This week, my blagging skills returned with an absolute vengeance. I've been the lucky recipient of:

1) Lots of free beer at the rather ace new Deaf Institute bar and venue in the southern parts of the City Centre. It's a dead good place to drink you know.

MP3 Queens of the Stone Age - A Song for the Deaf

2) DJing at an opening party for the new ABode Manchester hotel. It was the quietest disco set of my life, but a couple of mates got to join me for a free 4 course meal.

MP3 Estelle - American Boy (feat. Kanye West)

3) Independiente sent me the new Topley-Bird 7 inch, which is OK, but not like, totally awesome. Check out the video here.

MP3 Martina Topley-Bird - Soul Food

4) A pair of tickets (courtesy of the lovely Katherine at EMI) to see Supergrass in Liverpool next week. All I've now got to do is find someone to go with. If you fancy being my plus one, then drop me a line telling me precisely why you should come along instead of my girlfriend, and we'll take it from there. The best answer wins.

MP3 Supergrass - Some girls are bigger than others

PS - The new Portishead album has leaked. It sounds like an old friend who's just returned from travelling abroad. Look and ye shall find...