I may or may not have too much blogging time imminently, for reasons too numerous to go into. In case I don't, I'd thought I'd just leave something here that might last passing readers a while. And I'll be honest, I was also inspired by Rol's Saturday Snapshots series, with their cryptic clues.
So here's a crossword. All answers are bands or solo artists. If you've been reading this blog long enough you'll have an idea of my musical taste, so you'll have a head start there, I should imagine. Either way, you'll probably solve it all in a lot less time than it took me to compile. Some clues are cryptic, some are straightforward, and there may even be an anagram or two. Oh, and you might want to click the grid to view it a little larger than it displays below.
| ACROSS | DOWN | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Purveyors of dead air space (9) | 2 | Essential French duo (3) |
| 4 | Pentito (10) | 3 | New York childminders (5) |
| 5 | Covered 41A's feast day (7) | 4 | Velveteen trash (5) |
| 7 | ...but neither Jane Fonda nor Donald Sutherland (1,2,5) | 6 | Bald, bony? (3,5) |
| 9 | Panacea, they dropped the 'easy' (3,4) | 8 | Suicidal Swedes (3,9) |
| 11 | A hand reached down to him (5,5) | 9 | Liverpudlians who always had one eye on the cover (3,3) |
| 13 | Over experienced (4,7) | 10 | Symbol's mother (5) |
| 14 | Oh Susanna! Plus three. (3,7) | 12 | Neither acoustic nor heavy but philharmonic (1,1,1) |
| 16 | The beginning of all bands (7) | 14 | A modest, dizzy bunch (3,6,5) |
| 21 | She stopped wearing cardigans (4,7) | 15 | Spanish archer (5) |
| 23 | Dancers of the leggy mambo (3) | 17 | Tight fit (but not Tight Fit) (7) |
| 24 | Bickle boys (6) | 18 | Kopavagur's finest (8,7) |
| 25 | Time for Sleep for these indie also-rans (6) | 19 | When Bob was sweet, not mouldy (5) |
| 27 | Insistent insect (4,3) | 20 | Sounds like they should be Alan's favourite band (1,2) |
| 28 | Allowed the country to quiver (1,1,6) | 22 | Shy poets bop (3,4,4) |
| 30 | Shoegazing was easy (4) | 25 | Ann Coates (9) |
| 31 | They bore a rose banner (4) | 26 | Quite good (3,12) |
| 32 | Rearrange Mancunians (3,5) | 29 | He plays guitar (6,4) |
| 34 | Locus of deoxyribonucleic acid (4) | 32 | They saw off the fear (5) |
| 37 | Sad aviation (4,10) | 35 | The decline of ... (7,3,5) |
| 40 | They reflected in the en-suite (3,4) | 36 | Alternate heroes' stetson (3,5,5) |
| 41 | Still suitable for miners (5,5) | 38 | No longer an attraction (5,8) |
| 42 | Gift chosen from a list (3,7,7) | 39 | Changing man (4,6) |
| 45 | Goes well with Streetband hit (3,3) | 43 | Not Middleton, not burning (4,4) |
| 46 | Gave 41A an extra verse (6,7) | 44 | Gaussian smudge (4) |
| 48 | After-hours training for the philharmonic (1,1,1) | 47 | Is Georgia the dream state? (3) |
| 49 | The Office Block Persecution Affinity (3,5) | 51 | (W)hole lot of water (5) |
| 50 | Gave Val Kilmer his finest hour (3,8) | 53 | Fallen in French farce (7) |
| 52 | Not as hard as stainless steel (4) | 54 | Diminutive Cornish or Devonians (6) |
| 55 | Their sophtware did not sell well (9) | 56 | Pre-Banksy stencillers, Essex anarcho-punks (5) |
| 57 | They always sounded so happy (1,1,1) | 59 | Gudmund's daughter, once sweet and die-shaped (5) |
| 58 | Multiple stationers (3,6) | 60 | Left the opera Scott-free (5) |
| 61 | Scouse anglers? (4) | 63 | Grunge Yoko and co (4) |
| 62 | Change for vending machine (6,4) | 65 | White Van men (4) |
| 64 | Kubrick's favourite band? (11) | 70 | Entwistle (2) |
| 66 | Handy for nurdling, if Gallic (5) | ||
| 67 | Not the high street soap pedlars (4) | ||
| 68 | Kept in a creel? (4) | ||
| 69 | Oh, duo screwed (7,5) | ||
| 71 | Not Screaming Lord Sutch's backing band (7) | ||
Blimey, this looks super-impressive and I can't wait to give it a go (although already I'm thinking it looks like a toughie!) Thank you - what a lovely idea, this whole music quizzing malarkey is a real tonic (at least to those of us who aren't having to compile them, but hopefully is enjoyable to you too). I'm sure I once heard The Office Block Persecution Affinity on Peel too... ;-) Anyway, I'll come back to you re. any solved crossword clues, although I may be some time...
