Kirsty MacColl Tribute 2010...

On Sunday night Darren, I and 2000 other devoted fans commemorated the 10th anniversary of Kirsty MacColl's death at a star-studded concert by her showbiz friends and collaborators at the Shepherd's Bush Empire. It would have been the singer's 51st birthday and it was good to hear versions of her best-loved songs performed by artists including Billy Bragg, Alison Moyet, Kim Wilde, Andrea Corr, Ellie Goulding and actress Catherine Tate.

Walking Down Madison sung by Alison Moyet at the Kirsty MacColl Tribute gig 10th Oct 2010

In These Shoes? sung by Catherine Tate at the Kirsty MacColl Tribute gig 10th Oct 2010

New England sung by Billy Bragg at the Kirsty MacColl Tribute gig 10th Oct 2010

They Don't Know sung by Kim Wilde at the Kirsty MacColl Tribute gig 10th Oct 2010

They Don't Know sung by Andrea Corr at the Kirsty MacColl Tribute gig 10th Oct 2010

Belfast...

Last weekend we went to Belfast for a few days. We had a fab time meeting up with Colin, Clodagh, Jude, Gavin, Sara and Simon. We did a bit of sight-seeing, went to the farmer's market, popped into bear's night Bubu, went out for a lovely Indian meal and out drinking and dancing to boot.

Ghosts Stories...

Last night Mark very kindly took me to see Ghost Stories at the Duke Of York's Theatre in London glitzy West End.
We had heard quite a lot about the show - through friends and also through it's advertising campaign and a particular poster that stated:-
WARNING: Please be advised that Ghost Stories contains moments of extreme shock and tension. The show is unsuitable for anyone under the age of 15. We strongly advise those of a nervous disposition to think very seriously before attending.
OK, so basically this is just marketing blurb. In the show there were lots of loud noises, flashing lights and smoke machines. I won't provide any spoilers plotwise except just to say - we saw it coming. We were more terrified by the bar prices than what was going on on stage.
I can't decide; was the show just not that scary or do 'ghost stories' in general just not scare me as much as I thought they did? I have a feeling it may be the latter. I'm too much of a scientist to believe in supernatural explanations. However I do believe in situations in which your subconscious makes you think you're seeing things that actually have a logical explanation. I think the clue is in the question. They are stories. I'm much more frightened that the creak upon the midnight stair is actually burgular - not a ghost.

I Drink the Air Before Me...

Last night Stu, Darren and I went to see Stephen Petronio's I Drink the Air Before Me at the Barbican Theatre.
The title comes from The Tempest where Ariel says, "I drink the air before me, and return. Or ere your pulse twice beat." And surely the piece was a meditation on storms - external and internal.
Captain Petronio, decked out like Captain Haddock, oversaw the show from up his makeshift mast. He initiated proceedings with “Salty Dog Blues.” (“If I can’t be your salty dog, I won’t be your man at all.”) What followed was at times fabulous, at times interesting and at times frankly rather boring. It wasn't that the performing was inconsistent or in anyway below par. It just lacked any strong narrative. There seemed to be little connecting the movements and although the theme of storms was fine there was just not much that it actually told us.

Pop Quiz - The Answers...

01. OutKast
02. Scissor Sisters
03. Dy-na-mi-tee
04. Jose Gonzalez  (after The Knife)
05. The Klaxons
06. Walk Like An Egyptian
07. The Velvet Undergroud
08. I'm So Excited
09. Sweet Caroline
10. America
11. Patti Smith Group
12. Devo
13. Iggy Pop
14. Roxy Music
15. Brian Eno
16. DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
17. Rihanna
18. Kelly
19. Shirley Bassey
20. Lulu

Pop Quiz - The Questions...

