(Continued from this thread)
Feel free to set any questions you feel might entertain people, but if possible, do wait until the previous question has run its course. Oh, and only set them on Fridays. If someone beats you to it, try again the next week.
dr desperate
So sorry for your loss, @MOVS, propelling me into 14th place and you into 15th. You can take consolation in having secured the coveted 2000th post on this thread.
15 September 2022
Exxo
Thanks Paul. That’s a record 18 entries.
My own picks are
1. Harry Quinn, Surging, bad losers, evenjng of swing, Rogation, Broken Headstone, persian rug.
2 joker on Harry quinn
3 left lyrics, PRS, San Antonio, vitas G
4.FILM THEME
5. Broadstairs
6. THe Saints
7 .27.58617%
Now an apology. Could everyone who entered more than 48 hours ago tell me on this thread over the next few days what you picked for the cover song artist, so I know who is who. I see now that i must have deleted the name question temporarily (and so the answers before then permanently ) when I changed some wodings after the “len ganley” query.
I also notice now (cos I only look at answers after the foirm closes and after I publish my own) that one person has indeed chosen len ganley as a song that will be dropped tonight, presumably because it appears in the set list chart, so understandably assuming it was played by the band in Castleton (rather than a few bars of “the john ganley stance” by NB alone, as a joke to piss-take the “request ” from a drunken audience member).
What i will generously do is give each of that person’s other 3 picks for dropped songs a weighting of 8 points if indeed dropped so adding up to the same possible maximum of 24.
Good luck everyone. I am fishing tonight so maybe I should say “tight lines.”
16 September 2022
Schoon
I think I picked the Sex Pistols.
16 September 2022
Man Of varying sorrow
I went with the Beatles. A bit out of the box perhaps but haven’t been covered since pre-pandemic times. Also I’m not too annoyed about the VAR overturning – I play for the love of the game!
16 September 2022
mister tubbs
I picked Shakespeare’s Sister again, as they got me 7 points last time out
16 September 2022
BOBBY SVARC
The cover is 5.7.0.5. by City Boy
16 September 2022
TRANSIT FULL OF keith
I went with Black Sabbath, continuing my failing strategy of picking local bands. (I did consider the obvious topical Sex Pistols / Smiths numbers, but I reckon they’re a bit too on the nose).
16 September 2022
Bad loser
Walk on was ‘Daybreaker’ by Brum’s finest: ELO.
16 September 2022
Cream CHEESE AND chives
Pistols Pretty Vacant
16 September 2022
dr desperate
I picked Buzzcocks as the cover band, which I hope will have gained me a couple of points for ‘same city’ as Magazine. Howard Devoto was born in Scunthorpe, you know.
Good call on ‘Persian Rug’ btw, @Exxo (I picked ‘Broken Headstone’ from TVY, can’t remember which other).
17 September 2022
D list paul ross
Mine was Velvet Underground.
19 September 2022
nige
Mine was ELO – wrong end of the gig though!!
19 September 2022
EXXO
Thanks. Brilliant setlist, now confirmed by Roger, so please check for me that the annotated setlist HERE will allocate the points in a just & equitable way.
To issue the points, because of my lost names question fiasco I just need to know who picked the Clash for the cover (no points there but 10 points for the closest percentage guess as it happens), the person who picked the Undertones (who was second closest for 5 points), and the other person (not Dr. D) who picked the Buzzcocks (who will get 5 points for a Manchester band). This will probably be the only gig ever where although nobody picked either band covered, 3 contestants picked bands who had some of the same members as the two bands. There should be points for that. Maybe next season (I love a rule tweak, me).
Unlucky with choosing ELO there, Nige (No, not that one). Wonder if it will also be the only gig where someone’s cover pick was the walk-on? There will definitely be a bonus for that too next season – already I can’t wait for a summer 2023 tweakfest. So it was Lux inferior who gets 5 points for walk on POP. But Nige (No, not that one), at least you were lucky to get 24 points for the dropped songs, even though you picked The Len Ganley Stance, which wasn’t really played in Castleton. Unlike Keith who only picked 3 songs to be dropped, where 4 choices are available this season. Come on, get a grip lad!
19 September 2022
Lord hereford
I was the other person who picked Buzzcocks.
19 September 2022
woodnoggin
“although nobody picked either band covered…”
Hang on – I picked Magazine. It made my day when I saw I’d got points for that, as it’s always something of a crap shoot. Don’t tell me I’m not going to get them!
19 September 2022
EXXO
Apologies Wood. I don’t even know why I said that, as I haven’t even looked properly at all the answers yet, as I’ve been away for a few days. In the process of just trying to work out who is who after a cock-up with an edit on Wednesday, I looked at most forms but not yours! I’d be pretty sure Magazine are HMHB’s most covered act, and ‘Song from Under the Floorboards’ their most covered song, plus was always a favourite of mine long before HMHB were around, so a wise choice indeed,
19 September 2022
EXXO
OK, I’ve worked out the points while I should have been prepping for a job interview. Priorities, eh?
Only two mystery identities remaining from my editing mishap – Cream Cheese & Chives – you said you’d chosen the Pistols as your cover, but by a ‘cess of elimination, you can’t have. You must have changed your mind, or not changed your mind, and chosen whichever of The Clash & The Undertones wasn’t chosen by CtSO. Whoever of those two chose the Clash got 10 points for the closest percentage of setlist turnover, and whoever chose the Undertones got 5 points for the second closest %.
20 September 2022
Chris The Siteowner
I think I picked The Clash, but I wouldn’t bet a pint on it. Definitely more likely than The Undertones, if that’s the alternative.
20 September 2022
EXXO
Thanks.
Ooh wait a minute – just spotted Schoon’s doubt when he says “I think I picked the Sex Pistols.” Hmm. @Schoon – did you pick Dead Men Don’t Need season Tickets for 33 points no less? and a difference percentage of 38.something? And the Undertones?
20 September 2022
Schoon
@exxo nope unfortunately not.
20 September 2022
Schoon
I think I picked Westward ho a lot and probably scored about three points.
20 September 2022
EXXO
Thanks Schoon. You scored a respectable 36 points, the median score for this gig, and I am assuming that Cream Cheese and Chives is the man in 7th place with 62 points. Points for Chris & Cream Cheese are somewhat provisional.
Sorry if this scoring is becoming a bit of a laughing stock. Heads are rolling at Hughes Lane FBL HQ as we speak.
20 September 2022
EXXO
So here are your provisional points and league table. Pre-season bookies’ favourite Woodnoggin, who achieved the ‘points per gig’ title last season, has raced into the lead after 2 rounds, with a neat combo of cover band and debut song.
There is controversy. Some early entrants were disadvantaged by erroneous setlists, and two participants thought Terminus had not been played in Castleton, entering it for question 1, and one thought Len Ganley had been played, entering it therefore for Q.3. The latter error was anticipated and a ruling given pre-gig, meaning that Nige (NNTO) scored 24 points from his other three correct entries for Q.3.
The ‘Terminus’ question is more vexed. I did not anticipate the issue pre-Brum, and it would have been worth another 2 points each to Lord Hereford and Mister Tubbs, but we can’t really give points for a song which did indeed appear in the last two gigs (and indeed is an ever present for 4 years). So their loss of the 2 points is just one of those things and incidentally neither played their joker on Terminus – indeed both players were successful with their joker on another song).
Brum points provisional – please check with the annotated setlist at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ICkS_nvNQMQmoUxIS7L1tka1dNCDqHuKYB_uXJ_gr2E/edit?usp=sharing
Woodnoggin_______ 94 ( 40 for Persian, 30 for Magazine, 24 for dropped songs)
Ferencvaros Fan____80 (40 persian, 22 Buried with joker, 18 dropped songs)
Mister Tubbs_______80 (40 Persian, 22 Buried with joker, 18 dropped songs)
Transit Fo Keith _____75 (40 Persian, 12 Floreat, 18 dropped songs, 5 Brum band Sab)
Lux inferior ________69 (40 Persian, 24 dropped songs, Pop walk-on 5 points)
Exxo ______________64 (persian 40, dropped songs 24)
Cream Cheese (?)____62 (dead Men 33 points, dropped songs 24, 5 for 2nd closest 38%)
Lord Hereford________49 (22 Buried, 2 ? 18 dropped songs, 5 Manc band Buzzcocks)
Man of Varying Sorrow 46 (22 Broadstairs, 24 dropped songs)
CtSO (?)____________36 (2 Broadstairs, 24 dropped songs, 10 points for closest – 40%)
Schoon_____________36 (12 Floreat, 24 dropped songs)
Nige NNTO __________31 (2 Broadstairs, 24 dropped songs, Brum band ELO 5 points)
Parsfan _____________29 (24 dropped songs, 5 for Brum band Dexy’s)
Bad Loser ___________24 (24 dropped songs)
Injured Buzzard _______24 (24 dropped songs)
Phyllis Triggs__________24 (24 dropped songs)
Dr Des _____________ 23 (18 dropped songs, 5 manc band Buzzcocks )
D-List Paul Ross_______18 (dropped songs 18)
League table after the 2nd fixture of the 2022/23 season
(2 players marked PL1 have only played 1)
Woodnoggin _________135 points
Lux Inferior __________119
Mister Tubbs _________114
Exxo _______________ 112
Transit Fo Keith _______110
Ferencvaros Fan _______97
Schoon _______________76
Parsfan _______________74
Man of Varying Sorrow ___64
C.C. & Chives__(PL 1)___ 62
CtSO _________________60
Nige (No, not that one) ____60
Bad Loser ______________55
Phyllis Triggs ____________50
Injured Buzzard __________48
Lord Hereford___(PL 1) ____47
Dr. Des _________________46
D-List Paul Ross __________42
20 September 2022
EXXO
The breakdown of Lord Hereford’s score there was just a handwriting issue with my scribbled notes and should read: 22 Broadstairs, 2 Buried, 18 points for dropped songs, 5 for Manc band Buzzcocks)
20 September 2022
EXXO
And so his Lordship is on 47 as per the overall table, not 49 as in the Brum points. doh!
20 September 2022
Cream CHEESE AND chives
I’m fairly sure that I didn’t predict Dead Men Don’t Need Season Tickets. I am happy to acfept an award for honesty and good sportsmanship.
21 September 2022
EXXO
I have had a niggling feeling ever since I didn’t find an entry for ‘Pretty Vacant’ that your form somehow didn’t come through at all, CC&C, and that therefore the mystery entry belongs to a new contestant.
Who chose ‘Dead Men Don’t Need Season Tickets’?
21 September 2022
D list paul ross
Doing exactly as well as I expected!! Must try harder although Magazine lost the toss for the cover choice.
21 September 2022
Cream cheese and chives
Exxo, fear not. I have no record of my predictions but a quick scan of the setlist made me wonder whether a negative score might be possible. The site is a very welcome distraction to some very serious issues at Cream Cheese Towers.
21 September 2022
Bad loser
I paid the price for actually doing some work in the office last week instead of doing my predictions with my gig listing close at hand. My memory told me that we’d witnessed Persian Rug Sale so I dropped it after picking it 2 of 3 times in a row. Won’t make that mistake again.
21 September 2022
woodnoggin
To celebrate being briefly top of the table (I’m sure it won’t last), I’ve put together a picture quiz. My daughter (4) has kindly drawn some of the animals featured in Half Man Half Biscuit songs. I’ve positioned them on a map according to where you might find them around the world. Your task is to identify the animal and the HMHB song it appears in. Some of them are a bit tricky. 18 animals and songs to guess.
Link here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e3dptjM_cV-zCIAkWNBN68tHBv3Bd9de/view?usp=drivesdk
23 September 2022
EXXO
Just a brilliant idea! Please pass on great praise to your daughter, who has a particular flair for the apes and birds I reckon. I’ve identified most species I reckon, but 12, 13 &14 are proving the most challenging.
23 September 2022
EXXO
OK, got #12. And #14 will be what I thought 4 was, so what’s 4? Great quiz this.
23 September 2022
Natalie at the back
This is good fun. Is no. 16 ‘Soft Verges’? I’m probably wrong – my geography is all over the place…
23 September 2022
Lord leominster
Great quiz. I thought I had no.6 but then I realised it’s not the animal that’s mentioned in song but the animal’s owner/keeper (who was alive then – but is dead now). Hmm.
23 September 2022
Lord leominster
And is no.3 a trick question? Is that a picture of a long since dead dog?
23 September 2022
Woodnoggin
@Natalie at the Back – you’re right with no.16. I think there are actually two possible correct answers for that animal.
My partner thinks 12, 13 and 15 are too difficult and I should give you a clue. But I’ll leave you to puzzle a bit longer first.
24 September 2022
dr desperate
I had ‘Mountain Bikes’ for no.16 or just possibly ‘Blood on the Quad’, in view of the location of the number. Similarly, I have two possible answers for no.18.
I haven’t got 13 or 15, and my answer for 12 is more geographical than zoological (though with a herpetological link).
24 September 2022
Lord leominsteR
I thought no.15 was one of the less difficult ones, in which case I must have that one wrong, too. Them’s the vagaries.
24 September 2022
EXXO
oooh great quiz but for my tastes way too early with sharing answers, hints, etc.
24 September 2022
EXXO
Soz I shouldn’t have actually written that thought never mind sent it. Probably the effect of having yet another bike stolen last night.
What I meant was yeah, good thinking, no hints for a couple of days.
24 September 2022
dr desperate
Still puzzling – I have an initial idea for animal no.13.
25 September 2022
Woodnoggin
This link may help for the most obscure three:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_organisms_named_after_famous_people_(born_1950%E2%80%93present)
26 September 2022
EXXO
Ha, thanks – a brilliant extra dimension to a splendid quiz! I’d googled #12 successfully because I had a vague memory of the fact that one was named after that person, but was unable to do the same for 1#3 (never thought of googling “insects named after famous people”). And I didn’t know I was wrong about #15 with squid, but now I do!
26 September 2022
dr desperate
Yeah, got ’em now. Excellent quiz!
(I don’t suppose anybody else made the herpetological link to my geographical guess for no.12.)
26 September 2022
EXXO
No – but when you said “initial idea” for #13 were you thinking of the initial U, and a cricket crowd chant-chirping like giant Colombian brown crickets?
No? Oh, OK then.
26 September 2022
dr desperate
Actually, the initials were those of Animal Number Thirteen, giving an ANT (king of the hill in WMCF).
Colombians eat fat-bottomed ants (hormigas culonas), you know.
26 September 2022
dr desperate
Even further off the mark, my geographical suggestion for no.12 was them Andes off ‘Eno Collaboration’, crossed by Frog by Captain Walter Snetterton. (Herpetologically, of course, Michael Palin was an ex-Python.)
26 September 2022
EXXO
Following the incident in which the name question for the early entrants for the Brum gig was deleted, an enquiry at FBL HQ, has now allocated 62 points (not 36) to Chris the Siteowner and identified the following 36-point entry as the one that still needs claiming,
1. songs in:
Rogation Sunday Westward Ho! Hornbeam Broadstairs Fix it so she dreams… Restless Legs (just 2 points for Broadstairs there)
2. (joker) Restless Legs
3. songs out:
Vitas G Joy in Leeuwarden PRS Yearbook Little In The Way of Sunshine
(24 points there)
4. walk on: Country
5. opening song: Suffolk Ditch
6. Cover song: London Calling
7. % difference 40% (won 10 points as the highest and nearest guess)
27 September 2022
woodnoggin
Time for some answers?
Here are the animals:
1. Badger
2. Fox
3. Tiger
4. Mynah bird
5. Orangutan
6. Turkey
7. Dolphin
8. Giraffe
9. Chimpanzee
10. Octopus
11. Sloth
12. Hyla stingi (frog)
13. Sericomyrmex radioheadi (ant)
14. Hummingbird
15. Amphinema rollinsi (jellyfish)
16. Swan
17. Eel
18. Bat
29 September 2022
EXXO
Great stuff Woody. Badger was always my favourite for #1 though I had wolf and alsatian on the pedestal for that medal. Fox likewise for #2 with “your missing cat” in a distant second place.
For #4 I got misled by the map and settled on crane a bit too too readily.
For #6 I assumed an Australian native, and so thought it was a portrayal of a baby kangaroo perhaps within a fluffy pouch without the portrayal of the mother.
For #7 I was going to give myself the points whether it was dolphin or shark, likewise the swan one if it turned out to be goose and indeed so too for the eel one if it turned out to be a tope.
All in all I’m happy with 14 out 18 before your celebrity creatures help and 16 after and just generally full of joy that this delightful quiz came to be.
Many chapeaux to the whole family and I look forward to your next quiz.
29 September 2022
EXXO
What song is the fox from?
29 September 2022
Phyllis Triggs
Fab quiz, Woodnoggin. Thanks to you and your daughter. Being somewhat geographically-challenged I’m pleased to have managed a score of 10. Had a seal for #1 and either baby kangaroo or emu for #6. Prior to the joyous realisation that #10 was an octopus, I had #10, 15 and 17 all down as plankton… Got completely wrong-footed by #11 and am shamefaced to have misinterpreted such a wonderful depiction of a sloth – it looks nothing like a dead ram!
29 September 2022
dr desperate
I had Jackdaw (or Crow) for 18, Walrus for 1 and Wolf for 2; I also went for Crane, Emu and Shark as 4, 6 and 7. Discounting my pre-hint American answers, ingenious though they were, I can’t claim any more than 50% correct.
Very enjoyable quiz though; many thanks to you and your daughter (and partner).
Do you also have a son called WoodKnut?
29 September 2022
woodnoggin
Here are the songs I had in mind for each animal:
1. Badger – Bladderwrack Allowance – “Mine’s a pint of Badger’s Entirely Blameless”
2. Fox – Persian Rug Sale at the URC – “Alfie Bass and that drone have got me foxed”
3. Tiger – Multitude – “Where the tiger soothes the baby kangaroo”
4. Mynah Bird – Stuck Up a Hornbeam – “I’ve got a mynah bird, it does nothing but moan”
5. Orangutan – Every Time a Bell Rings – “Why can’t you say ‘orangutan’?”
6. Turkey – New York Skiffle – “I’ve turkeyed way upstate”
7. Dolphin – Girlfriend’s Finished with Him – “And something or other about dolphins”
8. Giraffe – Awkward Sean – “Murdered by a giraffe”
9. Chimpanzee – Took Problem Chimp to the Ideal Home Show – “Took problem chimp to the Ideal Home Show”
10. Octopus – Them’s the Vagaries – “Squid yes, not so octopus”
11. Sloth – Tonight Matthew I’m Going to Be with Jesus – “It prods me out of my sloth”
12. Frog (Hyla stingi) – A Country Practice – “Sting, singing on the roof of the Barbican”
13. Ant (Sericomyrmex radioheadi) – On Passing Lilac Urine – “The council’s gonna ask Radiohead to switch off Blackpool lights”
14. Hummingbird – Depressed Beyond Tablets – “I’ve been sent to gut hummingbirds”
15. Jellyfish (Amphinema rollinsi) – You’re Hard – “Henry Rollins – you’re hard”
16. Swan – Lock Up Your Mountain Bikes/Soft Verges – “Careful now, that swan could break your arm”/”Do you still drink in The Swan?”
17. Eel – Something’s Rotten in the Back of Iceland – “The age-old eel in your decommissioned fridge”
18. Bat – Renfield’s Afoot – “Notice was given of a bat walk”
30 September 2022
woodnoggin
I was tempted to locate the eel in the Mersey as a nod to the infamous Speke Eel of Alehouse Futsal…
30 September 2022
dr desperate
I thought it was aspic eel (though since Bre*it they won’t come from Germany any more).
https://www.eatyourbooks.com/library/recipes/539640/eel-in-aspic-aal-in
30 September 2022
Golden Biscuit Winner
Frog (Hyla stingi) Jellyfish (Amphinema rollinsi) Ant (Sericomyrmex radioheadi) – you should be in a Suffolk Ditch
30 September 2022
EXXO
Predictions form for Friday’s Blackpool gig. New contestants and one-off entries welcome.
https://forms.gle/NpTTKX1Lfn4QvpzF8
The form now asks for an email and sends you a copy of your answers, but your emails will not be stored in my data retrieval system.
The last 15 setlists are here with the current league table:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l_G0TLwgj4MzaU9c931nTtz6hKBSNUHJ4itd_2gfLhc/edit?usp=sharing
2 October 2022
Natalie at the back
I managed to identify 11 out of the 18. I’d have got 12 but foolishly plumped for Drongo for no.6.
Thanks to Little Woodnoggin for a very entertaining quiz!
3 October 2022
EXXO
Twelve entries so far for tomorrow’s gig.
New contestants welcome to try their hand.
https://forms.gle/NpTTKX1Lfn4QvpzF8
6 October 2022
dr desperate
I’ve just got an email reminding me what my entries were – if that’s your doing, @Exxo, much thanks.
7 October 2022
EXXO
Yes. The FBL compliance committee considered it an essential measure to maintain the credibility of the competition after the Birmingham lost names fiasco.
(and they thought it also help Keith to remember to do the right number of selections).
7 October 2022
Exxo
Thanks to all our our record 21 enyrants. Form now closed, with a record 21 entries.
My picks:
1. Asparagus. Lilac Harry Q. Doreen. When i look at my baby. Rogation. Broken Headstone. Tess.
2. Joker on when i look at my baby.
3.alehouse futsal. Bane of C. Bogus official. Floreat inertia.
4. Vintage music hall style eg George Formby.
5. Aspargus Next Left.
6. The Fall.
7. 41.41%
7 October 2022
Bad loser
Hoping that New Order being the cover, when I’d picked Joy Division, might be worth 75% of the available points.
8 October 2022
Golden biscuit winner
@bad loser. Incorrect, no marks, you are indeed a bad loser
8 October 2022
Chris The Siteowner
Hate to be the “I think you’ll find…” guy, but Ceremony is indeed a Joy Division song.
8 October 2022
TwistedKiteMike
Quite right, Bad Loser (who pointed out they didn’t play ‘Clocked Off’ as I said in my setlist report) and CtSO (who pointed out Ceremony was a Joy Division song).
I will go into teenage girl mode and blame a combination of the remnants of a heavy cold and wearing my contact lenses. The latter was an error of epic proportions, because a man of my age has improved vision with varifocal lenses, but not from within 5 yards. Discombobulation is the word of the day. I am never clear about the lines between JD and NO.
I will give myself whatever they call detention at school these days. I know it’s not called that anymore, there is another woke term for it.
I will be more careful at Naaaaaar-rich.
Mike……………………
8 October 2022
Exxo
@Bad Loser. For next season we will definitely consider a rule that would have seen you get more than 5 points for Joy Division (and likewise those who picked Buzzcocks or the Nightingales for Brum who shared members with Magazine and The Prefects respectively ).
I suppose I was a bit unlucky with my prediction of a George Formby walk-on. Next season there will probably be some consolation points for someone picking a walk-on which turned out to be the cover or vice versa, but unlikely to be any points for any artist “covered” in the intro to ‘Vatican Broadside’.
For those who dont know by the way, Tranmere have run out to the ‘Rockford Files’ theme for the last 44 or 45 seasons. My immediate thought on hearing it last night was that it might be an anniversary thing but I soon dismissed that idea.
8 October 2022
EXXO
@Bad Loser & @Dr. D. So of course my memory of ‘Ceremony’ being written and first recorded by Joy Division is correct (despite Mrs. Exford convincing me otherwise in the ‘spoons after the gig) and Alex you will receive the 30 points that are your rightful reward. Think we’ve already had more points won for cover versions this season than in the whole of last season.
8 October 2022
D list paul ross
Another shocker, with even the gimme of Floreat Inertia failing! Derby County 2008 springs to mind.
8 October 2022
EXXO
Subject to the usual ratification procedures, these annotated setlists give the points allocation (Brum setlist annotated with which songs were dropped).
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VzcOei62xCuF1YDrJ-XrR3gLcF2Iutb0jJhnEtDVhqI/edit?usp=sharing
I haven’t started to count your points properly yet – probably do that after MOTD2 – but I do notice that about 7 or 8 of you will get points for the TV theme walk-on and about 5 of you for picking another Manc band for the cover, though at a quick glance only Bad Loser got the 30 points for that. Also looks like about half of you scored the joker points this time, including some Bastard Sons, some Lilac Harries some Look Dads, a 1966 and a When I look at My baby.
Just about every song that was restored to the setlist was picked by someone, and again at first glance Mister Tubbs’ first 3 picks – 1966 And All That, Bastard Son of Dean Friedman, God Gave Us Life – suggest that his may have been the stand-out performance of this round.
But it’s all yet to be properly Rogered.
9 October 2022
EXXO
Oh – 1966 not played? That’s a case in point of how it needs Roger’s ratification.
9 October 2022
EXXO
Ah OK – Roger’s rip-roaring romp of a review (available on Gez’s site) does entirely ratify Mike’s setlist, with Roger’s remarks on ‘1966’ not being played going some way to explain why I briefly mis-remembered it (this morning) as maybe having been played (when I saw Mister Tubbs’ predictions). So I will go ahead and allocate scores as per the annotated setlist above.
By the way, it will probably at some point be worth re-iterating that the percentage difference is based on the percentage of the setlist that was different from the previous gig (ie 10 out of 29), not the percentage of the previous gig that was different from this one (12 out of 31).
9 October 2022
mister tubbs
@Exxo – I think there may be more than one Mr. Tubbs out there, as this Mr. Tubbs didn’t select God gave us Life or Dean Friedman – I think only one of my selections came in (Look Dad No tunes)
9 October 2022
EXXO
Sorry about that. There isn’t more than one Mr. Tubbs, and don’t worry folks there will be no more confusion about whose entry is whose. I was just taking shortcuts on identifying contestants from individual answers that often work and occasionally don’t, probably cos Microsoft forms shuffles the order of the forms when it reloads. Won’t do that again.
9 October 2022
TRANSIT FULL OF keith
1966, Dean F & God Gave Us Life were among my selections I believe…
9 October 2022
EXXO
Please check your FBL points for Blackpool. Bad Loser aced it this week, breaking another all-time record by scoring points on 6 out of the 7 questions.
1st.Bad Loser___________92___(Lilac 7+20, Bastard Son 10, 15 for dropped songs, TV theme, Joy Division, second nearest 35.48%)
2nd.Transit F o Keith ______69___(Bastard Son 10+20, God Gave 19, 20 for dropped)
3rd.Man of Varying Sorrow_53___(Look dad 4+20, Baby2, Big Man 2, 20 dropped, TV)
4th.Exxo_______________49___(Baby 2+20, Lilac HQ 7, 15 for dropped songs, 5 Manc band)
5th.Clash City Rocker_____48___(Look dad 4+20, baby 2, 15 for dropped songs, TV, 2pts for “M” band)
6th. Injured Buzzard ______47___(Lilac HQ 7+20, 15 for dropped songs, 5 Manc band)
7th. Mister Tubbs_________44___(Look dad 4+20, 15 for dropped songs, TV theme)
8th.Nige (NNTO)________40___(bastard Son 10+20, 10 for dropped songs)
9th.Ferencvaros Fan ______31 ___(Irk 7, Evening Sun 4, 20 for dropped songs)
10th.Phyllis Triggs________29___(bastard Son 10, Look dad 4, 15 for dropped songs)
11th.Schoon _____________29___(Look Dad 4, dropped songs 15, TV th, Manc band)
12th.Woodnoggin_________27___(dropped songs 15, nearest % =34.5%, 2pts “M”band)
13th. D-List Paul Ross_____26___(Irk 7, E. Sun 4, dropped songs 15)
14th. Lord Hereford_______ 26__(Look Dad 4, Big Man 2, dropped songs 10, Tv theme, Manc band)
15th. Cream Cheese &Chives_25___(20 for dropped songs, Manc band)
16th. Parsfan______________24___(Look Dad 4, 15 for dropped songs, TV theme)
17th. Lux Inferior __________22___(Lilac HQ 7, 15 for dropped songs)
18th. Mark Griffiths ________20___(15 for dropped songs, TV theme)
19th. Ctso________________ 15____(15 for dropped songs)
20th. Dr. Desperate__________15____(15 for dropped songs)
21st. Golden Biscuit winner ___0_____(only entered a pick for band covered).
