As we say goodbye to November it's time to think  about Christmas and I daresay a few more Christmas tunes will be creeping into the playlists over the next few weeks.

Please check out my "listen again" page where you can find podcasts of my Howebzar shows, including the "What's on your Ipod" sessions and tune in this Thursday (5th Dec) when my guest will be Terry Cornell with his 10 iPod favourites.

Last night, Tues 19 Nov, a little later than intended (nothing new there) the Howebzar Production Team stepped out to see Imagine Dragons at the Oasis in Swindon.
As it turns out our timing was pretty much perfect, we got the last parking space, no queue to get in, our tickets were waiting for us (thank you Oasis). In fact we were fashionably late for the support act which seemed pretty good and got a warm reception.

I wasn't sure what to expect of the gig, I guessed it would be a younger target audience, but the funny thing was it was me and Mrs.HBZ that were keen to go...we had to take the kids cos we couldn't leave them behind! Of course as the gig got closer and their friends all wanted to go, suddenly they got keen too and we turned into "SuperParents" for getting the tickets!

Nor were we the oldest, although I did feel a bit ancient when the music started and I had to resort to the earplugs...but...I suffer from Tinnitus and so I have to look after what is left of my hearing. I wouldn't wish it on anyone (always take earplugs to gigs kids).

For a contemporary band the Imagine Dragons put on a pretty authentic rock gig, with solos for the bassist, drummer and of course finishing off with a face melting guitar solo. The Oasis is a sports centre, and so the staging was basic, but the light show was good and frankly it's good to see a band just play without all the gimmicks.

Great musicianship throughout, and all the favourites played without any coyness. They even covered a Blur track (Song 2) which went down a storm with the Swindon crowd. Finishing off with a earth shattering version of "RadioActive" the band were persuaded to come back for an encore. All was well in Swindon.

Of course getting out from the last parking space was a different matter!

Way back in the balmy days of August 2013 I gave Ents24.com and the Oasis in Swindon a bit of a flaming. I am here to say I was wrong about the Oasis!

I was trying to get tickets to see Imagine Dragons at the Oasis Swindon next Tuesday, but by the time I got through to the switchboard they had all gone. 
The nice lady suggest I put my name on a waiting list and I thought "yeah, right" but did it anyway and prepared the HBZ production team for a disappointment.

Well fair play to the nice lady says I. Tonight I got a phonecall (which we nearly hung up thinking it was a marketing call!) and lo, it was the Oasis with 4 returned tickets. Happy Days...we're going to the concert.

Of course we will probably double the average age, but frankly Scarlett I don't give a damn.

(expect some ImagineDragons on this Thursday's show)

Thursday night is not only HOWEBZAR night this week, it's also Halloween!
So to help out with your party plans, we'll kick off early this week at 6pm with a mix of spooky tunes, party bangers and weird sound effects (courtesy of www.freesfx.co.uk)! 

Click here and get your requests in early

I'll be broadcasting from the Halloween Central in Kington Langley this week, located in Ashes Lane (a suitably spooky address!), so if you are trick or treating in the village this year, make sure you stop by. 


Why not tell your friends and family to listen in too, and give them a "shout out" over the radio.


Just point them to www.howebzar.com from 6pm - 9pm

well I enjoyed "Singalong" last week, so I thought we'd have another go. This week a classic from Mr. Neil Diamond and "Sweet Caroline". here are the words from AZLyrics.com, now all I have to do is find a suitable instrumental version to play on Thursday at 9:30


"Sweet Caroline"

[lyrics removed to keep the blog a bit more readable]

I had hoped to get tickets to "Imagine Dragons" at Swindon in November, buy hey - all sold out.  A little annoying that I'm still getting emails saying there are tickets, but what can you do.

Weird to think that this week they have been playing Lollapalooza in Chicago, and in September they are playing at the Sports Centre in Swindon. Funny old world.

So me and the Production Assistant (Mrs.HBZ) and the Minions (Mstr & Miss HBZ) went to the Pound Arts Centre last night for an evening of comedy, headlined by Josh Widdecombe from Channel 4's "The Last Leg"

It was a bit grown up for the Minions, but not too bad. The language a little fruity perhaps, but hey, it's the real world (my Mum would have had a few things to say, and would certainly have marched us out of the room at that age!).

Pound Arts Centre is a great venue, seating a max of about 100 so it was a really intimate gig. Josh was running through his set for the Edinburgh Festival, I won't send out spoilers but there's a great set based on "Love Heart" sweets (sit in the front row and you may go home with a packet!)
He was supported by Suzie Ruffle, who came on with notes and an iPhone, and was clearly building her material but very funny (I actually liked the "that will work when it's got an ending" stuff).

Hopefully Howebzar went out on air as I pre-recorded the show, but of course the studio technology may have decided otherwise and overwrite what I recorded.

Now my next challenge is to work out why we're sending out news from last Saturday (I'm sure it's not the women's semi final at Wimbledon anymore, unless we're in a time warp....it's just a step to the left!)

We Brits are never happy, unless we're moaning about the weather.

Well it's turned Totally Tropical here in the UK, and I'm sweltering away in my little office thinking about what to do for my show on Thursday.
The challenge this week is that I'm not going to be there (in body anyway) as I'm off to see Josh Widdecombe (of the TV Show "The last leg") performing at the Pound Arts Centre in Corsham.

My plan is to set up my show in advance, with a suitably summer vibe and you may not even know I'm not there!