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Soundtrack to a life
Earlier today, I started thinking about whether a decade could be summed up by one song. I've no idea why this strange thought popped into my head, but I thought I'd try to come up with a list anyway. A list that would sum up my life. Make of it what you will.
1970s - Get it On, by T-Rex - When I was a small child, I owned a spectacularly cheesy piece of vinyl entitled Stewpot's Pop Party. It was designed for parents to chuck on the record player in lieu of actually being organised for their kid's birthday party. Thankfully my mother was the organised type and so the entirety of this LP was never really needed, but it did perform one useful function by introducing me to the wonders of T-Rex.
1980s - West End Girls, by the Pet Shop Boys - This song was the first one I recall being obsessed with. It was so different to everything I'd been listening to up until then and began a decade-long love of the band who created it. The first gig I went to was a Pet Shop Boys extravaganza in 1991, and they gave this old favourite a new twist which made me fall in love with the song all over again.
1990s - In Your Room, by Depeche Mode - I was introduced to DM by Julie, a friend in my sixth form art class. I gradually amassed a back catalogue and then awaited the new album with bated breath. When it arrived, Songs of Faith and Devotion marked a turning point in my life. A point where my love of pop started to change and morph into a love of rock. This song formed the basis of an installation I created during my art foundation course, helped me through many break-ups, and is one of the the few tracks I love every single remix of (and they did a fair few).
2000s - Hysteria, by Muse - I know the decade isn't over yet, so it's probably too soon to call this one, but I reckon this will be the track that always reminds me of the 'noughties'. Absolution was the album that first woke me up to the awesome power of Muse, and this song was my favourite off it for a long while. Perfect driving music (if you don't mind dicing with death and speed cameras), and so amazing live that it can make me squeal. And squeal I did when Topper, Chris and Julian launched into it at my 30th birthday party. A moment etched forever in my mind, alongside the band themselves playing it at the new Wembley Stadiam.
Posted on June 25, 2007 | Comments (4)
Three reasons why Brent Council suck
1) No Helicopters with searchlights allowed over Wembley Stadium
2) No flying a blimp over Wembley Stadium
3) No paragliding into Wembley Stadium and straight onto the stage
Just as well Muse* were able to be awesome without all that, but just imagine how fantastic it would have been if they had been given the go ahead. Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council let Foo Fighters have lasers and 10 minutes of fireworks over Old Trafford Cricket Ground, despite its notoriously awkward residential neighbours. Looks like anyone playing Wembley Stadium has to make sure their ambition doesn't extend past the roof.
(*Sorry to go on and on about it, but they were blummin' marvellous.)
Posted on June 20, 2007
Top five gigs ever
1) Muse, Wembley Stadium, June 2007 - Oh. My. GOD! There were lights and video screens a-plenty and the band appeared in the centre of the new stadium amidst much smoke/glitter/cheering, before Muse crashed through one awesome song after another. Starting with with the tremendous Knights of Cydonia (cue thousands of people singing "you and I must fight for our rights" at the tops of their voices) and ending a full two hours later with Take a Bow, they never once looked and sounded anything other than utterly fantastic. This beats my first-time Muse live experience (MEN Arena, November 2006), and I really didn't think that was possible.
2) Royksopp, Manchester Academy, December 2002 & October 2005 - The first time round I wasn't expecting any more than 'that song I like off the T-Mobile ad', but their music was (and is) so good live it's hard to believe. Great support acts and a fabulous atmosphere made the first time seemingly unbeatable, but then they went and matched it with their 2005 tour! I couldn't choose between the gigs for my second place.
3) Mew, Manchester Academy 2, February 2006 - Gorgeous songs, perfectly performed. If I could see these guys play a slightly bigger venue with fewer tossers in the crowd, I'd be a very happy girl.
4) Depeche Mode, Crystal Palace, July 1993 - Supported by the Sisters of Mercy, this was DM at their drug/alcohol/nervous breakdown fuelled best. Until concert number 1 on my list, I had never been part of a bigger crowd who were all there to see the same band. Not even for the Foo Fighters at Old Trafford. When they played 'I Feel You', I think I actually screamed.
5) The Darkness, Manchester Apollo, October 2003 - Better than the Arena gig I saw in 2004 once they peaked, this concert was almost cosy because of the venue. More costume changes, more acrobatics and better sound than the arena tour. OK, so they were never going to be the best band in the world, but this gig was so enjoyable that it left me grinning like a fool for a week.
NB. These concerts were chosen for music/atmosphere/how excited I was, rather than just simply how good the music was. Special mentions go to Foo Fighters, Courtney Pine, The Cure and Jamiroquai. Perhaps I'll get round to doing a top 10 one day.
Posted on June 19, 2007
A bundle of laughs
Why are Londoners permanently angry/depressed*? Or, to put it another way, why does London Lite always choose to portray (via its letters page) Londoners as permanently angry/depressed*? The fact that London Underground is to get rid of 40 ticket offices at quiet stations and move the staff to busier ones was reported by the London Shite as if jobs were being cut. Even their letters page the following day was edited together to contain only moaning... "there won't be any staff around to ask"... "not everyone has an Oyster card"... moan moan whine. These people seem to forget that they live in a city where the public transport is actually very good. One ticket can get you on everything, most places are connected, and you can't argue with the frequency of the trains/buses/tube. Perhaps I'm a glass half full kinda person. Or perhaps living in London hasn't worn me down just yet.
* Delete as appropriate.
Posted on June 14, 2007 | Comments (2)
Fashion fades, only style remains
Oh. My. God. The new logo for the London 2012 Olympic Games looks like it was designed by someone at Topman. Why on earth did they think they needed a new one anyway? And why does it look like it was penned in 1983? Don't they realise that, although "da kidz" will happily buy t-shirts with that sort of mess printed on them this week, it will look dated before Paris Hilton is out of jail. Tsk. I won't even mention the amount of money the re-branding cost as, well, that would make me sound like a Daily Mail or Torygraph reader now, wouldn't it?
In case you're wondering, I felt I ought to update the blog today (of all days) after receiving a message on Facebook that contained the phrases "I Don't believe you have your own domain name... that's sooo cool.", and "OMG OMG OMG OMG You are Hit #1 when you google your own name!!! I had no idea I was in the presence of such greatness!!". I can't quite believe that I've been unable to think of anything to write about except TV in the last month. Hmm, I think it is me who is in the presence of greatness. After all, I am not doing a PhD entitled "CP Violation in the LHCb Experiment". Only Rob could make particle physics sound like the headline act at some cutting-edge experimental Death-Metal/techno music festival.
Posted on June 04, 2007 | Comments (4)