MrBiffo

I'M NOT BRAVE ENOUGH TO DO THIS, BUT...

Happy, ah, Tuesday, everyone. 

Not much to report this week. I’m finally well into Ep 5 of Digi Level 2 – the Pirate Special - though there are still some bits and pieces to film. We’ve just not had the time, with stuff going on, as it requires another set build.

I’ve been mostly working on the first five or ten minutes, which are unlike any other ep of Digi Level 2 so far. I kind of want to tell you my idea for it, but I fear it might give it away.

But I’ll tell you one idea I did have, that I’m not going ...

EARLY ACCESS: BYAMPOD EP 137 - Sounds That Can't Be Made Part 4

At last, we get around to completing our retrospective of Marillion's Sounds That Can't Be Made. And it's a bumper edition... which not only contains our take on Montreal, Invisible Ink, Lucky Man and Sky Above The Rain, but dredges up a few hefty chunks of our souls, while Sanja enjoys an ill-advised flirtation with AI research...

KNIGHTMARE ON TELETEXT!

Sorry I didn't get this to you early. I'll make it up to you next week in my own special way.

WRITERS CLUB ADJACENT: TV IN CRISIS

Hello, Upper Tiers. Thought I’d share this video that I saw on LinkedIn, regarding the current freelancer crisis in TV. It’s a sobering watch, but it gives insight into what's going on in the industry right now.

I don’t know all the reasons for why this has happened – Brexit is one cause, the cost of living crisis, inflation, etc. etc. – but it’s across the board. There’s little money, and few shows are being commissioned. There’s no roadmap to things improving. Everybody seems to be flailing. More TV freelancers than ...

PUDSEY THE DOG: WATCH MY LIVE COMMENTARY

Yaaaaaaallreeeeet?

So, just to say, for those in that Patreon tier and above… Writer’s Club Zoom tomorrow night (Thursday 25th) at 7.30pm. Yes: FINALLY. Zoom link to follow tomorrow.

For shits and giggles, I’m going to do a live commentary on Pudsey The Dog The Movie. Long overdue. This will likely be part one of several… as I doubt we’ll get through the whole thing in one go. I’m going to want to pause CONTINUOUSLY while I t...

HAPPY MONDAY UPDATE

Morrrrrrning.

 For those of you following along at home – my mother’s now in her nursing home. Actually settling her in went easier than we expected, but there are still a lot of questions and things to be sorted over the coming weeks (not least how she’s going to pay for the place). We can’t exactly breathe a sigh of relief, but we can sort of let out a tentative breath through the corner of our mouths.

The last six weeks h...

LIFE UPDATE STUFF - LONG and HEAVY

So. An update on a few things that I know some of you are invested in…!

Firstly… the diet, so far, has been going fine. I’ve not struggled at all with it this week, and it feels like I’ve managed to flick the right switch in my head. Hopefully I’ll stick to it. I’ve noticed a big difference already, and it hasn’t even been a week. Probably all water retention, but hey – I’ll take it.

Other matters...

Alas, I barely got anything done this week in terms of Digi Level 2. I’ve had a long, long day job script...

EARLY ACCESS: MYST - Let's Play

I hate this game.

BORING BLOG ABOUT BEING FAT

Look! Look how stupidly slim I was 12 years ago.

Growing up, I was a lanky bugger, hard as that might be to believe, then I hit 18, and started piling on the weight.

I was bigger throughout most of my 20s, then I got a bit miserable with my life and decided that losing weight would make me happier… and so I lost it. I stayed fairly trim throughout my 30s, primarily because I remained profoundly miserable throughout my 30s. But...

MONDAY UPDATE

Happy Monday, gang.

Still coughing, but I think I’m out the other side. It’s gone from that irritating tickly cough to something a bit meatier and more satisfying. Sanja seems to be fighting it, but at the minute… it’s not manifesting fully. We’re babysitting again this weekend, so let’s see if I get ill again next week! That seems to be the pattern.

So, right now… if you’re in the Writer’s Club and Biffo’s Brain tiers we�...

DIGI LEVEL 2 SERIES FINALE BEHIND THE SCENES...

Too knackered for a full update. Still not done filming. But here you go. Nobody can accuse this of not being a good looking show at least.

INTERACT WITH THE COMMUNITY!

The Patreon chatrooms are now available on desktop (click the Community link in the sidebar), if you're interested. It's easier for me to use them that way than fiddling around on a phone, so I'll try and be a bit more active in there. This is basically Patreon's version of Discord.

Currently there's a BYAMPOD chat, a general chat, a gaming one and a Digi Level 2 one. If there's anything specific you'd like me to set up, let me know.

EARLY ACCESS: BYAMPOD Ep 136

This ep was inspired by some damning criticism of Marillion. We discuss what it is that set them apart from their early-80s Neo-prog peers... before asking where they belong today. And stay tuned for our new podcast - The Prog Paddock!

BONG!

Morning, all.

So… believe it or not… I’m ill again. I hate whingeing about it… but for whatever reason – whether it’s the flu I had resurging, or some new cold – I’m coughing and spluttering, and have had a fever on and off. I’ll give it a few days, and then go to the doc’s. Suffice to say, I’m sick of being ill now.

The short of it is… no Writer’s Club stream tonight sadly, as I want to try and conserve my ene...

