Off Topic The Goodhand Arms

They're all snakes. Cameron is arguably the best of a terrible bunch, although he's not great. I wonder what the Green Party leader is like, tbh I haven't really heard her speak much.

As for music, what's with that 8-piece vocal band on the X Factor? It's bloody ridiculous. Also I'm seeing Little Mix today.... hmmm

 

Little Mix? Rather stab my ears out.

 

Any one watching the Feyenoord game? Clasie did a great pass to set up their goal.

 

But that doesn't automatically mean that he's coming here in January and Jay is going to Spurs, with Morgan going to Arsenal in the summer, does it..?

Or does it..?

 

Didn't say anything about him coming in Jan did I? , all know is we are still very interested in him. The only thing that kept him from coming here in the last window was Morgan staying.

 

Caroline Lucas is great, but trust me, living in Brighton, the Greens are still very much a party of ideology, not sense. Don't even think of giving them power going by what they've done with it here...

Little Mix....not so great

 

Just thinking about all the musical geniuses passing away - we won't be mourning the loss of Perrie from Little Mix or Niall from 1D in 50 years time in quite the same way. There are still 'greats' out there (in the mould of Thom Yorke, Jack White etc) that could stand with some of those we're losing/lost, but an awful lot less.

Tells you about the state of the industry and this stifling 'no-risk' policy of the big labels.

 

I think the past has an awful lot to answer for in several ways. In the 1960s, the emerging talent got their influences from musicians who, although were famous amongst a musical elite, did not enjoy a god-like status. Even popular stars like Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, perhaps B.B. King, [I'm talking about those who influenced the form] became god-like after their record selling popularity waned. The musical form of rock-pop was also in its infancy, and thereby an explosion of experimental talent took place.

In the 1980s, when computers started to make it easier for non-musicians to make music, there were noises-off that the quality of talent would begin to wane, simply because to learn an instrument means that you have to listen to music, at some point, and it influences you. Yes, making music without major influences means that new forms can emerge, but they have to sound good to a buying public, or the music stays in the composer's bedroom.

Consequently, with the oft-mentioned comment that it's all been done now in pop/rock, and originality is much harder, I think there is less genuine new talent around. What there is isn't being heard by a big audience, unless it's underground, and in any case, it is being swamped by mainstream talent shows like X Factor, A Particular Country Has Talent, The Voice, etc... These are all very well in their own way, but they do nothing for the talent that doesn't win. And besides, they cherry pick for popularity, not originality. Sadly, these shows don't appear to be on the wane themselves.

Can you imagine a John Martyn, Nick Drake, or even a Bob Dylan style singer/songwriter, of real talent, emerging from one of those shows..? No, neither can I.

 

I agree to an extent, but those shows don't, per se, restrict real talent from achieving - variety shows have always been popular, and the huge success of a 1 Direction doesn't actually get in the way of a Fable (other than through the influence upon popular tastes). It's piracy and market forces that do that (as we've discussed previously).

Much as a Dylan/Hendrix/Bowie wouldn't emerge from a show like this, the issue I'm pointing to is with the state of things currently, they likely wouldn't emerge at all. That's the scary part.

 

Is that because they are simply not there, as I alluded to, or that they are being prevented from coming through..?

 

They're there alright, but in the main they get discarded en route. It just costs too much to do it alone - hence you end up with either bands with heavy family investment (such as the new lot, Jungle, who have since got onto XL), or the safe-selling options, where the market is dictating what gets supported, rather than any sense of significant musicality.

Of course some get through (people like East India Youth etc), but even they are still seen as underground and don't get the necessary support to push them out to mainstream ears.

 

The very simple equation is, that to break out into the mainstream and make anything like enough money to support yourself, you need to have a lot of finance behind you - that either comes from mummy & daddy, or a label. It still costs 60k + to record an album. That's before we get into marketing, touring etc etc.

 

I want a milliband as pm , but his brother , not this muppett !

 

A couple of the guys from Rum Com have been signed to a major.

 

Great tennis match on Sky 4: Robredo v Murray. Murray just broken back to 4 all in final set, but a wonderful display of rallies and great winners from both players. Murray even smiling as he gets beaten by another great shot. All to play for.

 

Still all level....3 hours into a 3 set match. Murray 6-5 up, Robredo to serve.

Murray won Valencia final 10-8 in final tie break. Fantastic game. Both players dead on their feet.

 

Tie and heart breaker well done Andy.

 

From last week, but...

Dimstitute student gets head stuck in bottle bank: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/educatio...s-head-stuck-in-bottle-bank-on-night-out.html

 

That was hilarious... When I read it here on this forum last week.