Just heard the sad news that Francoise Hardy died yesterday. I was introduced to her back in the mid 80's, a decade before her involvement with Blur, and someone who I've always had a major soft spot for. Not only was she effortlessly cool but she wrote some wonderful songs as well!
RIP Francoise Hardy I grew up with her music. Despite being an avowed rocker, my old man had a serious 'thing' for her. Now, so do I. The world is a far less cool place without her Merci pour les souvenirs et la musique! I knew I was decent at French for a reason!!!
Saturday night I took a trip to the Eventim Apollo to see Richard Hawley. The last time I was there was a decade ago to see Kate Bush during her month long residency and whilst she was very good I've always struggled with the Hammersmith Odeon due to it being all seated. For this gig they had taken out all the seats in the stalls and it felt more like a mini Brixton Accademy due to the sloping floor. As for the man himself, he was on top form as this final song from the main set shows!
I love this song, if you go on YouTube Richard did an acoustic session in a pub (the Grapes) in Sheffield,he did this number and got a round in for the people at the gig , the show was to promote the release of his new greatest hits album
The only time I remember being at The Odeon with the seats downstairs was for 'Nativity!'with my then younger kids. It's a completely different place without them. The difference being that it isn't completely ****. I can't stand sitting at gigs. It goes against everything that I stand for.... ....takes coat and leaves....
The first footage from The Damned reunion show in Manchester has appeared...and the back of my head is in it... at 0.47, slightly right of centre, sporting a lime green (electric lizard) mohican. Mrs B is to the left of me. I've never been a particular fan of seeing the back of my head, preferring to look away when the barber tries to show it to me.It's the visual version of hearing a recording of your on voice - totally unnatural, unnerving and ****ing weird. At least I can't hear myself do the 'Singalonga Scabies'.
The reception to the 'Night of a Thousand Vampires', and subsequent sales, must have got the message through. Produce good product and there's a sizeable market for it. The boys missed a trick in 2016 by not filming the 40th anniversary show at the RAH. Apparently, that died a death over an upfront £15k payment. A real shame!! The cash was plentiful for the reunion gigs, so money wasn't an issue and you can see that in the New Rose video...well, up to the point that the back of my medicine ball bonce appears in shot. It's really well shot and edited. If you're interested in investing, it's on pre-sale now. We've gone for the CD, Blue Ray, DVD, booklet package at £65. Mrs B got 'papped' in the foyer, so might be in the package somewhere. We bought the CD for Hammersmith at the gig.
Having promised ourselves that we weren't doing Rebellion this year...that we're seeing The Damned in Aylesbury on the Thursday after...and SLF, The Damned and The Skids, in Belfast, 2 days later...that we don't have the money...and the line-up is not that fabulous... ...on Saturday morning, we'd booked train, tickets and B 'n' B...before breakfast. FOMO has taken full hold. This isn't going to last forever. Nothing does. So gather your nuts whilst ye may....
I think you get to a certain age and you realise this. I'm approaching 62 and suddenly I'm thinking sod it all.....
Yep. We've lived within our means for our whole lives. I've taken a few flyers on investments, which have all come off...thank ****, but any profit has gone into paying off the mortgage and not on new cars or expensive, exotic holidays. I reckon I've got a good decade left in me before I start to really fall apart...so, it's now or never...and never ain't appealing to me. **** forever...it's Now, Now. NOW! from here on.
An old dog, I may be...but I'm still capable of the occasional new trick. So Sunday evening, rather than watching the England game, Mrs B and I sat through just shy of 3 hours of Betjeman's opera 'Billy Budd' at St John's Church in Waterloo. My appraisal....? OMFG...that is probably the longest 3 hours of my life. The best bits about it....my godson was in it for 3 minutes and the ginger and dark chocolate biscuit at half time. That biscuit was ****ing delicious. Betjeman.....? Pah!
Personally, however painful the 3 hours were, I can assure you that they were probably an improvement on the alternative! Seriously though, I love all types of music and drama, but for some reason have never warmed to opera, beyond maybe a couple of comic operas / operettas brought up to date. (eg Eric Idle in the Mikado or the ENO's Orpheus in the Underworld from a few decades ago). The mega stadium performances of Aida were also a disappointment. My former bro-in-law was musical director at the ENO for several years so tickets were regularly available but generally not taken up!
I see a lot of musicals with Mrs B. A lot of them suffer from the same issue that I had with most of Billy Budd. The singing bore no relation to the music and nearly all of it was bellowed out, losing all emphasis on what was contained in the dialogue. There were lots of notes...probably too many(I'll ask Salieri if i see him in the afterlife)...but very little by way of a tune. The vocalising usually cut across the music and was, more often than not, in fierce competition with it. Not for me, but I've enjoyed Carmen very much and a couple of others. My 5th mother in law has informed me that all Betjeman's stuff is the same and to be avoided as much as possible. She sings in a choir and seems to know about this stuff. Oh well...glad I missed the England game. I'm missing the next one, too. We're driving up to SVF Midlands to see Sham 69 and The Damned.
Should've incorporated the Euros into the music thread. Didn't think of it til today. Turkey v Georgia's a tough one to start with, though! I'll be predictable with my Georgian choice and leave Turkey to someone else:
