As often seems to be the case when Strictly has a theme week, things were a little anticlimactic for me.Don’t get me wrong, there were some great moments - Debbie McGee’s terrific foxtrot for example, which was a joy to behold - but for the most part it was a little pedestrian; mainly in the instances when costumes didn’t match with the style of song a couple was dancing to. That said, those costumes, make-up and lighting were truly excellent, so gold stars all around.As ever, I tweeted along like a childish teenager with nothing better to do; see below for what I said.6:39PM: How many shit ghost-related puns will Tess Daly gurn her way through this evening?6:45PM: What, Anton? No sleeves?6:46PM: "Singer...and face of a brand of condoms, Aston Merrygold."6:52PM: It's like Tess Daly's not there when she's there.6:56PM: Janette's make-up reminds me of what my cat looks like when she re-emerges after jumping behind the sofa.6:58PM: If Anton's in it, the theme should be BedKNOBs and Broomsticks.7:01PM: Well, they could have dusted the judges' desk.7:03PM: Why doesn't Alan Dedicoat do the same numerical facts with the judges' scores he does on the National Lottery?7:06PM: Is that one of the tables from Kevin's Harry Potter dance a few years back?7:08PM: Simon's come as Gaz Coombes this week.7:09PM: I think Simon might lamp one of the judges.7:13PM: Did they forget to put the back of Gemma's dress on?7:15PM: *INSERT JOKE ABOUT "CREATING THAT PUMP ACTION" HERE.*7:16PM: Oh...the theme's Halloween...7:17PM: I had a bit of a lumpy moment once.7:21PM: Great lighting design again, for Joe and Katya's routine.7:25PM: If the judges inadvertently give out my PIN, the next round's on me (my PIN is 8798).7:29PM: AJ's on early tonight so he can go Trick or Treating afterwards (which would work if it actually was Halloween).7:30PM: Sonia's not getting any PRS tonight.7:34PM: We get Tess for a couple of hours each week; Vernon gets her for life.7:47PM: At the risk of sounding wanky, I liked the concept of Davood and Nadiya's dance.7:53PM: If the guitarist playing the solo on Killer Queen isn't using a sixpence as a plectrum, I'll overturn a trestle table in disgust.7:56PM: Didn't the dragon shadows look good though? The design's so good.8:03PM: Debbie's so bloody good.8:04PM; Why has Giovanni's Frankenstein's monster got a mullet?8:06PM: Debbie's the picture of versatility.8:08PM: Panty Smile.8:11PM: I've always said there's not enough dancing to Smells Like Teen Spirit on the telly. Always said it.
Over the past week or two, I’ve been on a bit of a Sheryl Crow kick, largely thanks to rediscovering her cover of one of my most-liked Bob Dylan songs. She has one of my favourite female voices, yet despite this, I only own one CD and that’s just a single (her '97 release ‘Hard to Make a Stand’); on that basis, you can only imagine how much of her back catalogue I’d own if I hated her (it would fall into minus-figures). Dylan, conversely, takes up more of my collection than anyone else, save The Beatles and Paul McCartney’s solo work. He’s one of those artists who, when you get him, you really get him - and once I’d tuned into his style as a student, I'd time and again be blown away by his lyrics; he’ll have more jaw-dropping imagery in one track than other people fit in a whole career. These days, I mostly listen to music in the morning when getting ready, and more often than not, this will consist of a suggested YouTube playlist when I’m in the bath, r...