Housekeeping

May 22, 2026

My friend Martin told me that he hasn’t received a Slowpoke since March. I don’t know why. He is still subscribed; there’s no reason why he wouldn’t get them. Perhaps I am being smited for all the mean things I say about our algorithmic overlords. I am inclined to say something practical here such as “add me to your contacts list” or something like that, but honestly, I don’t really know much about these things and I don’t know how to win the technological battle. Gmail is bigger than me. If you know how to outrun Google, please do let me know and I will in turn share it with the class. Will they see it though? Who knows.

Anyway, it seems like a reasonable time to do a brief bit of housekeeping. Honestly, it’s quite painful for me to point out that I have things that you could pay for (should you wish to); because I am, for my sins, British and awkward about these matters. But it’s true - there is an option to upgrade should you wish to support my writing here, but it’s truly not expected. And, in case you’re new ‘round these parts, or you have managed to avoid my awkward self-promotion thus far, I made a physical zine version of Slowpoke! If you’re in the UK, you can buy it directly from me. If you’re in the USA you can buy it online via The Flenser (restocked baybeee) and in Europe it’s available via Pelagic Records and Bones Brigade Records. It’s also available in real life, bricks and mortar shops: Hello Darkness in Rotterdam, Sisters In Christ in New Orleans, and Vinyl Fantasy in Brooklyn, New York.

I have been writing an essay about Slowpoke this week for my Masters degree, which poses a couple of problems right now. Primarily, that I am sick of my own writing. Alongside writing a couple of band bios this week, I am a good 5,000 words deep in my own explanations and descriptions. On top of that, I have been quite immersed in these band projects and my assignment, so very little else has filtered through to my field of consciousness. So what the heck is there to Slowpoke about? I hereby present to you a mixed bag.

I suppose I could share some of my findings from the research project that I conducted, but I think if I devote much more time or brain space to that this week my head will explode. I will briefly just tell you that what it was about, at its core it was exploring preconceptions about DIY/underground aesthetics and how those can be challenged and redefined. I spoke to some very interesting and insightful people on this topic along the way. I am curious though, what does DIY look like to you? It’s too late to include in my report, but I am still interested in your answer.

I could tell you how I went to see Deaf Club last week. That was good! I also bought Justin Pearson’s book about working in a gay club in San Diego. I read that on Sunday afternoon whilst lying first on the sofa and secondly in the bath. I recommend that - the book and the locations. Justin’s writing is quite evocative; it definitely captures a sense of time and place.

I went to see the Iron Maiden documentary, Burning Ambition. It is kind of weird, I’ll level with you. It’s not really a documentary in the sense that someone hasn’t gone out there to film new content and provide new context to this band. More accurate is that someone has got stuck into the archives and pieced together a narrative from various bits of footage. The narrative itself is at times pretty egregious as it pertains to accuracy and context. I kind of feel like Iron Maiden are best enjoyed from a distance. If you look too closely it becomes painfully apparent that Bruce Dickinson, especially, is “not one of us”, as my friend TJ put it. What does DIY look like? Not Bruce.

It seems as though I am just giving out random recommendations for how to spend your time now, which is not what I thought I was going to do when I sat down to write. The place where I buy edibles from started to send a newsletter out with seemingly random suggestions for cultural exploration. I was a bit snooty about this at first glance; why would I take my recommendations from the gummy man of all people? Well, I put my reservations aside, took their advice and watched The Surfer, starring Nicholas Cage. I am reasonably cinematically illiterate (watching all seven Jurassic Parks is my idea of scientific cinematic research, remember), but I truly do recommend this film. It’s a B-movie style psychological thriller that is mostly set in a car park. Am I selling it to you? It also stars Danni Minogue’s ex-husband Julian McMahon (RIP). I am not sure if I wield as much influence as the edibles company, but maybe you’ll like this film too.

It’s no good to you here and now, but I have pre-emptively written some Slowpokes for further down the line. For now, you just have to fumble through this jumble of thoughts. That’s yer lot.

Thank you for reading, thank you for being here.

~Becky

Is it Nicholas Cage in The Surfer or is it me facing the prospect of a warm bank holiday weekend?