10 October 2022
Chris The Siteowner
*Coughs* called Improv Workshop Mimeshow Gobshite…
10 October 2022
Parsfan
At the risk doing others more of a favour than myself, did dropped songs not go up six points this season?
All the ones I noticed were divisible by five.
10 October 2022
EXXO
Bollocks, yes. thanks Paul. as you’ve noticed I just went back to the old system there. Have to check I got it right last time now.
And yes many apologies again, Chris – well played for the stunning 33-point pick (again!!) and for the correction – nobody’s corrected the “annotated setlist” I put up yesterday which went by Mike’s setlist, not Roger’s (which I then scanned too quickly and thought was identical). Mike had TUCOLO where it was really Improv. Bet he noted it down after the first line or two. At least that doesn’t change the percentage.
Stand by for a corrected version.
10 October 2022
EXXO
I even missed Mike’s self-correction above cos I was on my phone not laptop and everything goes to pieces when I touch a phone (especially the phone) – so apologies to Mike as well!
10 October 2022
EXXO
Only Chris picked 33-pointer ‘Improv Mimeshow,’ another Mick Walsh class effort after his ‘Dead men’ pick last time for the same score, and nobody picked ‘TUCOLO.’ So not too hard to correct. Any more amendments?
Bad Loser___________95___(Lilac 7+20, Bastard Son 10, 18 for dropped songs,
TV theme, Joy Division, second nearest 35.48%)
TfoKeith ____________73___(Bastard Son 10+20, God Gave 19, 24 for dropped)
Man of Varying Sorrow_57___(Look dad 4+20, Baby2, Big Man 2, 24 dropped, TV)
Exxo________________52___(Baby 2+20, Lilac HQ 7, 18 dropped songs, 5 Manc)
Clash City Rocker_____51___(Look dad 4+20, baby 2, 18 for dropped songs, TV,
2 pts for “M” band)
Injured Buzzard ______50___(Lilac HQ 7+20, 18 for dropped songs, 5 Manc band)
Ctso________________48____(33 points!! Again!! for Improv Mimeshow, 15 for dropped songs)
Mister Tubbs_________47___(Look dad 4+20, 18 for dropped songs, TV theme)
Nige (NNTO)________42___(bastard Son 10+20, 12 for dropped songs)
Ferencvaros Fan ______35 ___(Irk 7, Evening Sun 4, 24 for dropped songs)
Phyllis Triggs________32___(bastard Son 10, Look dad 4, 18 for dropped songs)
Schoon _____________32___(Look Dad 4, dropped songs 18, TV th, Manc band)
Woodnoggin_________30___(dropped songs 18, nearest =34.5%, 2pts “M”band)
Cream Cheese &Chives_29___(24 for dropped songs, manc band)
D-List Paul Ross_______29___(Irk 7, E. Sun 4, dropped songs 18)
Lord Hereford_______ _28__(Look Dad 4, Big Man 2, dropped songs 12, Tv theme, Manc band)
Parsfan______________27___(Look dad 4, 18 for dropped songs, TV theme)
Lux Inferior __________25___(Lilac HQ 7, 18 for dropped songs)
Mark Griffiths ________23___(18 for dropped songs, TV theme)
Dr. desperate__________18____(18 for dropped songs)
Golden Biscuit winner ___0_____(only entered a pick for band covered).
10 October 2022
EXXO
As you’ll probably have guessed by the way, it was the retention of ‘Floreat’ that reduced the average points scored on Q.3, with only 3 contestants scoring a maximum 24 this time. 18 out of 20 entries correctly predicted ‘Bogus Official’ being dropped, 14 out of 20 ‘Dead Men,’ 13 out of 20 ‘Alehouse futsal.’ Question 3 doing its egalitarian job of getting points on the board for the masses.
10 October 2022
EXXO
4 contestants got 24 points for dropped songs in fact, 2 got 12 and 14 got 18 points.
10 October 2022
EXXO
CtSO the only score on that revised table where I hadn’t changed the “dropped songs” points to 6 per song – so CtSO should be on 51 points there of course.
10 October 2022
Man of varying sorrow
Wow I wasn’t expecting to have done so well this week. I must confess that I actually forgot about Floreat Inertia being played at Brum and probably would’ve picked it as a dropped song if I did!
10 October 2022
Lux inferior
Bugger – my last minute joker switch from Harry Quinn to Squabble Fest has seen me plummet from the Champions League qualification places in the overall standings. Kudos to a fair few others for some outstanding shouts for Q.1 though.
Anyway, as we approach a landmark number of comments on this wonderful site, here’s a quick brain teaser relating to said number:
Mutiplying together the number of full international caps of which five HMHB referenced footballers gives a total of exactly 50,000?
12 October 2022
Exxo
3 goalkeepers, a full back and a centre forward by any chance?
12 October 2022
Lux inferior
Had a feeling you’d nail it pretty swiftly, Exxo. Maybe leave it a while to see if anyone else can come up with the names, and also because it’s probably best if comment 50,000 on the site is set aside for CtSO, or perhaps even yourself, as our most regular and esteemed contributor.
12 October 2022
Chris The Siteowner
That’s very kind of you…
12 October 2022
Chris The Siteowner
…and here it is, comment no. 50,000!
12 October 2022
EXXO
Wouldn’t have dreamed of denying Chris comment Roman numeral L with a horizontal line above it. I just wish ‘Gipton Teenager’ was around to claim the palindrome.
To further celebrate this Lyrics Project statistical milestone, in which songs do the numbers in the lyrics enable these sums to all reach the same magical figure? Each sum involves between two and six different songs. See how many you can do from memory. Ooh, Carol …
1. Number of clowns, multiplied by number of sea cadets.
2. Number of pounds, divided by number of fauns.
3. Number of dredgers, multiplied by number of quid.
4. Number of minutes past, multiplied by number of winters, multiplied by weekly allowance.
5. Prize sum times hymn number, the subtract feet scuttled.
6. Add together five different numbers from the same song, multiply by number of metres from another song, then subtract the total obtained by multiplying a number of coats by a number of band members.
7. Number of people at the after-show, multiplied by the length of breaks.
8. Length of thread multiplied by year of hooliganism, then subtract the product of words not sung right now multiplied by cards of Gerry Gow, then subtract number of tickets available for hanging, then subtract percentage of sculpted resemblances and finally add specific moment from Match of the Day.
12 October 2022
EXXo
In #5, “then subtract,” sorry.
12 October 2022
FEATURELESS TV PRODUCER STEVE
One of Exxo’s fabulous brainteasers not withstanding, I feel we should be making a bigger deal about hitting the 50,000 mark. Personally, I am standing and applauding, and hoisting a beer in CtSO’s honor. I don’t know what it feels like to have created the best website on the entire internet, but here’s a salute to our fearless leader, who does.
Thank you, CtSO, and here’s to another 50,000.
13 October 2022
Chris The Siteowner
That’s very kind, FTVPS. For 99% of the time, it’s the comments that make the site what it is, and they take very little effort in maintaining (just the occasional prompt ‘approval’ needed for first-time contributors, and dealing with people who bash stuff in without thinking about or reading it, then ask for corrections, you know who you are). The other 1% is when there’s a new album (sadly not often enough) and when we have a World Cup or something else out-of-the-ordinary (about as infrequently). But that can be quite fun, even if it means several very late nights. Oh, and there’s a bit of background maintenance, but that’s quite rare; as it happens, we’re doing some serious tidying up right now, with the help of a contributor here who knows a lot more about MySQL databases than I do. With any luck, we shouldn’t break the site.
You can see some stats in the ‘Website Activity Records’ section here.
13 October 2022
dr desperate
You can add my applause (but not the beer – it’s only 8.30am, so that’ll have to wait another hour).
13 October 2022
Parsfan
Hmmmm, I’m not sure I trust those “visitor” stats. There’s 75,000 of us making two visits per year?
13 October 2022
Chris The Siteowner
Yes, the majority of visitors only come once. It’s often because they’re not interested in the band at all, but have been searching on Google for (often obscure) things which happen to turn up in the lyrics.
13 October 2022
Lux inferior
Exxolent quiz, Exxo. Puts my little brain teaser to shame. Managed to solve all bar Q.6, but will get there in the end. Confused myself for a while by assuming the number of ‘minutes past’ in Q.4 was 30, as in ‘half past’ from Squabble Fest.