Last night the lovely David, the gorgeous Darren and I relived a few old memories and went down to the Pop Quiz at the Retro Bar in London's glitzy West End. The rules hadn't really changed but the fee had - up from £1 per team to £1 per person. Makes sense really as the bigger teams have more chance.
We got sixteen and a half out of twenty with just a few slip ups including a rather painful answer that we got right - but then changed after a misleading clue from the quiz mistress. The winners got seventeen and a half and won some CDs. As we came second we got to choose a prize too and won three Munny zipper pull. Mine's now on my camera strap.
So here are the questions. Give it a go (without Google!)
Noughties Round
01. Who had a hit with Hey Ya?
02. Who had a hit with a falsetto cover of Comfortably Numb?
03. What was Ms Dynamite's biggest UK hit? (spelling important)
04. Who had a top ten hit with Heartbeats in 2004?
05. Which band covered Grace's Not Over Yet (and added an "It's" in the process)?
Covers Round
06. What Bangles song did the Puppini Sisters cover?
07. David Bowie did a cover of Waiting For The Man. But who performed the original?
08. What Pointer Sisters song did song post-punk band Le Tigre cover?
Neil Diamond Round
09. "Where it began, I can't begin to know when. But then I know it's growing strong." Name the Neil Diamond song?
10. "Far. We've been travelling far. Without a home. But not without a star." Name the Neil Diamond song?
Seventies Round
11. Which punky poet fronted band had a much covered song called Dancing Barefoot? (need the full title of the band)
12. Who's first single was called Mongoloid?
13. Who co-wrote (and recorded) the track Sister Midnight with David Bowie before Bowie then recorded it himself under the title Red Money?
14. Who first recorded Re-make/Re-model?
15. Who recorded the track Needles in the Camel's Eye on their début album in 1974?
Guilty Pleasures Round
16. Who's début single was called Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble using a sample of the theme tune of the 1960s television series I Dream of Jeannie?
17. Who had a song out called Rude Boy earlier in 2010?
18. Which drag persona has had viral hits and is all over Youtube with videos like Shoes, Txt Message Breakup and Let Me Borrow That Top?
19. Who had a big hit with Kiss Me, Honey, Honey, Kiss Me?
20. Who recordred The Man With The Golden Gun?

GodMode in Windows 7...

Want to activate GodMode in Windows 7? Here's how! GodMode is a feature that brings together a long list of customization settings allowing you to change all your settings from one place. Right click / create folder / rename folder thusly "GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}" and press enter. Neat.

Oh My Giddy Aunt...

Those of who you who get a bit wobbly at the top of a stepladder are strongly advised to look away now, because here's a helmet cam video of just how you get to work when your office is at the top of a 1,768ft TV mast.

The Buggles - The Lost Gig - Pictures...

 

The Buggles - The Lost Gig...

Last night Paul and I went a charity gig at the SupperClub london in glitzy West London.
And what an amazing night it was. It was the 1980s come alive again.
The Buggles were doing their first ever live gig, a mere 30 years after their début hit single, Video Killed The Radio Star. They were set to perform one of my favourite albums of all time; The Age of Plastic - in full for the first - and quite possibly, only - time ever.  Also on the set list was an assortment of hits from Trevor Horn's back catalogue and some tracks with special guest vocalists. Very special as it turned out.
Up first were OMD performing a couple of songs from their new album History Of Modern and then the wonderful Electricity, Joan Of Arc and Enola Gay. They were then joined on stage by their very own special and lovely guest, Propaganda / Act / Onetwo's Claudia Brücken who performed Duel with them.
After a brief break The Buggles appeared for real and stormed the place. They did the first side of The Age Of Plastic album note perfect. Then we were treated to Alison Moyet joining The Buggles on stage performing the Yazoo classics Only You and Don't Go and an amazing cover of the Grace Jones smash Slave To The Rhythm . Richard O'Brien then joined The Buggles for two songs from Rocky Horror; Super Heroes and The Time Warp. And then we had 10cc's Lol Creme (who was an honorary Buggle for the night) performing I'm Not In Love with The Buggles as backing band.
The Buggles then continued with the second side of the album including both versions of Johnny On The Monorail. Paul and I went mad for Clean, Clean.'Natch.
As an encore the guys had one more special guest that had been kept secret until the last minute... Gary Barlow singing Otis Redding's Hard To Handle.
The Buggles then did a surprising cover of the Nicki Minaj / Will.i.am song Check It Out which itself heavily samples Video Killed The Radio Star - and Trevor Horn was doing the rap! Pop will indeed eat itself.
The gig finished at midnight. Two hours and fifteen minutes of utter bliss. Paul and I were quite beside ourselves. Best. Night. Ever.
Pix to follow.

