Malcolm’s new album, Sleight of Hand, is out now. It’s mostly acoustic collection leftovers, covers and wind ups. I’m looking forward to the next project though – “Right now, everything sounds like a fat child throwing a Casio keyboard down a flight of stairs and hitting an old man at the bottom who’s playing Verve songs badly on an over-priced guitar,” says Malcolm.

Meanwhile the filthier half of Arab Strap Aidan John Moffat has released the rather dirty, R rated I Can Hear Your Heart and a singing bottle opener that plays a wee ditty by Aidan every time you crack open a beer. Now I have several rather nice bottle openers including one from Suck UK that looks like an unsuspecting house key and the trusty one that I won at the Massey University chilli eating competition but now I think I need one more.

Polly will be performing an intimate solo set, for one night only, in each of the following cities:

Wednesday February 13 Civic Theatre, Auckland
Ticketek 0800 TICKETEK or http://www.ticketek.co.nz

Friday February 15 Opera House, Sydney
Ticketek 132 849 or http://www.ticketek.com.au; SOH Box Office 02 9250 7777

Sunday February 17 Concert Hall, Brisbane
Qtix 136 246 or http://www.Qtix.com.au

Wednesday February 20 Hamer Hall, Melbourne
Ticketmaster 136 100 or http://www.ticketmaster.com.au

Friday February 22 Concert Hall, Perth
BOCS ticketing 08 9484 1133 or http://www.bocsticketing.com.au