13 October 2022
Chris The Siteowner
In case you’re wondering, here’s an update of the Google searches where we’ve appeared in the results over 1000 times in the last year (other the searches which are obviously looking for references to the band or the lyrics)
ted moult (the site has appeared 16321 times as a result of that search)
peter glaze (15331)
fred titmus (9921)
tony bastable (9756)
sour cream and chive pringles (8623)
len ganley (7185)
yahoo chess (7152)
shane fenton (7073)
pugh pugh barney mcgrew (6337)
bubble perm (5982)
hedley verity (5399)
johnny kwango (4606)
my grandfather’s clock (4318)
bunty james (3545)
pew pew barney mcgrew (3362)
bob todd (3312)
subbuteo (3125)
chester barnes (3071)
barney mcgrew (2970)
pringles sour cream and chive (2933)
chippy minton (2760)
accy stanley (2699)
lynette mcmorrough (2680)
hugh pugh barney mcgrew (2605)
flintlock band (2603)
grant baynham (2474)
bert royal wrestler (2460)
tonight matthew i’m going to be (2407)
lord herefords knob (2222)
dukla prague (2165)
sad cafe (2119)
readers wives letters (2087)
cuthbert dibble and grub (1985)
prize guy (1964)
footnote lyrics (1904)
climie fisher (1896)
millican and nesbitt (1868)
everytime a bell rings (1679)
johnny quango (1618)
the shend (1609)
rod hull (1544)
vitas gerulaitis (1457)
hamilton bland (1389)
peter grummitt (1382)
kendo nagasaki (1323)
only the crumbliest flakiest chocolate (1318)
jim reeves i love you because (1310)
ted molt (1280)
the escort (1278)
ted moult death (1267)
lesser free trade hall (1258)
ian sludge lees (1220)
lesley judd (1184)
vanburn holder (1177)
dickie davies (1172)
jimmy clitheroe (1134)
hugh pew barney mcgrew (1127)
is wrestler bert royal still alive (1122)
arthur brownlow (1116)
hugh pugh barney (1097)
dani behr (1068)
bert royal (1065)
britannia music club (1056)
fiesta readers write (1052)
judie tzuke (1045)
adam boyle (1043)
tommy walsh house (1020)
sour cream and chives pringles (1004)
13 October 2022
Brumbiscuit
If I could be arsed to count, I’d say that the various Trumpton Fire Brigade combinations would sit atop the pile. And whilst just checking facts, I ascertained that the brothers Pugh are also twins. Jose & Josb?
13 October 2022
transit full of keith
I was working on a quiz for tomorrow, but I’m not sure if I should post it if the mid-week one is still running, if only people would read the rules more.
50,000 is a fine milestone (and also a terrible song by Sting). Cheers Chris for this marvellous site, which I may possibly have spent a little too much time on the past 5 years or so.
13 October 2022
EXXO
Good to hear you’ve got one in the pipeline, Keith. Both Lux and I had prepared questions for the 50,000 mark, so I hope Chris’ OCD won’t be too irritated by the Wednesday quizzing. Post yours whenever you like though. Friday is just a state of mind after all. It would be an exaggeration to claim that “it’s always Friday somewhere,” but it’s definitely Friday, somewhere, most of the time.
13 October 2022
transit full of keith
I’ll wait until the previous has run its course.
14 October 2022
Lux inferior
Finally got an answer for Q.6, though it’s a touch convoluted. I was getting nowhere while assuming the number of coats was 7 (Suffolk Ditch), but the 100 Spandex overcoats in Prac Veg has at least led me to a solution of sorts. Still not convinced it’s right, as I’ve had to use ‘fourth’ rather than four in the first part of the answer. Anyway…
1. 1,000 (Gubba) x 50 (Deep House)
2. 100,000 (ITMA) ÷ 2 (Joyce)
3. 1,000 (Carry On Cremating) x 50 (Petty Sessions)
4. 25 (Room Bigger) x 50 (Grafting Haddock) x 40 (Prac Veg)
5. 200 (Fretwork) x 252 (Petty Sessions) – 400 (Gwatkin)
6. [41+89+5+113+4 (Little In The Way Of Sunshine] x 200 (Wrong Grave) – [100 (Prac Veg) x 4 (Westminster Bridge)]
7. 10,000 (Christian Rock Concert) x 5 (Doreen)
8. 27 (Dental Floss) x 1985 (Uffington) – [1,000 x 3 (This One’s For Now)] – 500 (PRS) – 99 (Bob Todd) + 4 (Third Track)
14 October 2022
EXXO
Bravo Lux. The fourth is strong with you.
14 October 2022
EXXO
Looking forward to your quiz, Keith, especially as the recently established tradition is to celebrate your ascent to the top of the FBLwith some top, top questions.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VzcOei62xCuF1YDrJ-XrR3gLcF2Iutb0jJhnEtDVhqI/edit
23 October 2022
EXXO
By the way I can’t help feeling I spoiled Lux’s 50,000th post brain-teaser by smothering it with my own sums,. That’s cos I’d spent the morning preparing them while my students were doing a test, and ‘cos I then went to the pub at lunchtime for someone’s retirement thing, so there was no stopping me.
Anyway Lux asked
I reckoned: Joel Bats, 50 Caps for France, times George Farm 10 caps for Scotland, times Bob Primrose Wilson 2 caps for Scotland, times Barry Venison 2 caps for England (selected by Mike Bassett, one vaguely seems to remember), times Stanley Mortensen 25 caps.
23 October 2022
transit full of keith
Oh yeah I’d forgotten about that.
23 October 2022
transit full of keith
Quiz
A bit cryptic this. Each of the answers is the title of an HMHB song with one letter changed. For example: Legendary king’s Mancunian bap might point you to the answer ARTHUR’S BARM (i.e. one letter changed in ‘Arthur’s Farm’). Post answers next Wednesday after 5? Enjoy (or not, it’s a free country).
1. Instruction to prepare snake for action
2. Bob Marley’s ‘angular’ hairstyle
3. Kirsty going down in a lift?
4. Return of the potato fungus
5. Crooner’s offspring is a game bird
6. Undercover policeman
7. Clergymen sporting the Keegan look
8. Smoking vessel sent to Brussels
9. Dark crime committed with Crossley’s instrument
10. Lingering fart left by female dragon?
11. Singer’s entreaty to polish his equipment
12. Two dozen miserable brake fitters
13. What do you see in that shiny tart?
14. What vandals might do in a church
15. Disappointing night at the livestock market
23 October 2022
TRANSIT FULL OF keith
Top of the FBL eh? That’ll never last.
23 October 2022
dr desperate
Got ’em except one.
23 October 2022
EXXO
Only five out of fifteen for me so far!! Must try harder.
25 October 2022
Slow dempsey
After several attempts over a few days, I think I’ve got them all. Number ten had me fixed until a sudden inspiration this morning.
A splendid quiz which definitely tapped into the cryptic crossword bit of my brain.
25 October 2022
dr desperate
Well done, @SD! I had a similar problem (though differently vowelled) with the same one. As we know, occupants of that Number have not been noted for their lingering qualities of late.
I do have an unlikely answer – it’s quite an obscure reference (say whaaat?) and seems only partly relevant to the clue, but it’s the best I can do.
I’m off to that London and that Sheffield in the morning to see Art Brut and the CUD band, so I’ll leave it to you to post the (presumably) winning entry after 5 tomorrow.
25 October 2022
TRANSIT FULL OF keith
Hmm, no 10 probably does smell a bit off – I think I’ve overstretched the meaning of a word a bit.
“Smog produced by female dragon?” is better.
25 October 2022
EXXO
It was one of the first ones I got 😀
Still only got about eight of them though. Might have to actually start looking at some titles, as brain itself is a farty smog at the moment and if you asked me to name 9 track titles per album right now on pain of death I’d just have to surrender to the firing squad.
26 October 2022
Slow dempsey
This is what I ended up with:
1. Ready steady boa
2. Oblong of dreads
3. Wark’s descending
4. Blight reprise
5. The bustard son of Dean Friedman
6. Secret pig
7. Ecclesiastical perms
8. A bong for Europe
9. Midnight bass murder
10. This Meaden pall
11. See that my mike’s kept clean
12. Twenty-four dour garage people
13. Reflections in a flan
14. Breaking pews
15. Evening of swine (has been cancelled)
26 October 2022
TRANSIT FULL OF keith
Absolutely spot on!
No prize though, sorry.
26 October 2022
TRANSIT FULL OF keith
(Well, 3 is Wark Descending, if we’re being picky).
26 October 2022
EXXO
ooh lucky, saw that someone had posted the answers before I focused in on them.
Three days before posting answers is a bit short for my tastes when I’ve been mad busy. Need more time for these, so now need to scroll back up without seeing the answers and copy and paste them and not come back to the site for a couple of days.
Such procedures in my case are easy to accomplish by removing glasses and then only putting them back on when I’m sure I can’t see the answers.
26 October 2022
dr desperate
I’ve never seen ‘Dragons’ Den’, so didn’t get Meaden – the closest I came was ‘This Ladon Pall’, referring to the dragon that guarded the golden apples in the Garden of the Hesperides, who would have required the change of two letters, and was male anyway.
My alternative suggestion (using the original clue) would have required the female dragon from Disney’s ‘Sword in the Stone’ to be in a doomed Sapphic relationship with another of her species: ‘left by female dragon’ would then lead to ‘Girlfriend’s Broken Up With Mim’.
26 October 2022
TRANSIT FULL OF keith
For future reference, it’d be safe to assume that none of my quiz questions would be as obscure as that…
27 October 2022
Schoon
Why would anyone Google ‘only the crumbliest flakiest chocolate’?
29 October 2022
Richie stevens
Google it and you will find out
29 October 2022
EXXO
Let’s be having your FBL predictions for Norwich:
https://forms.gle/Xf8JYoqDYPStXr1M6
Form guide for the last 3 years is here, beneath the current league table:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VzcOei62xCuF1YDrJ-XrR3gLcF2Iutb0jJhnEtDVhqI/edit
See also Giant Setlist Spreadsheet on this site.
