“Painting the Modern Garden – Monet to Matisse”, at the Royal Academy

Posted on April 20, 2016 by John S

The exhibition, “Painting the Modern Garden – Monet to Matisse” at the Royal Academy, has just closed. I went a couple of times, and what a wonderful collection! This was art at it’s most appealing: you want stunning scenery, you want flowers, you want vivid colours, you want beautiful people, you’ve got it! You’d like to have that one on your wall? Doesn’t everyone? So art for today’s art-loving masses, me included. A roaring success.

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Monet’s “Lady in the Garden”, 1867

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Matisse’s “Palm Leaf, Tangier” 1912

But does that make it bland, safe? Does being easy on the eye disqualify a work of art from being radical, challenging? I would say no. Especially when you put the art on display into historical context. At the heart of the show is Impressionism, with Monet to the fore. Pissarro, Cezanne, Renoir, Degas and others in support, as well as a number of great 20th century artists. And Impressionism has so captured the public taste in recent decades that it seems the safe bet, always. But think how adventurous it was at the time, how it shifted art from mostly recognisable representations of images and scenes (with notable exceptions like Turner in his later years) to representations of the mind’s eye, what was going on in the artist’s head. Picasso, the Cubists, Expressionists and any number of ists then took it all even further. But the Impressionists started it. Think of the brush strokes, the colour combinations, the sheer imagination. Impressionism attracted a lot of opposition from critics when the artists associated with it started their experiments. New ideas and approaches always do. But they won and they are still winning.

What of the exhibition itself? Well, I found it a delight from start to finish. Monet was its anchor. From the early paintings – people in gardens essentially – to the the extraordinary portrayals of his garden in Giverny, with the Japanese footbridge the centrepiece, to, at the end of course, some of the monster canvasses depicting those abstract water lilies. Monumental! I loved the use of light in some of the more conventional garden paintings. “Lady in the Garden” from 1867, was a striking example. The lawn and the lady positively seemed to glow.

As for those Japanese footbridges, some of the renditions went wild with colour. Monet was inspired by Japanese artists like Utugawa Hiroshige, a few of whose prints were shown in the exhibition.

For me, one of the stars of the early part of the exhibition was Pissarro. He’s known best for his “Pointillist” art – using tiny brush strokes, dots, to conjure up the image. But some of his earlier work was more traditional and really brought out the essential Frenchness of the landscape. I liked “Kitchen Gardens at L’Hermitage, Pointoise”. I’d have that on my wall! I loved one of the quotes the RA had found about Pissarro too. It began by mocking him for his deplorable fondness for market gardens before dismissing him as an impressionist market gardener specialising in cabbages. Only a French critic…

Pissarro was unrepentant. He wrote to Monet, I love compost like one loves a woman…

The middle phase of the exhibition brought some relatively unfamiliar artists to my attention. Notably three Spanish artists, Joaquin Sorolla, Joaquin Miry Trinxet and Santiago Rusinol. The colours were vivid, exuberant, reflecting their Mediterranean roots. Rich pinks, ochres, oranges, greens. Life itself.

I loved Max Liebermann’s updated Impressionist take on scenes from the shores of Lake Wannsee, just outside Berlin, too. And a one off from a British artist, Alfred Parsons, who depicted a garden, entitled “Orange Lilies”, in Broadway, Worcestershire, a place I know and love from having visited it on numerous occasions for get-togethers with friends over the years. Could that garden, painted in 1911, have been where we stayed?

The latter part of the exhibition gave us artists like Matisse, Kadinsky and Munch diverting from their usual preoccupations to celebrate the glories of the garden. Again with exuberant flourishes. No need to pretend – just celebrate colour and beauty… nature. I loved the way, though, that Munch managed to remain discombobulating.  Or should I say scary?

There was a room of photos of many of the great artists that featured in the exhibition, just before Monet’s waterlily denouement. And did they look like artists? Oh yes!

There’s a wonderful quote from Monet too, which sums it all up really. During the First World War, that horrific slaughter which came close to where he lived and worked – and his beloved garden. It’s a good way to end this piece.

As for me, I’m staying here all the same, and if those savages must kill me, it will be in the middle of my canvasses, in front of all my life’s work.

He and his art survived. And we still wonder at the splendour of it.

