Alex Darke, never knowingly understated, is well-known as a man of many talents; arguably one of the region’s most fertile men (ladies beware!). On our nights out without question ‘He’s The Greatest Dancer’ we’ve ever seen but last night, at the MIN Awards, he showed us something we never expected… this Cuckoo proper took flight.

6 down, 6 to go. Seems like a good place to review the X-Factor so far. Like it or loathe it there’s no hiding from it (even here on the Cuckoo blog). Here’s my review of the fallen so far and my predictions for run in to Christmas.

Gone but not forgotten…

Kandy Rain - Personally these were my favorites! But as I’m a male, and over the age of 12 (therefore not daft enough to use my PAYG mobile allowance on premium rate TV voting) I didn’t have a say in them staying.

Next career headline for Kandy Rain – SEX FACTOR 4 WAY ROMP WITH ENGLAND BACK 4

Rikki Loney – This guy was the weakest of the bunch in my opinion. His name also sounds like a resort in Corfu. Thankfully the public and the judges agreed.

What next for Rikki? Will work in the west end… serving drinks during the interval.

Miss Frank – I think it would have made a better show if this 2nd all girl group could have stayed. Groups historically don’t do as well as solo artists. Girl groups even less so.

What next? Not alot… although main front-woman Graziella will release experimental Rap, Soul, Bluegrass, Hip-Hop, Grime, Rockabilly, Reggae fusion to not much critical acclaim.

Rachael Adedeji - This girl could sing. The voting demographic (mum’s and daughters) wouldn’t have got her though. I think getting voted off early was a good thing for her (think Lemar in Fame Academy). Interesting to see that the 80’s Grace Jones haircut was back now she’s out.

Next project – Sings on Ibiza dance anthem summer 2011.

Lucie Jones – Poor old girl next door Lucie. Just finding her feet as the ‘Valley’s’ answer to Avril Lavigne when she finds herself bottom 2 with Jedward (embarrassing in itself). Surely the judges will intervene and save the poor girl from even more pain? Not so. Let’s go to public vote deadlock to really show her how unpopular she is.

What next for Lucie – Plays the part of Dorothy in Merthyr Tydfil’s production of the Wizard of Oz.

Jamie Archer – Never got better than his auditions really. Should have been braver with his song choices. Just shows how wide off the mark Cowell is when it comes to ‘ROCK’. T-Rex’s Get It On? Primal Scream’s ‘Rocks’? Good songs in their day but nothing more than pub rock anthems for a guy desperate to lose that tag. This is coming from someone who knows all about Primal Scream’s ‘Rocks’ in a pub environment! Been there done it, cheesy and cliched.

Next steps for Jamie – Shaves hair off in self cathartic rebellion. Applies for newspaper ad in Phil Rainey’s pub rock band. Performs ‘Rocks’ as encore in the Pig and Whistle to much critical acclaim!

And then there were six…

Lloyd Daniels – Come in Lloyd your time’s up! You’re worse than Jedward at singing.

Next week for Lloyd… he’s sure to go. Been in the bottom 2 a few times now so not as popular as some seem to think. And the future? After finally realising he can’t sing he’ll join a children’s touring company, playing Fireman Sam.

Daniel Johnson – The enigma that is Daniel. Obviously can sing and perform but hasn’t got the X-Factor. What is the ‘X’ Factor? No one knows… you’ve either got it or you haven’t.

After he’s gone? Joins JLS when one of the current members get’s lost in the Utah desert and becomes a Morman.

Jedward - OK we all get the joke. Funny Ha Ha. Now go away please.

Jedward’s future career? It’s revealed they are actually two thirds of triplets and have locked up their other brother Ian (or maybe Eion coming from Ireland?). Ian escapes this week and appears on the next show with them as Jedwardian. The problem is Ian is good (better than the remaining soloists). The public hate them for being good and they don’t get one single vote. Blue Peter signs them up as the 3 new presenters. They are involved in countless tabloid scandals but as no one knows them apart they get away with it each time… those pesky kids! Jedwardian enters the Oxford English dictionary as a word to describe something that’s indescribable.

Stacey Solomon – Sings like a bird but looks and talks like a duck! Maybe this is what the X Factor is? A weird morphing of Dagenham Chav with Vegas Diva. She’ll do OK. Good luck her. She’s harmless fun.

The future for Dag’nam Stace? Christmas number 1 dressed as Mary (with Ollie as Joseph) in a stable with her child singing ‘Away in a Manger’

Joe McElderry and Ollie Murs – I’ve put these together because I’m sure they will be in the final two. It’s a close shot who’ll win it but I’m going to stick my neck out and say Joe.

What next for Ollie? Marries Stacey Solomon. Wedding of the year. ‘Hello’ gets billion pound rights to use the footage. Katie and Peter mark 2 have arrived. Weekly show on ITV6. Full red button ‘access all areas’ functionality brings the nation to it’s knees.