5 November 2022
dr desperate
Nice Delia reference there, @Exxo.
6 November 2022
D list paul ross
I’m a predictions placepot Uttoxeter, down by 1.45, pulled up at Bangor-on-Dee, etc but I have persisted like Sue the Human JCB at the Colman’s Mustard Bravery Awards.
7 November 2022
TRANSIT FULL OF keith
Correction to my entry: Turned Up Clocked On is on the Blackpool set list, but I think it was Improv Workshop right?
So my dropped song entry should also say Improv Workshop where it is currently Turned Up Clocked On. Ta
8 November 2022
EXXO
I think I went too early with the link to the predictions form for Friday’s gig, as the number of entries is well down on the usual.
In other words: “where are you?!!” “Let’s be havin’ you!!”
https://forms.gle/Xf8JYoqDYPStXr1M6
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VzcOei62xCuF1YDrJ-XrR3gLcF2Iutb0jJhnEtDVhqI/edit
9 November 2022
EXXO
But yes, Keith is right about Improv Mimeshow and I’ve now corrected the Blackpool setlist on that document, which I’d thought I’d already done.
If anyone chooses TUCOLO as a dropped song and does not correct it before the gig (as keith has done), it will be assumed that they “meant” Improv Mimeshow.
9 November 2022
dr desperate
At the Azed 50th anniversary lunch in May I sat next to a bloke who works as a researcher on OC. I can’t remember his name, but if I see him again I’ll ask him if there’s a fan among the setters.
9 November 2022
EXXO
Looks like entries in from all the usual suspects. Thanks to the 16 predictors so far.
Entries are welcome from anyone else, new or old, up to the “soundcheck” deadline of 5pm
https://forms.gle/Xf8JYoqDYPStXr1M6
Form guide for the last 3 years is here, beneath the current league table:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VzcOei62xCuF1YDrJ-XrR3gLcF2Iutb0jJhnEtDVhqI/edit
11 November 2022
EXXO
Buggeration. It was bound to happen one day that gig day, and an early start at that, would combine with the day from hell for me, after the weeko de la muerte. No internet and punctures to cap it all off.
So the band may come on in about 2 minutes and I’d better think about me picks or else disqualify meself.
Yes I know my mate in Norwich could have texted me a sneaky peak of the list by now, but you’ll have to trust me here.
Just wish I could read my handwriting from some notes I made the other day on a plastic visor, off which plenty has also rubbed.
So I’ll go for opening song and joker on the same easy pick – Bob wilson.
Other songs restored – Sealclubbing. Secret gig. Monmore.
New songs – Tess Rogation Broken Head
Dropped – mimeshow Dean Irk Broadstairs
Walk-on – FOLK – deliberately went for a rare one hoping I’m wrong, as it will probably already have happened (it’s now 7:34pm)
Cover X ray Spex
Percentage ooh errm just 31.742
11 November 2022
EXXO
Hope to get the points done tonight or Monday afternoon. At first glance it looks like there were a number of inspired picks, with 3 contestants grabbing the 18 points for Evening of Swing and 2 getting the 12 points for Dickie Davies Eyes. At least 7 players landed the 20 joker points, 5 of them for Bob Wilson, 2 for Terminus.
Looks like most of you got 24 points out of 24 on dropped songs.
It won’t be the highest-scoring round ever as nobody scored any points for the Undertones or any of the associated bonuses, nobody got the walk-on genre if it is confirmed that it was Hawkwind’s ‘Brainstorm,’ in tribute to Nik Turner’s passing. [by the way I note that Karl had tweeted about Nik Turner pre-gig, although I don’t know what time, and I can confirm that it would be deemed acceptable to change your choice of anything right up to 5pm as long as not based on any information from the band about what they might play]
If 11 ouf 28 songs different is confirmed, then for the first time we have a tie of 2 contestants getting it spot on, so 7.5 points each to Bad Loser and Woodnoggin.
13 November 2022
Chris The Siteowner
OK, here’s a bit of fun. Rob W-M writes: “I’m currently training as a software engineer and one of our assignments was to remake the recently popularised Wordle game in HTML/JavaScript. I found this a bit dull on its own so decided to make it with a HMHB twist… words only from HMHB lyrics, Kendo Nagasaki background tiles, etc.”
It works, and here it is. Enjoy! (Thanks Rob)
15 November 2022
D list paul ross
Sorry to be thick but should the version on the link work or is this just for info? Won’t work on my phone or am I just a twat?
15 November 2022
dr desperate
Jolly good! It worked for me, got the first one in 4/6. Not a particularly Biscuity word, but it does appear in at least one lyric. (You get a different answer word every time you start, unlike Wordle which changes only once every 24 hours.)
It may help to know that correct letters entered in the wrong place appear in purple, correct letters in the right place in green, on my laptop at least.
15 November 2022
Chris The Siteowner
Link works for me, but if anyone else has any problems it’s at:
https://chrisrand.com/hmhb-wordle/
15 November 2022
EXXO
Must admit I’ve tried it in 3 different browsers and can’t get it to do anything. Presumably you’re meant to drag the letters into the boxes? Top row first or bottom row first? Either way I’ve tried everything and nothing responds.
15 November 2022
Chris The Siteowner
You just type the letters.
15 November 2022
TRANSIT FULL OF keith
Works on my laptop (by typing), but not on my phone.
15 November 2022
EXXO
Ha. Wouldn’t have thought of just typing without an instruction. Looks like it’s going to be a draggy or clicky thing.
Dunno if it’s a glitch, but there’s a problem when you try a word with the same letter twice, when that letter is only in the answer once, ‘cos it then looked to me as if one letter ‘e’ was in the right place and one was in the wrong place, when in fact both were referring to the same single occurrence of the letter ‘e’.
15 November 2022
dr desperate
I’ve always typed in the letters on Wordle, as its on-screen keyboard requires use of the touchpad, making a click which is annoyingly loud (to anyone else in the room, or the next room).
16 November 2022
EXXO
Already this season we have seen several of the big FBL outfits making more effective use of their data analysis for questions 1-3. None more so that Schoon FBLC last week, who became the first FBL unit to score with 10 different songs in the first 3 questions. You’ll notice that in this round Question 1 gained contestants far more points for old songs than ever before. A lot of players are only interested in a 2-pointer on Q.1 if it also secures them their 20-point joker, but Team Schoon added 3 x 2-pointers to the 10 for ‘Surging’ and the 18 points for ‘Evening of Swing.’ Both of those last two songs had been on the shortlist for team Exxo before being benched for the match, and both are personal favourites in a live environment that I was gutted to miss. Also kicking ourselves here at the Exxodome that we were one of only 3 teams not to score maximum points for dropped songs this time.
So the points for Norwich go thusly, with apologies that it’s taken me all week:
Schoon _______78 __(Eve 18, Surging 10, BobW 22, BobT 2, Term 2, dropped songs 24)
Ferencvaros Fan_66__(Bob W 22, Eve 18, Buried 2, dropped 24)
Lux Inferior_____63___(Term 22, Colombia 7, dropped 24, opener correct)
Mister Tubbs____60__(Bob W 22, Dickie 12, Buried 2, dropped 24)
TFoKeith________56__(Bob W 22, dropped 24, opener correct)
Woodnoggin_____47.5_(Bob W 2, Buried 2, Term 2, dropped 24, opener correct, joint correct %)
Exxo ____________47__(Bob W 22, Seal 7, dropped 18)
Injured Buzzard___46__(Bob W 22, dropped 24)
Mr. Spokesman ___42__(Eve 18, dropped 24)
Phyllis T__________36__(Dickie D 12, dropped 24)
CtSO_____________34__(dropped songs 24, opener correct)
Nige (NNTO)_______30__(Bob W 2, Bob T 2, Buried 2, dropped 24)
Bad Loser _________31.5_(dropped 24, joint correct %)
D-List Paul Ross ____24 __(dropped songs 24)
Doctor D__________24 __(dropped songs 24)
Parsfan___________24___(dropped songs 24)
Lord Hereford ______20__(Buried 2, dropped songs 18)
Mark Griffiths_______18__(dropped songs 18)
Check your points, check your points I think I’ve lost my mind – setlist here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/10wLf5DXj-iQ3-LyPPPvyEN6xQHqjAE2QmmqBqpX7pEk/edit
Bad Loser & Woodnoggin deserve a special mention for both predicting the exact % i.e. 11 out of 28 songs different, but can also count themselves unlucky that on the current scoring system it means they both got 7.5 points (10+5 divided by 2).., but it won’t be the first time that in applying a rule for the first time I realise it’s a bit unfair – next season this will be revised to 10 points each, as what if say 5 people all got it spot-on? They would surely deserve more than 3 points each.
18 November 2022
Schoon
Oh no, and I’ve just fired the Data Science team for not being hardcore enough! Back to mid table mediocrity next time.
Thanks Exxo for a fantasy league that’s actually worth doing.
One day they’ll come on to Westward Ho! and I’ll score millions.
18 November 2022
EXXO
Hard to believe the respected institution that the FBL has become is not even one year old for another week. I say respected, but “envied” might be a better word, as hardly a month goes by that we don’t see comments in the wider setlist-prediction media about how lucky we are to only have HMHB gigs every month or so, with a 35% turnover of material between gigs. I can already see that envy turning to glee as they rub their hands and chuckle about how the FBL is going to deal with the double-header in April.