Thames Water: Assessed Household Charge...

How much do you pay for your local water rates? Up until recently mine was £443.34 a year. But then I discovered a little known rate - something called the Assessed Household Charge.
First I asked for a free water meter from Thames Water. They came round, did a quick survey and said that it couldn't be fitted as I have a flat and there was no space for it under the sink. They then moved me onto the much cheaper Assessed Household Charge. So I how pay just £228.76 a year. Result!
Find out more about the Assessed Household Charge on these rather well hidden pages here and and FAQ here. What have you got to lose (but a fat bill)?

49th Birthday Bash...

What can I say. I had a great time. Only one more year to go...

Dubber Side of the Moon...

Easy Star All-Stars follow up their hit album Dub Side of the Moon with the even dubbier album Dubber Side of the Moon - featuring bass heavy remixes and double-dub versions of the complete Dub Side of the Moon. Should be great. (Did I say 'Dub' enough?)

Open House: The Royal Society...

Last weekend we went on Open House to see The Royal Society. The buildings are certainly well situated on overlooking The Mall and are pretty impressive inside too. Lots of oak panelling, august libraries and classical painting of scientific luminaries. More pix here.

Open House: Bush House...

Last weekend we went on Open House to see Bush House - current home of the BBC World Service. The building does look amazing from outside - slightly less so inside though. We also got to see Studio S6 where Charles de Gaulle made some of his World War II speeches to the French people. More pix here.

Open House: Benjamin Franklin House...

Last weekend we went on Open House to see Benjamin Franklin House. It was interesting to see where the old codger lived. Hey, they even had a kite with a key attached in one of the bedroom. But one more for the American tourists I feel. More pix here.

Shirley Valentine...

Last night Stu and I went to see Shirley Valentine at the Trafalgar Studios in London's glitzy West End. The one-character play starred the marvelous Meera Syal as Shirley, a middle-aged, working class Liverpool housewife. The play is a monologue focusing on her life before and during a transforming holiday abroad to Greece.
Originally performed at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool in 1986, it reappeared at the Vaudeville Theatre in 1988 starring Pauline Collins and directed by Simon Callow. So successful was it they all transferred to Broadway and an award winning film was made in 1989.
Ms Syal was blooming marvelous. She acted her socks off, had us in fits of laughter and got the tone of the piece just right. Best line: "That's right, Millandra, I'm going to Greece for the sex! Sex for breakfast! Sex for dinner! Sex for tea! And sex for supper!"

Andrew Little's 50th...

On Saturday night Stu and I went to help Andrew celebrate his 50th birthday down at The Plough in Lordship Lane East Dulwich. We had a great time - although I soon got stuck into the big three no-nos at a party - religion, politics and sex. Great fun. We suffered for it the following day though.
More pix here.

Protest The Pope March and Rally...

On Saturday afternoon me and 10,000 (30,000?) other people marched down Piccadilly, through Trafalgar Square and into Whitehall to protest against the Pope's state visit to Britain. Lot's of inventive signs were on display.
More pix here.
Why “Protest the Pope”? The diverse groups who support this campaign have many different reasons for not approving of the State Visit to the UK by the Pope in September 2010. They all however share the following view:
* That the Pope, as a citizen of Europe and the leader of a religion with many adherents in the UK, is of course free to enter and tour our country.
* However, as well as a religious leader, the Pope is a head of state and the state and organisation of which he is head has been responsible for:
1. opposing the distribution of condoms and so increasing large families in poor countries and the spread of AIDS
2. promoting segregated education
3. denying abortion to even the most vulnerable women
4. opposing equal rights for lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender people
5. failing to address the many cases of abuse of children within its own organisation.
6. rehabilitating the holocaust denier bishop Richard Williamson and the appeaser of Hitler, the war-time Pope, Pius XII.
* The state of which the Pope is the head has also resisted signing many major human rights treaties and has formed its own treaties (‘concordats’) with many states which negatively affect the human rights of citizens of those states.
* As a head of state, the Pope is an unsuitable guest of the UK government and should not be accorded the honour and recognition of a state visit to our country.