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, hope all's okay there for you, and that you're busy in a good way?
Ha, yes, great lost Peel band name.
DeleteBusy - not in a good or necessarily bad way, just busy and potentially busier to come.
As for the crossword, I think it's mostly pretty straightforward...but then I know the answers, so I would say that :)
I've printed out the grid and the clues and we're off...! Managed about half of it so far - excellent stuff - brilliant clues. Love this kind of thing!
DeleteGood luck with everything too...
Thanks, C. And I would offer you good luck with this, but I don't think you'll need it (especially for 18 Down).
DeleteI'm a lot better at setting these than I am at solving them.
ReplyDeleteI got 9 across so far.
And 64 across.
ReplyDeleteFear not, 10 Down is right up your street.
DeleteAh, yes.
DeleteAnd 29 down.
Delete(While 35 down is hardly cryptic.)
No, 35D is more of a "complete the sentence".
DeleteIf my blog stats are to be believed, only you and C are doing this so far... which makes it a crossword head-to-head!
Okay, so will keep shtum on the answers so far....
DeleteI have 37 answers at the mo, but I'm coming up against some roadblocks, including Rol's 9 and 64 across and 29 and 35 down (tho' I do have 10 down) - we'd probably work better as a team!
Ah now, I'd you can get 25D then 29D follows. Or you could ask The Tribe Of Toffs. Sorry, that's another clue... 9A though? You'll kick yourself...
DeleteToo big a clue.
DeleteIt is a bit, isn't it?
DeleteI'm going to print it off and take it to work to have a crack,although from a brief initial look I've far from mastered it. Hopefully I'll find inspiration travelling through the tunnel
ReplyDeleteThink of our gig history and shared musical past and you won't go far wrong mate. Especially with 34A.
DeleteIt's taken me 6 attempts and half an hour to print the bloody thing off,finally got more than two thirds of it on one page. Doesn't bode well really. 34A is eluding me-I like 37A though!
ReplyDeleteWill you publish the answers in due course or send them on request?
34A - you'll kick yourself...
DeleteOh, and I'll publish the answers at the end of the month.
DeleteI'm doing a lot better now... But mostly on the downs. It'd probably help if I printed it out too.
ReplyDeleteIs it sad that I'm genuinely excited by everyone's progress?
DeleteI recommend printing it out and leaving it in the loo!
ReplyDeleteHa! The ultimate accolade for a puzzle.
Delete17 answers so far.....very poor Mr Reeves. Waiting for inspiration.
ReplyDeleteUvavu indeed. Answers will go up on in week or so.
DeleteMade a little more progress and just have 15 clues to solve now! (By the way, there's no clue for 8 Down, I could always make up an answer though as I've got some letters!)
ReplyDeleteGah! The clue for 8 Down is "Suicidal Swedes (3,9).
ReplyDeleteOoh?!
DeleteOkey dokey, you said Monday morning for the answers so I'm going to stop now. I'm missing:
Delete4a - wtf is a pentito?!
5a - I've got 41a but it hasn't helped...
23a - Only 3 letters for such an exotic clue, "dancers of the leggy mambo"? - oh how can this be?!
66a - I thought it might be Curve but only because of the letters I've got so it probably isn't!
67a - I have a feeling I should know this but it escapes me.
3d - The Manhattan Nannies didn't fit...
6d - nor did Moby!
26d - I got as far as The....
32d - nope
53d - Je n'ai aucune idée
So if anyone wants to trade me some answers....?!
66A. I'd go with that, if I were you ;)
DeleteEverything else - all is now revealed!