But fear not. We will get the Stowmarket setlist up by 1am on 15th April and there will indeed be just a 16-hour window for submitting your Cambridge predictions on that day. The FBL will cope, fear not.
18 November 2022
EXXO
The Norwich results, once you’ve checked for the odd oversight on my part, might leave the upper half of the overall table looking something like this:
Transit Full of Keith ____239
Mister Tubbs _________221
Woodnoggin _________212.5
Exxo _______________ 211
Lux Inferior __________207
Ferencvaros Fan _____198
Schoon _____________186
Bad Loser ___________181.5
CtSO _______________171
Injured Buzzard _______144
Nige (No, not that one) __132
Parsfan _______________125
Man of Varying Sorrow _(Played 3)_121
18 November 2022
FERENCVáROS FAN
@Exxo: thanks as always for your FBL work. Like you, I am dismayed at missing ‘Surging’ live. It’s one of my top 5 Biscuit tracks. Overall score was definitely one of my luckier efforts. I believe, however, that I’m on for an additional 7, as Colombia was my first pick for question 1. Cheers.
18 November 2022
EXXO
Cheers George. I knew there would be 1 or 2 oversights and I just ran a complete re-audit using more coffee in my (very) software. Two errors emerged:
You are due those 7 points and Lord Hereford is due 2 points for Terminus.
18 November 2022
Woodnoggin
Thanks Exxo. I think I’m owed an extra 20 points for listing Terminus as my joker.
18 November 2022
EXXO
Aw, yes, that’s poor of me, soz.
18 November 2022
Ferencváros fan
Thanks @Exxo. Don’t take all the work you put into this lightly. Maybe see you at Hull.
18 November 2022
transit full of keith
Blimey. Two rounds at the top. This doesn’t feel right. Watch me crash and burn for the rest of the season.
18 November 2022
Mark Griffiths
Another poor performance,re election beckons just like Hartlepool (s) United,they must despair.
18 November 2022
dr desperate
Quick World Cup one: what’s the Biscut link between Jonny Williams, Chris Gunter and Idrissa Gueye?
2 December 2022
EXXO
Nice one. Fell into place as soon as I re-read the question after thinking about something else.
2 December 2022
dr desperate
Thanks! If anyone hasn’t got it by 6.55pm on Sunday (which I doubt), I’ll give the answer then.
2 December 2022
BOBBY SVARC
Bob Wilson
2 December 2022
EXXO
When I put up the FBL form for Hull 16th Dec predictions (form to appear in this thread on sat Dec 10th), there will bean extra question asking you whether you wish to join the inaugural FBA Cup, as well as the FBL in 2023. The cup will be open to the first 16 players to say yes on that form.
To compete in the cup, all you will need to do is answer one extra question (one the same form as the FBL) for each of the London, Leamington, Stowmarket and Edinburgh gigs. For each round (round of 16, quarters, semis and final) there will be a draw pairing players together, and the closest answer between the 2 players drawn together will get them through to the next round. Edinburgh May 19th will be the FBA cup final, between the two players that remain standing. so enter the cup if you think you will be around to enter predictions for those 4 gigs, but if you do miss a round you would forfeit the cup tie. There will be other stipulations to avert the need for replays.
3 December 2022
dr desperate
That World Cup puzzle answer (for anyone who didn’t get it on Friday): the two League Two Welshmen and the Toffee Lion of Teranga were born, respectively, in Pembury, Newport and Dakar.
That’s Kent, Gwent and Senegal (BWA).
4 December 2022
STEVO
Don’t know if anyone spotted this – only six years short of our hero’s experience…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-63858303
5 December 2022
EXXO
Hull gig predictions form.
https://forms.gle/j4bMha4unLbyuUFR8
New contestants including one-off entries always welcome.
League table and last 15 setlists.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1it2hDa972TfdrgetwKS_Ha5LgO9ferj0OPccTysD0to/edit
11 December 2022
D list paul ross
@EXXO I have submitted my usual sub-standard entry, so far down the table I have to wait for Ceefax to move to 2/2 to see me. I have said yes to the cup but if you get 16 others please stand me down.
13 December 2022
EXXO
Thanks D-L PR. Of 11 predictors so far, 9 wish to enter the FBA Cup, so you’ll be in the hat don’t worry. Thanks too for the reminder to complete the league table. Will do it this evening.
13 December 2022
EXXO
If any regulars didn’t yet enter any predictions for the gig (eg Phyllis Triggs & Dr. Des), it would still be helpful if you could answer question 8 only. The cup still needs 5 more entrants.
I won’t be looking at the answers submitted for the other questions and as and when the Hull gig is rescheduled there will of course be another form.
15 December 2022
Woodnoggin
I just checked in here to complete my gig predictions. I’ll go in for the cup if it’ll help round out the numbers.
15 December 2022
EXXO
Just one quick question to kick us off for 2023.
What did Grace Jones say to Lord Hereford?
(I don’t know, what did Grace Jones say to Lord Hereford?)
13 January 2023
dr desperate
“Pull up to the Twmpa, Baby”?
(If she supported a team playing in the Swedish Division 1 Norra she might say “Pull up to the Bwmpa, Täby”.)
13 January 2023
Exxo
Indeed. In your long black limousine. Which I cant stop giggling about when I think of s long black limousine sliding into the car park at Gospel Pass.
I’ll put up the predictions form for Camden on Sunday. Draw for the FBA Cup on Monday lunchtime.
13 January 2023
Exxo
On my phone Dic’s comment contains an ad offering me “the trendiest ringtones”. Hope they are Instant Agony tunes.
13 January 2023
Hendrix-tattoo
Pull up to it.
Don’t drive through it..
Back it up twice…
Now that fits nice….
Grease it, spray it…..
Let me lubricate it……
13 January 2023
dr desperate
R6M may have noticed that the title doesn’t quite match the lyrics, as they now seem a bit less keen to play it (it was the 8th most played song of 2021, but failed to make the top 100 last year, beaten by ‘Slave to the Rhythm’ which came 6th).
This year’s figures may be skewed by it featuring on their trail for ‘Back to the 80s Week’ every five bloody minutes.
14 January 2023
dic aberdaron
good to see you took the luxury cruise to the swingin’ arm, mr Exxo
14 January 2023
EXXO
FBL predictions form for this Friday’s Camden gig, including bonus question for FBA Cup Round 1 entrants.
https://forms.gle/V1EPuYF9va4ixdUv5
Previous 15 or so setlists:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1it2hDa972TfdrgetwKS_Ha5LgO9ferj0OPccTysD0to/edit
Apologies for late appearance of this form, so therefore apologies also if you receive an email alert, which will not normally happen.
16 January 2023
EXXO
We have 15 entrants for the inaugural FBA Cup, drawn by a pair of distinguished former setlist predictors as follows:
Parsfan v Bad Loser
Nige (NNTO) v Chris the Siteowner
Mister Tubbs v Lord Hereford
D-List Paul Ross v Exxo
Lux Inferior v Ferencvaros Fan
Injured Buzzard v Woodnoggin
Phyllis Triggs v Dr. Desperate
Schoon v. BYE (or AN Other)
The ties will be decided by nearest answer on question 8, but the tie breaker will be FBL score for questions 1-7 and if that is also level by past average all-time FBL score.
Top of the table Transit Full of Keith has decided to concentrate on the league!
If anyone does want to take that last position to see if you can get nearer the bull than Schoon, first come first served.
16 January 2023
EXXO
Oh, BTW @ D-List Paul Ross, I don’t look at the forms before the gigs, but as I am drawn with you and need to be above suspicion of having seen your answer to question 8 before submitting mine, I will ask you not to submit today (Monday), and I send my answer to Q.8 to a third party Lyrics Project member (not a fellow FBA Cup contestant) this evening (Monday). If I remain in the cup, so on for future rounds.
16 January 2023
D list paul ross
Thanks @exxo but I suspect given previous form even if I were handed the set-list 5 minutes before the gig I’d make a hash of things. Out of laziness I’ll probably just submit my Hull form with Cliched swapped out for something less Christmassy.
16 January 2023
D list paul ross
Just seen the cup is an entirely separate question. If only people (I) would study the rules more.
16 January 2023
D list paul ross
@exxo I have submitted now, mainly so I don’t forget and partly because I want to be paid for doing it rather than doing it in my own time.
17 January 2023
EXXO
That’s the spirit D-L PR, and very much the spirit of my morning too as I am have just spent some time creatively justifying to my employer what I was doing with my time on certain days either side of Xmas that they had expected me to take as leave, a leave allowance not taken which I expect to be paid after end of temporary contract (next week).
17 January 2023
Parsfan
I’d meant to resubmit the cancelled one with one obvious alteration but didn’t get an email this time so no idea what I entered.
My bag’s packed and I’m leaving in a minute…will have to figure it out on phone.
20 January 2023
woodnoggin
I had the same intention, Parsfan, but the confirmation email I received had “N/A” for all the answers. Not very helpful, so I had to start again.
20 January 2023
EXXO
@Woodnoggin. Are you sure you didn’t submit only Q8 for Hull, because it was already after the postponement? (I just looked at your Hull form for the first time a minute ago, and your answers to Q1-7 all say N/A. I haven’t looked at anyone else’s Hull answers).
@Mr. Tubbs. Your first round opponent has not submitted, so like Schoon you have a bye.