Art is eternal.

https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/painting-modern-garden-monet-matisse

 

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“The Chimes” by Anna Smaill

Posted on April 11, 2016 by John S

 

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I’ve just finished reading a rather intriguing and gripping novel called “The Chimes” by Anna Smaill, a New Zealand author. It was long listed for last year’s Booker prize, but I only came across it when I googled “dystopian future” novels, to get me in the mood for a novel I’m planning to write myself. Dystopian it certainly is, but with a difference.

For the most part, the novel is set in a London which has been shattered by something which is known as the Allbreaking. The scenes are of a city which has returned to Dickensian, or even mediaeval, times. With added ruins. The people are controlled by a mysterious force which manifests itself as Onestory and Chimes. Each day these are broadcast to all – through music. Music is now the common language, particularly in public. Chimes is so intense, beautiful, that it captures people’s senses and destroys their memories. The only true memory is Onestory, a tale of how and why The Order, the rulers, came to power.

Naturally, the novel tells a story of how The Order and its control through music is challenged. The two central characters, a young lad called Simon, and a not much older man called Lucien, who leads a group of Pactrunners down by the Thames at the Isle of Dogs, or Dog Isle, as it is called in the book. They forage in the river mud, mostly in the network of tunnels underground, for scraps of a pale metal called The Lady. Its importance and provenance is unclear early on, but all is revealed…

Simon has come down to London from Essex, at the behest of his recently deceased mother, to meet a friend of hers, who can help him. The friend doesn’t want to know. Simon wanders through London, drawn to the Thames by a mysterious silence. One of the book’s paradoxes – silence seems to speak to those who can hear. Down by the shore he is ambushed by the aforementioned group of Pactrunners who are called Five Rover, and led by Lucien, who is blind, but blessed with extraordinary hearing and musical ability. Simon is taken in by them (as is a girl called Clare, who has been pretty messed up) and mentored by Lucien, who helps him to recapture his memories. Normally memories can only be objectmemories, retrieved from scraps and momentoes that people carry around with them. Their bodymemories help them survive, do a job, converse, but not much else. Each day, in Onestory, they are reminded how they have been saved from destruction by The Order. There is only one version of the truth…

Or is there? The story unfolds. Lucien’s role becomes more complex. Simon discovers more about himself. I’ll say no more!

The action eventually moves to Oxford, home of The Order, the Citadel, the Chimes. The plot, which starts slowly, weaving repeat patterns of language, metaphor, music, daily existence, allowing Simon gradually to make sense of things, accelerates. I found it hard to put down towards the end, and couldn’t really predict how things were going to end. As it should be!

The use of language was interesting. There were echoes of “A Clockwork Orange” in Simon’s alternative vocabulary, with musical terms used as replacements for some our everyday words. It was easy enough to figure out, and added to the fascination, for me. Might annoy some people, I guess.

The role of music was the book’s ultimate theme. Music as belief, religion, ideology, with the same impact as any other ideology when it comes to power. Intolerant of challenge, of disorder, of impurity. Controlling – and ruthless with its retribution. All must bow down before the Idea. A sadly familiar theme in 20th century history, with the 21st not doing too much better.

The difference in “The Chimes” was that devotion to the purity of music was the source of ideology. Improbable, I suppose, but an intriguing idea, convincingly developed in the story. A metaphor, no doubt, for the Islamist fascism which besets parts of the world today and scares – and scars – the rest. A true example of the Allbreaking.

Music as evil. Not a theme you usually get in this blog! But people can get very passionate about the music they hate as well as the music they love. The love can breed the hate. I think I shook that off when I left my teens and really started to discover the wide, wider world of music. But a lot don’t.

So, love music, but don’t let it define hate or prejudice.

And read “The Chimes”!

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Two great concerts: Wolf Alice at the Forum; Chvrches at the Royal Albert Hall

Posted on April 1, 2016 by John S

This week I’ve been to two outstanding concerts. On Tuesday it was Wolf Alice at the Forum in Kentish Town. Last night, Chvrches at the Royal Albert Hall.

Wolf Alice

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Chvrches

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I went to Wolf Alice with my friend Jon G (I have lots of friends called Jon – it’s easy to talk to us in a group because you only have to remember one name!). We booked seats (actually a bench, but a comfortable one) in the circle and made the effort to get there for the support bands as it sounded like Wolf Alice were getting some good people in.