UPPER TIERS BLOG: DOING RETRO GAMING CONTENT IS FUUUUN!

Oh-hoh! Funky Spectrum has finally had a proper pop at me, having been taking a few unprompted Twitter cracks at Gannon in recent weeks.

If you don’t know who or what Funky Spectrum is - and I suspect there are many of you who don't - the venerable “George Bum”, as he’s known, has in recent years taken it upon himself to call out the “YouTube circle jerk”.

He’ll have a go at those in a retro gaming scene he feels is cliquey, and those who he damns as acting in ways that exploit their audience. He’ll do it in a sh...

EARLY ACCESS: THE OREGON TRAIL

Happy Monday!

This Let's Play thing wasn't meant to go on as long as it did, but if you've liked Sanja and I doing these then please enjoy this bumper edition. I'd never played The Oregon Trail before, but know it by reputation. We've loved doing these, and we're going to continue them even after Digi Level 2 ends, and once we're back to doing our regular videos.

Sorry again that we've been immersed in a mix of retro games, flu, and my mum being poorly, and not been able to get around to resuming our out-and-about vids. We're de...

EARLY ACCESS: BYAMPOD EP 135

New BYAMPOD! We kick off this ep with talk about next year's Marillion Weekends, before delving into the Fish-era singles. Were they the best choices? Which album tracks might've worked as potential singles? Let the debate begin!

PATREON EXCLUSIVE: A WALK IN THE WOODS!

Now with sound! And extra footage I forgot to put in the first version! We revisit a bunch of filming locations we've been to before, only to find they've changed beyond all recognition! Also, we find a haunted murder house.

Please note: this is a very casually-filmed video. None of our usual slickness. Ahem...

SCRATCH THAT...

Video had no sound! Give me half an hour...

BYAMPOD EPISODE 134...

Well... we're back for now - on an unscheduled Saturday, just in time for Easter. We've got a lot of catching up to do... Cruise To The Edge, Pete's health, Fish's farewell tour... and some disturbing developments at the site of the first Marillion Weekend. Plus... we discuss in detail why we've been gone for so long.

Probably too much detail, but you know us...

EARLY ACCESS: BAMBOOZLE LET'S PLAY!

Happy Easter, everyone. Here's something special for you.

PATREON EXCLUSIVE: HERE'S US!

Hello, gang. We thought we'd do you a podcast update on where we're at, what we've been doing, watching, and listening to - and how we feel about Digi Level 2 so far.

And because we know most of you don't want to listen to podcasts, please watch it accompanied by a selection of weird videos...

EARLY ACCESS: GRANNY'S GARDEN

We're aliiiiiive! Here's a new Let's Play to keep you going while we get Digi Level 2 Ep 5 finished. It's the much-requested Granny's Garden.

We've got recorded some more exclusive stuff that'll be coming your way later this week

BACK IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING...

H’okay! We’re better. Finally. More or less. Thanks for bearing with us.

There’s a Biffo’s Brain Zoom happening tonight for those of you in that tier, and we’re aiming to get a new Let’s Play done tomorrow to go out on Sunday (you’ll all get it early), plus a Writer’s Club (if you’re signed up to that).

We’ve got that post-illness bounce where we’re sort of feeling superhuman, and raring to go, eager to do… lots of stuff.

No promises, but I suspect that we may even get back to BYAMPOD next week, and ...

MUM'S THE WORD...?

Hello, gang.

Happy Monday. Will try not to make this a whinge, but it probably will be.

I’m still not better. This damn flu just doesn’t want to shift. I’m better than I was, but still coughing, and still no energy. Inevitably, Sanja’s also ill now. Thankfully, she has avoided the 7-day fever I had – and “just” has the cough and cold – but she’s feeling pretty rough.

Throwing additional spanners in the works, my ...

BUNKER FEVER

Hello, lovely folks. So… I’m somehow still ill. 

I dunno if this poxy flu has turned into pneumonia, but I’m giving it another 24 hrs, and if I'm no better I'm making an appointment with the doc. Suffice to say, we’ll probably be a bit light on content this week, and this’ll have a knock-on effect on when the next Digi Level 2 is out. Bah! Sorry. Everything this year seems to be taking longer than I hoped. 

I always f...

BLOG: THE FUTURE OF EVERYTHING

Morning, all.

I’ve been slapped about with both a simultaneous upset stomach and a weird cold thing this week – everything bar the snot - so that’s been fun. Coughing at both ends!

Sorry.

Feeling very washed out now, so… inevitably… I’m going to postpone tonight’s Biffo’s Brain again. Huge apologies – this one has been a bugger to schedule, but hopefully I’ll be up to speed again next week.

We ended up not filming the new segment for Digi Level 2 Ep 5 – featuring actual living animals! – that w...

LETS TRY AGAIN... PRESENTING... DIGI LEVEL 2 EPISODE 4!

SORRY - SPOKE TOO SOON....

Had to take it down again to fix a little error I spotted RIGHT at the end. Bums. Will be back up again asap.

EARLY ACCESS: DIGI LEVEL 2 EP 4!

Get in now! It's up until Saturday, when it'll switch to early access. If you'd prefer to watch it go out live, we'll see you in the chat at 6pm on Sunday.