My predictions for tonight:
1. A Country Practice; Eno Collaboration; Used to be in Evil Gazebo; Big Man Up Front; Broken Headstone; Tess of the Dormobiles; Rogation Sunday
2 (joker) Big Man up Front;
3. Evening of Swing; Sealclubbing; Dickie Davies; What made Colombia Famous
4. Pop
5. Renfield’s Afoot
6. The Ramones
7. 33.3333%
8. 25th song on Roger’s List.
20 January 2023
Woodnoggin
I’m pretty sure I filled it out then shortly afterwards heard the gig was cancelled. I can’t entirely rule out user error, though. I hope today’s predictions made it through OK.
20 January 2023
EXXO
Well Question 8 may have been a bit random in design and in results, but that’s the cup for you. Parsfan was first out of the hat in the first ever FBA Cup draw and he comes out of it the unluckiest, dumped out by one of the big boys, even though he (Parsfan) was only 8 places out on the setlist position of ‘Light,’ and even several though other sides won much dourer ties with far inferior performances. Woodnoggin went through to the next round even though he was 23 setlist places out, Mr. Tubbs likewise (though on a walk-over), Lux Inferior and D-List paul Ross similarly, even though each were 21 places out.
FBA Cup, First Round
BAD LOSER beats PARSFAN 4-10
SITEOWNER thrashes NIGEL (NNTO) 1-20
MR TUBBS walks over LORD HEREFORD 25-N/A
D-LIST PAUL ROSS edges out EXXO 23-25
LUX INFERIOR scrapes past FERENCVAROS FAN 23-26
WOODNOGGIN is left standing after a dour struggle with INJURED BUZZARD, 25-27
DR D. trounces PHYLLIS T. 1-25
SCHOON plays well scoring 7 in training, relaxing with a bye for round 1.
We now have nearly 8 weeks to wait for the Quarter Finals in Leamington, 17th March, so let’s have the draw for that one a little earlier on Monday 6th March.
21 January 2023
Ferencváros fan
@Lux, well done and all the best for the remainder of the competition. Hope you are doing OK. I wish I’d been paired with fellow Prestonion Dr D though. Together we could almost have recreated the 1887 FA Cup 26-0 trouncing of FC Hyde. IGMC.
21 January 2023
Woodnoggin
I got lucky in picking the same end of the setlist as Injured Buzzard. It could easily have been a catastrophic loss. Light at the End of the Tunnel was a great choice for this question as it seems to always be played either early or late, which encourages picking extreme answers. Although, by the looks of things, going for a number somewhere in the middle would have worked for most match-ups this time.
21 January 2023
phyllis Triggs
Well and truly trounced! It did occur to me after submitting my form that choosing a midway position would have been the most mathematically safe strategy. However, as Doctor Desperate was so damn near spot on, it wouldn’t have helped me this time around. Well done Doc! Also, interesting to see quite a few of us chose number 25. What psychology’s at work there then?
21 January 2023
Lux inferior
@FF – Cheers, and apologies for scuppering your cup dreams. I’m not doing too badly thanks. Got my tickets for the Stowmarket/Cambridge double-header, which is my own light at the end of the tunnel for the coming months. Also chuffed that my persistence in making ‘Grafting Haddock’ one of my FBL setlist predictions finally paid off.
22 January 2023
Ferencváros fan
Good to hear that your news is positive @Lux. My skill in plotting holidays around gigs is about as impressive as my cup exploits. Other than the Edinburgh city break in May, we’ve got 2 other trips booked. The first one clashes with Stowmarket/Cambridge, so sorry in advance for not being around to say hi. The second trip is a 10 day break in Brecon, commencing on 5th July…
22 January 2023
Lord hereford
Apologies, especially to Exxo, for my N/A in the FBA Cup. Exxo did send me a reminder on Friday but I was busy all day before the gig and only picked up the e-mail when I got back to my hotel. Good luck to those left in.
22 January 2023
INJURED Buzzard
Congrats to Woodnoggin on his cup victory. Close but no cigar for me. As you say it was a good choice of song. It was a toss up between 1 or 2 & one from end and I chose 27 purely because that was the age that so many musicians died, alas just as my cup run. Hey ho. Good luck for future rounds.
22 January 2023
EXXO
Scoring points for Q1 were these seven songs:
Twydale 86 points (CtSO) – yes I know – but I’ve just re-checked the last 86 Roger Green setlists!
Grafting Haddock 40 points (FF, Phyllis, Woodnoggin, Keith, Lux, Mr. T & Mr. Spokesman who used his joker)
Petty sessions 11 points (no takers)
Tommy Walsh 7 points (no takers)
Umberstone 5 points (FF)
Big Man 2 points ( Exxo & Injured Buzzard, both with joker)
Look Dad 2 points (Schoon, Woodnoggin, Lux Inferior with joker Phyllis T with joker, Mr Tubbs with joker)
Bad Wools 4 points (Nigel NNTO, D-List Paul Ross)
Q.3 points scored were for just 6 songs, 6 points each: Bob Todd, D Davies, Broadstairs, Lark, Terminus, E o Swing.
Nobody got maximum points for Q.3 this time. 4 contestants got just one (6 pts), 5 got 12 pts & 7 contestants got 18 points.
Q.4 Only pop can be accepted. A specialist rock or folk fan would be very pissed off at a Lieutenant pigeon gig. Only Lux Inferior and Exxo got 5 points.
Q.5 Renfield. 10 points for Exxo
Q6. Highest scoring ever – 6 people said The Clash!! (FF, Dr D, Pars, wood, Keith, Bad Loser).
I’m not sure I should give 5 points for the Stranglers as a London band. They formed and first played in Guildford, but within a couple of months were playing in London, so I do feel really mean not giving it. I will give 5 generous points to Mr. Tubbs and Injured Buzzard and the Stranglers are considered a London band for this rest of this season, subject to review.. 5 points to Nigel (NNTO) for Madness. 2 points each to Phyllis and Schoon for D & B bands respectively.
Q7. 30% exactly said D-List Paul Ross, exactly, for 10 points. 29.7% said Nigel (NNTO) for 5 points. Unlucky Injured Buzzard on 30.7%
Please check:
CtSO_______________ 92 points (86+6)
Lux Inferior___________90 points (62+18+10 for pop)
TFoKeith_____________88 points (40+18+30 for the Clash)
Ferencvaros Fan_______87 points (45+12+30 for the Clash)
Mr Tubbs_____________85 points (62+18+ 5 for the Stranglers)
Woodnoggin__________ 84 points (42+12+30 for the Clash)
Mr Spokesman________ 72 points (60+12)
Phyllis Triggs__________62 points (42+18+ 2 for the dead K’s)
Exxo________________49 points (22+12+5 for pop + 10 for opening number)
Bad Loser____________48 points (0+18+30 for The Clash)
Injured Buzzard _______45 points (22+18 + 5 Stranglers)
Dr Desperate__________42 points (0+12+30 for The Clash)
Parsfan______________36 points (0+6+30 for The Clash)
D-List Paul Ross_______32 points (4+18+10 for exact %)
Nigel (NNTO)__________27 points (4+18+5 for 2nd %)
Schoon_______________10 points. (2+6+2 for Buzzcocks)
22 January 2023
EXXO
Yes, you’re right, it’s only 5 points for the pop walk-on, so 85 total for Lux inferior – soz.
22 January 2023
Chris The Siteowner
My cunning, all-or-nothing, plan of always selecting the same set of ridiculously neglected songs pays off at last! Now I need to bring one off the bench to replace Twydale…
22 January 2023
LUx inferior
You’ve awarded me 5 points too many, Exxo – 10, rather than 5, for the pop walk-on. (My joker was actually played on Big Man Up Front, though that makes no difference to the overall score.)
22 January 2023
Lux inferIor
Ah, you’ve already spotted it. As you were 🙂
22 January 2023
EXXO
Provisional league table. All very close and exciting, with plenty of players in contention and at least 5 fixtures remaining this season.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1B4SUzqxisXdz9Q8xzyH31HdPczBmwtwTnVXM3FGJp9s/edit?usp=sharing
As has been noted, the addition of a July fixture is unexpected, but it will now be the final fixture and title decider.
22 January 2023
Phyllis Triggs
I think I’m missing 20 Joker points, Exxo. Shouldn’t it be 42 + 20 + 18 + 2?
22 January 2023
EXXO
Quite right. So sorry. Corrected. And good to see the reigning champion climbing the table. Comfortably in the top half with those points.
22 January 2023
D list paul ross
Thanks Exxo, exact percentage and a fortuitous cup victory papering over the cracks of overall league form, whole town’s buzzing, etc.
23 January 2023
transit full of keith
Late season wobble and crash to mid-table has still yet to materialise, thanks to lucky picks of The Clash and Grafting Haddock. I’ll try and rectify that next time.
24 January 2023
EXXO
You make your own luck in this game. Give or take the odd 6 points (given or taken away by the presence on the front row of H-Tattoo). Swings and roundabouts, slings and arrows. With any luck it all evens out over the course of the season.
24 January 2023
schoon
From first (Norwich) to last. I think it’s the additional pressure of the cup with a poor squad. I have already sacked the data science team so now I will hire a legal team to scrutinise this gig’s results.
During the London gig I kept telling my daughter that I wasn’t doing well in terms of the league. She seemed really interested.
@Exxo thanks for your fantastic work in creating and running it.
26 January 2023