So, armed with pints of San Miguel, we found a spot in time for first support Bloody Knees. Not the greatest name, but a good band. Nirvana a clear influence, but a bit faster. The singer was tall, had a good head of hair, and loved shaking it about. T-Shirt came off after a few songs. Just about carried it off. They were pretty good, but will have a lot of competition with that sound.

Next up were Swim Deep. I saw them on the Lake Stage at Latitude in 2013. Thought they were good then, with hints of Razorlight and The Strokes. And I liked the singer’s claret and blue Fender, even though it was Aston Villa rather than West Ham. At the Forum they had clearly moved on. The sound was more varied, and fuller. The Maccabees came to mind. It was decent set. Not enough to make me rush back and download their music, but enough to merit a listen on Spotify. My only criticism: most of the band were wearing flares! And oversized shirts. Please, no, this cannot be a new fashion!

And then Wolf Alice. Jon and I and our kids saw them in the 6 Music tent at Latitude in 2015. They were excellent then and they were even better tonight. Another 8 months on the road, really honing their sound and performance. On top of that, I am now much more familiar with the music. Their debut album, “My Love is Cool”, just missed my top ten last year, though it was easily in Jon’s. But, you know, it would have to be in there now. You can hear the grunge influence, you can hear a bit of My Bloody Valentine; but you can also hear Blondie and even, I thought on Tuesday, when they played the brilliant “You’re a Germ”, Joan Jett. In other words they bring together the hard rocking with a pop sensibility. When the album first came out, I was mildly disappointed because it wasn’t noisier, but as I listened more, I realised how good the songs were, how well-constructed. Full of punching riffs, plenty of screaming, but engaging melodies too. And the latter is probably why their audience is actually quite young. I saw a review that described their music as bubblegrunge. Very clever, and I can see what it was getting at, but also condescending and probably sexist. Because it’s Ellie Rowsell screaming out the choruses, rather than some gruff bloke from Seattle, the implication of that review was that it was lightweight. To which I can only respond, bollocks!

All the favourite songs were there, as you would expect at this stage in their career. My own favourite three are “You’re a Germ”, “Your Love’s Whore” and “Fluffy” (ironic title, I’m sure). But the whole show was dynamic, in-yer-face and perfect for the youth at the front (and quite a way back) to do some serious moshing. Jon and I watched with affection and enjoyed our beers.

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A credit to John Victor of Genghar too. The lead guitarist in that band (my favourites of 2015) had stepped in to play bass in Wolf Alice because Theo Ellis had developed a rather nasty elbow infection – shared on Twitter in all its gruesomeness. You wouldn’t have known if you didn’t know the band line up. Seamless transition. Real talent. Gengahr must be big!

A great evening.

And on Thursday, it got even better…

For Chvrches, I was on the lone groove. Inexplicably, I cannot persuade any of my good friends that Chvrches are one of the best bands on the planet and Lauren Mayberry one of the finest singers. Never mind, I love them and am so looking forward to seeing them on the Obelisk stage (the main one) at Latitude on the Saturday this year, second to The National. They will be headliners soon.

Their show was labelled as one of the “Albert Sessions”. The artists haven’t yet headlined the Albert Hall, prices are kept reasonable, and the artists spend some time with students in workshops about their music. An excellent initiative all round, and you can read about it on the link below. There is also a nice selection of photos from the concert – way better than my iPhone efforts from a distance.

Link to Albert Hall review

Support came from Shura, who played a dreamy sort of electro-dance. I enjoyed it, although stuck behind her machines in what was then a half full Albert Hall, it was hard for her to make a huge impact. The songs were quite long too – mood pieces. I’ll certainly have a listen to her music online.

What I said about Wolf Alice honing their sound on the road applies doubly to Chvrches. Since “The Bones of What you Believe” came out in 2013, they have hardly ever stopped touring and doing the festival circuit. Especially in the USA. And it is paying dividends. Not only in increased popularity, but in their stagecraft. I remember when I saw them at Hammersmith Apollo in 2013 (there is a blog if you want to check it). They were great, but Lauren was fighting through a cold and she was still fairly immobile, clinging on to the leads of her microphone. That rather fragile image worked rather well in juxtaposition to the booming dance and electro beats. But now, all is different. Lauren is dancing, leaping around, standing on podiums, engaging with all the different parts of the audience. A very different performer. The music too, is even more pounding, the dance beats to the fore. The two boys get less attention than Lauren, unsurprisingly, but they are the music-meisters, and play a bit of guitar and bass now. And there have always been a couple of songs when they sing. This is a democratic band, which is still holding back from exploiting Lauren’s obvious beauty. Credit to them all, for that. It’s what tells you they are still, at heart, an indie band rather than a pure pop band. But they have the pop sensibility to make it big time if they want to.

