From wiki:
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the most populous city in the U.S. state of California. With roughly 3.9 million residents within the city limits as of 2020, Los Angeles is the second-most populous city in the United States, behind only New York City; it is also the commercial, financial and cultural centre of Southern California. Los Angeles has a Mediterranean climate, an ethnically and culturally diverse population, and is the principal city of a metropolitan area of 13.2 million people. Greater Los Angeles, which includes the Los Angeles and Riverside–San Bernardino metropolitan areas, is a sprawling metropolis of over 18 million residents.
And, as of tomorrow, the home of the Villains for the next 11 days.
Yup, myself and Rachel are flying off Stateside for a holiday….and we are going to be the guests of Jonny the Friendly Lawyer and his wife, Goldie the Friendly Therapist at their family home in Santa Monica.
I’d never have imagined back in 2007 when I got the blog up and running that so many new and wonderful people would come into my orbit. I’ve been incredibly lucky to have met many of them over the years, and I’ve got plans formulating in my head to hook up with a few others in due course.
We hooked up with Jonny and Goldie in Barcelona a few years back when they took a trip to Europe. We all promised one another that we’d meet up again, and plans were hatched that in the months after I retired from working, a trip to North America, including a stopover in LA, would be arranged. That was supposed to be back in 2020, but the world went into lockdown and the plans were scrapped. But finally, we are going ahead with things, and I can’t say enough about the generosity of Jonny and Goldie who have invited us into their home for such an extended period of time, and also appear to have planned a packed itinerary of things to and places to go while we are there. It’s a real thrill.
The blog will continue as normal while I’m away from Glasgow….can’t promise that I’ll be checking in on things every day, but I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime, here’s a tune.
mp3: They Might Be Giants – Los Angeles
Tomorrow’s post will offer Jonny’s take on things.
JC
MAJOR UPDATE
TRIP IS OFF!!!!!
your humble scribe has been under the weather in recent days, and a precautionary visit to the GP ended with a referral to the local hospital where blood tests have shown up a wee concern. It might be something….it might be nothing. I’ll know in due course.
I’ve taken down Jonny’s post scheduled for tomorrow but the blog, thanks to me writing posts days/weeks in advance, will be back on Thursday.
Take care y’all.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
Have a great trip. More of a San Francisco fan myself. Three obvious suggestions for the city trip playlist: LA by The Fall, Los Angeles I’m Yours by The Decemberists, and Why You’d Want To Live Here by Death Cab For Cutie.
chaval
Also Time Spent I Los Angeles by Dawes.
Have a great trip!
Have a great holiday, JC.
Don’t get stuck on the LA Freeway (and excellent tune by Guy Clark).
Yow! I’m right with you there for the amazement of a Blog for connecting people and places being second to none! We just met up in Amsterdam with The Metamorph and his partner for an amazing Nits concert followed by a week at their home base in Wales after a decade of video chat and comment threads at PPM. And they treated us like gold, so I’ll just say to get ready for what will surely be a mind-blowing and gratifying experience. Albeit with far less slate tips and sheep in your case! But gird your loins for the densest traffic you will ever encounter. The trip to Amoeba will be worth your while, though! Plenty of other good music shopping there too, with Rockaway Records being another must-see. That is one of the most well-curated stores I’ve ever shopped in. Everything from $2000 records you’ve never seen before to plenty of highly affordable bargains…with no chaff gumming up their bins!
I’m sure I’ve seen the map before. I think it was in my favourite movie Bolt (“Turn and Pull”) whose story coincidentally begins and ends in LA.
I just ordered the record “Sometimes depressed… but always Antifascist” from BSÍ. There is a video (YouTube) for Vesturbæjar Beach that spreads the holiday mood.
Have fun [sk]
I literally discovered your blog 10mins ago. Was watching a 7 year old interview with Michael Head on YouTube. Ex-member of Hey!Elastica had left a comment. Went on an internet search for aforementioned band and arrived at the blog. Marvelous. I’m an ex-Edinburgh lad who has been in LA for over 20 years nows. “Los Angeles Be Kind” by Owl John. There’s a fine LA tune. I’m off to see Camera Obscura tonight – 18 years after seeing them at The Troubadour. I’ll be giving your blog a deep dive – looks pretty awesome. Enjoy the city.
fingers crossed everything is ok
Middle Aged Man
Have a great trip and make the most of LA
LA is waiting for you, dear Jim and Rachel and we wish the most treatable of diagnoses a fast recovery and third time charm trip to LA where your room is ready and the tunes are cued up. Lots of LOVE GTFP
Hope your GP was simply being over-cautious…
Really sorry to hear your trip is off, JC – wishing you a full and speedy recovery, and a super time in LA when it does happen. All the best to you and Mrs V.
Strangeways
Arrrgh! Just saw that! Spiking a trip in the hours before hand is as bad as it gets. Hope your issues are minor!
Sorry to hear that JC
Slow down,rest up and take it easy
Oh bugger, mate!! Very sad to hear this, yet another trip which had to be cancelled. But the main thing is your health, I do hope your GP is just a very careful bloke and that’s it.
Please let us know more as soon as the results have come in!
Dirk
rest up JC. Take care of yourself. Hope all is well
swc
I hope there is no major issue and you’ll be able to reschedule the trip soon! Take care, all the best.
Thinking of you dude. Hope it’s nothing!
I don’t suppose prayers from atheists work, but I’ll say one anyway. Here’s hoping all is well. – Brian