Off Topic The Review Thread

I always had great respect for Potter's stuff, but I struggle to remember any that I really enjoyed, apart from Nigel Barton. Most of it seemed too much like hard work. The most memorable thing of his for me was the interview he did with Melvyn Bragg when he was dying - pausing every now and then for a slurp of morphine - during which he revealed that he'd named his cancer Rupert, after Murdoch.

 

Started listening to episodes of “Alexei Sayle’s Imaginary Sandwich Bar”that was on Radio 4 (through BBC Sounds)
****ing hilarious……but probably not to the taste of certain right wingers on the board.

 

Even right wingers need a laugh

 

Off to see Get Up, Stand Up again tonight, taking the kids this time. Anyone who likes Bob Marley should get to see this while there's a chance. It's a terrific show.

 

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Really enjoyed watching The Fabelmans, the very interesting story of Steven Spielberg's early life at a near deserted luxury movie theatre here in Florida. Long movie (2.5 hours), a mostly Jewish audience, as is my current partner, who also enjoyed it. Tickets only $6.50 for seniors!

 

Billy Joel concert review: The Entertainer thrills crowd at Eden Park

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By
Jenni Mortimer
4 Dec, 2022 06:06 AM3 mins to read
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The singer-songwriter is the first international musician to perform at Eden Park. Video / Supplied

He may be 73 years old but when Billy Joel took the stage at Eden Park on Saturday night, his energy told the story of a different 73 — 1973.

That was the year Piano Man broke into the Billboard Top 40 and Joel was a star on the rise and had that special something you couldn’t put into words.

Fast-forward 49 years and Joel’s energy still puts even the youngest of pop rockers to shame.

There were no supporting acts, no theatrics, no dancers — he didn’t need any of that. The crowd was here for one thing and one man who they hadn’t seen since 2008.

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Billy Joel sang all the old favourites, because he hasn't written anything new since 1993. Photo / Dean Purcell.
A sold-out audience of more than 35,000 fans came to see the superstar play his only New Zealand concert — a historic first for Eden Park — and the Piano Man had them enraptured from the start.

The adoring crowd screamed at the first glimpse of the star, who opened with A Matter of Trust, his energy amplified, filling the iconic stadium. The crowd knew every word and sang along with him.

The lack of phones from the audience was refreshing as they soaked up every moment of the icon’s witty banter and self-deprecating humour and some members of the crowd started conducting their sections to applause.

Joel serenaded the masses with Vienna and got everyone on their feet to The Entertainer, but the highlight came when Joel took a moment to speak to the crowd.

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The audience danced, sang, kissed and reminisced at Joel's Eden Park performance. Photo / Dean Purcell.
“Hello New Zealand! Long time no see! Welcome to Eden Park stadium.”

As the crowd roared, he continued: “I have bad news and good news. Bad news — I haven’t written or recorded anything new since 1993. So basically you’re going to hear the same sh** you wanted last time.”

Over the audience’s laughter, the singer joked: “The good news is, I haven’t recorded anything new since 1993, so you’re probably going to hear the same sh** you wanted this time.”

The crowd hung onto every word as he busted out hit after hit and held the multi-generational audience captivated for the full show.


I found my millennial self muttering “they don’t make them like that anymore,” as he went off the set list and declared; “This just feels like I should do this here,” before erupting into The Downeaster ‘Alexa’.

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Billy Joel at Eden Park - the first international act to appear at the Stadium. Photo / Dean Purcell.
He even gave the crowd his own impromptu take on the Rolling Stones’ Start Me Up, an absolute highlight of the show.

Shortly after, Joel’s young daughters Della and Remy made an appearance, sitting at dad’s side next to the piano and chatting to him like it was a normal Saturday night and 35,000+ people weren’t onlookers of the sweet moment.

The audience danced, sang, kissed and reminisced — the venue was a sea of denim jackets, dusted-off leather boots, Old Spice and good memories.