Les Misérables...

Last night Stu, Fay, Andy and I went to see Les Misérables at the Barbican Theatre. Oh, my giddy aunt - what a show! We are all big fans but nothing had quite prepared us for what we saw. It was breath-taking. We cried with joy and pain.
It was the brand new 25th anniversary production of Boublil and Schönberg's legendary musical with glorious new staging and spectacular reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. The musical actually started out at the Barbican Theatre way back in 1985. And apparently this is the first time anywhere in the world that two productions of the same musical are playing in the same city.
Well we just loved it - from the moving (both senses) back-projection to the great set, from the fabulous acting to the great singing. There were show-stoppers aplenty (including one perhaps not on the running order).
We had great seats too! If you get a chance, go.

Brian Eno's Apollo...

Last night Ian and I went to see Brian Eno's Apollo being performed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the South Bank. Following two sold-out and highly acclaimed performances at London's Science Museum, pioneering ensemble Icebreaker and formidable pedal steel guitarist BJ Cole were bringing one of Brian Eno's best and most influential ambient albums to life. Apollo was written for Al Reinert's documentary For All Mankind on the Apollo space missions, although it took so long to make the film the music preceded it by six years. Music from the album also appeared in the films 28 Days Later, Traffic and Trainspotting. This show returned the music to its original conception - as a counterpart to this NASA footage from the Apollo programme - matching the mesmerising beauty and tranquil mystery of the Moon and Earth, and the dizzying scale and humbling feat of engineering involved in taking people to the Moon. The show was in two halves. Icebreaker initially performed three pieces. First up was an untitled orgasmic thumbing opener. Then we had David Lang's Cheating Lying Stealing - a rousing cacophony of orchestral flourishes. And finally Michael Gordon's Trance - originally in ten parts but we were just treated to parts I and IV. It was a sort of Tubular Bells for the atonal crowd. BJ Cole joined them in the second half for Brian Eno's Apollo proper. The music was a faithful recreation of the studio album. But this was overtaken by the NASA footage, which was stunning. Who knew they were filming anything but scientific shots up there? There was panning, fading in and out and arty shots aplenty. Very funny to see the compilation of all those astronauts tripping over the moon rocks. And all that golf! Great fun. The film won an Oscar. Deservedly so. And the music matched it perfectly.

Educating Rita...

Last night Stu and I went to see Educating Rita, part of the Willy Russell season at the Trafalgar Studios 1.
The story, in case you are unaware, is of Rita, a young, brash hairdresser, who has recently discovered a passion for English literature and enrolled with the Open University. This is much to the dismay of her husband Denny. Her tutor Frank, a bit a soak, gets caught offguard by Rita's fresh reaction to the classics.
Laura Dos Santos was excellent as the ambitious Rita as was Tim Pigott-Smith as "for dismissal it would have to be nothing less than buggering the Bursar" Frank. They both had big shoes to fill as Julie Waters and Michael Caine between them won awards for the 1980s stage and screen versions. Ultimately the play is about choice and gaining the wherewithal to have one. There must be better songs to sing than this...

Arsenal 4 Bolton 1...

On Saturday Mark and I went to the Emirates Stadium to watch Bolton Wanderers take on the mighty Arsenal. It was a tough game but we marmalised them.

Duckie 15th Birthday Party...

Last Friday night we went to the Royal Festival Hall to Duckie's 15th Birthday Bash. Featuring:- Brixton’s finest hip-hop dance chicks The Stylinquents, Senior citizen songstresses The Hoxton Singers, cardboard cut outist Robin Whitmore, hitparade hipsters Frisky and Mannishcuntry, Duckie A-Lister Tina C. and my favourite the wonderful hoola-hooping spectacularist Marawa. Oh, and the wonderful Readers Wives of course! More pix here.

Eastenders: The sitcom...

Best use of canned laughter. Ever.

Bonobo and Me (Best Friend Prime Minister)...

Made for £5 and a packet of Rolos - but all the more sweet for it.