My phone went uncharacteristically quiet last week. I'd send a text, and I wouldn't get any reply. Occasionally one message would pop up, and I'd reply, only to get the silent treatment again. I thought I'd done something to offend everyone. This went on for a few days, and just out of curiosity I decided to put my SIM card into my old Nokia to see what would happen... And thirty previously undelivered messages popped up. It was a relief. Still, I've stuck with the Nokia since. It's been a bit of a revelation since I went back to it. My friend Dave's beloved iPhone 4 got stolen last week, and it's made me paranoid about bringing my valuables into town. At least everyone can agree that nobody in their right mind would want to steal my phone - they'd be lucky to get five quid for it. I mightn't be able to download the latest apps, but my battery lasts without a charge for days at a time. Best of all, the phone has no Internet capacity whatsoever, freeing me from the shackles of Facebook and checking emails. I should have started using that phone ages ago.

I went on Saturday night to catch my old friend Owensie's album release gig. It was on in the Back Loft, just off of Thomas Street, which is a really great venue, and I dragged my friend Gosia along. I was thrilled to see that the place was packed to the rafters. The show was amazing, marred only by the fact that we were standing behind a bunch of loud dickheads who just wouldn't shut the fuck up. Still, I had a lot of fun. The album should be released in a few days, you can listen to it online here. It's really incredible, so check it out.

I was up early on Sunday to bring my beloved six-string bass, Natalie, to Derrick Nelson in Marlay Park for repairs. She's had a rough couple of years, suffering ill treatment at the hands of careless couriers and the wear and tear of heavy metal gigs. The high C string has become impossible to tune, and as of yet no repairman has been able to tell me why. It's worrying. I felt like I was in a doctor's surgery while I waited for Derrick's assessment of the problem. Unfortunately, even he wasn't able to tell me what the problem was - all the measurements he took were normal. He's keeping the bass with him for a few more days to see if he can figure out what's going wrong. I hope he does - if I have to change the neck on it, the body will be the only original part left.