Once again, I’ve been gone for far too long. The past few weeks have been hectic to say the least, however, I think things are starting to settle down now. Here’s a few thoughts of what’s been on my mind in the past few weeks.
T In The Park – I didn’t go, haven’t ever been before and nor really intend to. I do like festivals, but T for me seems like an excuse for people who don’t like music to go and watch music and get wrecked. Perhaps I’m being prejudice but T In The Park just doesn’t appeal to me. I did watch some of this year’s coverage on television, primarily the sets on Sunday. I was surprisingly impressed by Glasgow’s
Amy MacDonald. Whilst I’ve heard a few tracks from her debut album it was nothing special. The songs on television (admittedly not the best way to judge) sounds great though. One act that looked absolutely electrifying was the
Prodigy. I’d seen half a Prodigy set at Leeds 2002 (we disappeared to watch The Streets and avoid Guns N Roses) and was fairly ambivalent, but on Sunday they were fantastic - truly entertaining and exhilarating at the same time. One band that I’m quite excited about is Glenrothes’
Sergeant and their acoustic set made up for the awkward interview with Vic Galloway that preceded it. On the subject of presenters, the aforementioned Galloway, Edith Bowman and the third unnamed female were pretty awful. Having three of them was a bit too much and they tended to talk over each other. I do like Galloway and Bowman individually but the set-up was just too contrived and smacked of amateurism, especially after we’ve seen how it should be done at Glastonbury a few weeks previously. As if the presenters weren’t car crash viewing enough, we were then treated to
Amy Winehouse, which I felt most people watching were secretly hoping she’d breakdown or have some sort of calamity. Winehouse upset her critics with a fantastic rendition of ‘Back to Black’ which proved that regardless of the media attention she can still be the star we all know she could be. I switched off half-way through
R.E.M., nothing personal to the band because I actually quite like them, but I didn’t think I was going to see anything I hadn’t seen already.
Something I saw and loved: Feist performing ‘1234’ on
Sesame Street.
I’ve been to the cinema quite a bit recently. Here‘s what I‘ve made of some of them.
In Search Of A Midnight Kiss. I think ISOAMK is going to be there or there abouts in my best of 2008, a truly beautiful and funny romantic tale.
Wanted was great I thought - a comic book adaptation that didn’t take itself too seriously. Admittedly, some of the plot holes were big enough to drive an articulated lorry through, but it was good fun nonetheless.
Hancock was a let down, a film that didn’t have the courage of its convictions, it was saved by the on screen chemistry between Will Smith and Jason Bateman.
Kung-Fu Panda was good fun - nothing more, nothing less.
Mamma Mia - where the hell to begin? This film is rank-rotten, truly dreadful and you have to question how it got past the quality department in the studio is beyond mystery. Yet somehow the charm of the actors involved shone through, and there of course there is the undeniable greatness of ABBA’s back catalogue. Something that should have been so good turned out just to be one step above shit on the ladder.
And then last night I saw
Wall-E. I’m not sure what to make of it to be honest. Maybe it was the few beers I had before it but I didn’t embrace it to be honest. Perhaps a second viewing will be required to bring about a fair assessment.
As I am writing this I’m re-watching
Control (buy
here). Can I just say what a tremendous fucking film it is. I can also recommend the accompanying book,
In Control by director Anton Corbijn of photographs he took during the film, some of the them, especially a photo of Samantha Morton are so beautiful they almost take your breath away. And I don’t say that lightly.
I was going to write about some of the music I’ve been enjoying recently, but I started and the quality of writing was garbage, so I’m not going to do the music disservice but not getting in right, so that will follow tomorrow. Ciao for now.
having a meeting in this place yesterday, and rather enjoyable it was. It's a strange sort of satisfaction to be enjoying your job - it's something I've only had once before.
