would crush this blog instantly. So no go, guys.

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Keef, comedy monkeys and Keira’s chin.

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There have been a couple of comments on my last post, written in response to Jeff Tweedy’s comments about Babyshambles in the current issue of Uncut.

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A small bit of history, last night, that I was honoured to witness. Wilco played at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in West London, the scene of some pretty fractious shows by Jeff Tweedy - a fact which made him both self-conscious and extremely funny when he found the courage to open his mouth.

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