Joel gave it his all and there wasn’t a disappointed fan in the entire stadium as plastic cups of chardonnay were raised in the sky in celebration, and Joel came back on for an encore breaking out in We Didn’t Start the Fire.

So while Joel didn’t start the fire, it was made clear to a soaked Eden Park crowd, that it was always burning.

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...o7QBegQIDxAB&usg=AOvVaw0Ba7gLPFlUWgb1qTbjMTnj

 

Just watched “My Dead Body”, which showed on Channel 5 a few nights ago.
Definitely not for everyone I’m sure but being medical and having been touched by cancer, I found it most emotional, fascinating and amazing.
Tells the story in her own words of a young lady, Toni Crews, who died of cancer and how she donated her body to be dissected so that others could learn what happened to her and how cancer develops and grows.
You see the dissection in full detail and really gets you thinking as to what we are and what eventually we become (It did me anyway). Always been fascinated in how essentially a blob of jelly in our heads, controls all our emotions, both good and bad, and given the right circumstances can truly change the world forever.
Remarkable and well worth watching.

 

Did you ever see that mad German guy do the live autopsy on C4 years ago? That was interesting too, so I'll give this a watch sometime

 

Funnily enough I did mate.....and could probably tell you the exact date that it was on TV, as they showed it a few days after my old man died. I had very similar thoughts then about this kind of stuff.
If you liked that then you would definitely like this one...it’s done in a far more emotional and sensitive way for sure.
And if you ever get a chance, then go visit the “Bodyworks” exhibition in London. Done by the German fella and extremely interesting.

 

I’ll have a look at this. It must be beautifully done not to feel voyeuristic.

A scarily long time ago I worked as a domestic porter at Northwick Park hospital. We were scheduled to do a deep clean of the mortuary/autopsy room. ‘Arry, the foreman, promised us that there would be no bodies on view when we did it. Turned up, strolled in and there were two ‘peeled’ bodies on the tables and one autopsy/post mortem (I’m not sure of the difference) in progress. Bit of a shock, but strangely detached feeling. ‘Arry fainted. Various jobs took me into similar situations later in life. Nothing compared to what Nines and yourself will have experienced at an RTA or a fire. Witnessing horrible mutilation on a living person would do me in, I’m sure.

 

Honestly mate the programme, I thought, was done with a lot of dignity and they way they showed this young ladies life, her memories and her family..while then showing in all graphic detail the cancer in her brain was a very moving piece of film.
Great story….and totally get the detached feeling. I’ve always thought the way i cope with some of the stuff i see is by totally detaching myself from what the person was not long before….still doesn’t feel right when I hear the ribs break through my chest compressions (which ALWAYS happens if you do them correctly) and it still gets to me when I have to check their pupils after death….just feels so cold and final.
Funnily enough though, I’ve been told in the past that often near death, hearing is the last thing to go, so I do try and use the persons name and talk to them while doing CPR…so maybe I’m not as detached as I like to think I am.

 

Sunday I watched all of rogue heroes
Yesterday I watched all of capture
Anything else new I should watch

 

Peripheral (futuristic, time-travelly nonsence, but I enjoyed it)

From (weird night time zombie **** in a town there's no escape from)

Terminal List (bit cheesy, but ok if you like a bit of violence)

Andor (Star Wars prequel)

Black Bird (serial killer in prison drama, based on true story)


1899 has been recommended and is next on our list

Should keep you going...

 

I found peripheral about a girl playing computer games
Is it that one

 

Yes pal.

 

Pennyworth 3 seasons. Origin of Batmans butler Alfred

 

Went to see The Cure on Sunday night. I’ve seen them quite a few times and the last two concerts I went to they played for almost 3 hours. They tried a few new songs which were good and it was a great evening.

I’ve followed that band since I was a teenager and seeing the age of much of the audience is a depressing reminder that I am becoming ancient.

Anyway, if you’ve yet to see them and like their music, I’d highly recommend.

 

And Robert Smith is a QPR fan…..great band.