…and for Joe? The first X Factor winner not to get the number 1 slot (see above).

Cuckoo’s participation in the ‘Tacheback campaign (raising money for the Everyman charity by growing big, butch yet strangely beautiful mustaches) has come to an end and our manly lip ferrets have been cut down in their prime.

Still, the Cuckoo boys managed to raise an impressive £260 both online and off.

Check out the ‘Tacheback and website here.

View our astonishing handsomeness below:

Alex 'Duke' Darke

'Amazing' Ste Fairbanks

Dom 'inator' Briggs

Shaun 'Shaun Lloyd' Lloyd

'General' Phil 'Chett' Rainey

On 23rd September 2009 myself, Steve and James had the pleasure of being present at the unveiling of UK Heritage Blue Plaques outside 2 buildings in Heywood and Rochdale. The 2 sites were former studios that produced many classic recordings over the years from acts such as Joy Division, New Order, Inspiral Carpets, The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, The Chameleons, The Charlatans, The Fall, The Mock Turtles, The Teardrop Explodes and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark.

Monaco's double bass ensemble

Back in the summer of 2000 I played guitars (4 and 6 string) on tour with Peter Hook’s post New Order band Monaco (you may have heard ‘What Do You Want From Me? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwk5oKU4Dr4). We did gigs in Amsterdam, Manchester and London to promote their 2nd and last album.

So it was great to catch up with Hooky at this event… even better that he actually remembered who I was!

Have a look at Hooky’s and John Robb’s speeches outside the old Suite 16 / Cargo studios in Rochdale.

After nearly 9 hours (yes NINE hours) of goal-less turmoil this season, Bury finally broke their duck on Saturday. Finally the cuckoodesign.com advertisment board got to see it’s first home league goal. They left it late again (84 minutes to be precise), and not content on just the 1 decided to get another before the end the greedy so-and-so’s. ‘Like buses’ rings true.

Maybe the presence in the stands of Oscar winning, Radcliffe born Shaker Danny Boyle spurred them on to winning ways. Lets hope it’s not another 28 days later until the next goal.

It seems that Cuckoo isn’t the only one to join in the tache-love…Ryan Dixon is indulging in a some tache appreciation too, albeit in ‘typographic’ way rather than in the ‘growing the real thing’ kind of way…

Just click here to see…

Following last weeks blog regarding Bury F.C’s failure to score a single goal at Gigg Lane this season, I regret to inform you all that this is still the case. Saturday’s 0-1 defeat to Cheltenham made it 5 (YES 5!) straight home games without troubling the scorers. Cheltenham themselves looked to have caught the ‘nil’ bug until they decided to rub more salt in my footballing wounds with a 94th minute winner.

All we are singing is…

The results look like this since it the board went up:

0-3 v Bournemouth
0-2 v West Brom
0-1 v Grimsby
0-2 v Accrington Stanley
0-1 v Cheltenham

Next installment will be 26th September v Lincoln City…

I like to think of myself as not too superstitious. With the exception of sporting events that is. If anything can bring out the voodoo in me it’s this. This is why I’m starting to think that the new cuckoodesign.com advertising board at Bury F.C’s Gigg Lane ground is a bit of a jinx.

All we are singing is...

Since the dear old board went up the Shakers have gone from promotion certainties to relegation fodder, have lost all their home league games and not managed a single goal in front of the board! The results look like this since it went up:

0-3 v Bournemouth
0-2 v West Brom
0-1 v Grimsby
0-2 v Accrington Stanley

Can the Shakers get a goal in from of the cuckoodesign.com board? Watch this space for Saturday’s result v Cheltenham.

You might remember earlier on in the year reading that Cuckoo was looking to sponsor it’s own beer!

Well, after a few months we are proud to announce that Cuckoo Design has sponsored Bazens Brewery to brew a batch of their Salford series beer called Cuckoo’s Nest!

The beer, has a striking label as designed by our creative team specially and we have to say that we are quite impressed with the result.

If you were lucky enough to catch this beer in cask form a few weeks ago then you would have already had a taste of the action, but for those of you who unfortunately missed it (like myself), the beer shall be available around Manchester very shortly! Alternatively you can order Cuckoo’s Nest direct from Bazens Brewery by contacting bazensbrewery@mac.com

I will keep you all updated on where you can find Cuckoo’s Nest so you can taste for yourselves the delights of Salford!

Cuckoo Design made it’s debut appearance live on Sky Sports last Tuesday. See if you can ‘Spot the board’ during the Bury v West Brom match below. As part of our 125 partnership deal with The Shakers we’ll have a pitch side advertising board throughout the 2009-10 season.

Unfortunately Bury were knocked out of the Carling Cup at the first hurdle 2-0. This was due to a number of factors; West Brom’s obviously higher level of pace, power and skill and the fact that a great big pink arrow kept getting into the Shakers way.