So all the best songs from their two albums got an airing last night. With one exception: one of my two favourite Chvrches tunes, “Lies”, missed out – the other is “Tether”, which was a highlight. The songs from the most recent album, “Every Open Eye”, dominated, of course. But they work superbly live. Especially “Clearest Blue”, which ended the main set. Awesome!

And what an encore. First the lovely “Afterglow” from the latest album. Lauren’s singing at its most beautifully tender. The Albert Hall bathed in blue light and so many people holding their phones with torches on, aloft. Used to be cigarette lighters – no more! An impressive sight, which this photos captures a bit.

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And, to end, what better than “The Mother We Share”? This will always be a Chvrches favourite, and it was total celebration. It was the first song at Hammersmith in 2013. It’s song which will always merit an important place in the set. I came out of the venue thinking, this is one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. It was so enjoyable, uplifting. Even if my love for the Chvrches isn’t shared by my friends, I will be there whenever they play in London.

If you haven’t heard them, give Chvrches a listen – and Wolf Alice too – and check both out if they play near you. You won’t be disappointed.

 

 

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Sportsthoughts (146) – Two great days of sport: Cheltenham, Chelsea v West Ham and England’s Grand Slam

Posted on March 22, 2016 by John S

Yes, two great days of sports viewing, with a decent amount of beer and wine drinking thrown in! Sometimes it just has to be done…

On Friday, just gone, I took the day off work, with a few friends, to enjoy Cheltenham Gold Cup day. For those of you who aren’t British, or horse racing lovers, this is the biggest day of the year for the National Hunt horses, the ones who leap over fences. Cheltenham is a rather posh West Country town which, for four days a year, becomes the home of the biggest racing festival on these Isles. Half of Ireland seems to attend! The whole festival hosts the best horses in all the different races, but the Gold Cup is the biggest race of all – three miles or so over the big fences. Less of a slog than the Grand National, but requiring stamina and speed to win. The best of the best.

I and my friends gave up actually going to Cheltenham a long time ago. The train journey was awful, the crowds overwhelming, the view, except in the best areas, pretty poor. We decided to have a virtual Cheltenham in London, and we have done it ever since, on Gold Cup day. A good breakfast, a few beers, watch the racing in the pub, cocktails early evening and a curry, which we all struggle to eat, to finish things off. Simple pleasures!

This year breakfast was at AquaShard, 32 floors up the iconic Shard building. Excellent full English, though pricey at £29. You are paying for the view. And it is good.

Thought I’d do them in black and white.

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After the Shard it was down to a good old fashioned pub in Borough called the Royal Oak for a couple of pints of Harvey’s Sussex bitter before moving back to home territory in West London. First a pint of the finest London Pride in the pub adjoined to the brewery in Chiswick, the Mawson Arms, where we watched a couple of races; then over to our favourite haunt, Hammersmith, base the Cross Keys, where we watched the races and played a bit of darts.   Lychee Martini in a local Thai restaurant and then that curry. We are easily pleased!

The betting was the usual disaster. You have to plan for that – work out what you are prepared to lose, and don’t go further than that trying to get money back. Treat it as part of the cost of the day; and if you are lucky you get a little bonus. I didn’t get lucky this year. My first three bets say it all: unseated rider, pulled up, fell! The latter was Cue Card in the Gold Cup, who looked poised to win, before crashing into a fence.

You lose and move on…

Saturday started with an unexpected delight. On Friday, my mate DC got a call offering him two tickets to Chelsea v West Ham, lunch included. A raffle prize. Awesome. Chelsea’s hospitality, as I have said before, is really good. Very professional staff, excellent food and drink.

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I was unusually hopeful about West Ham at Stamford Bridge. We are on a good run, with aspirations for a top four place; Chelsea are languishing in mid-table mediocrity, after a disastrous season, by their recent standards. I wasn’t disappointed. West Ham played really well, with Lanzini outstanding in midfield. The “genius” Payet (see previous blog!) was relatively subdued, but it was still great to see him play, watch how he moved all over the pitch. The West Ham midfield is nothing if not fluid.

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Chelsea worked hard, passing a bit awry. But the final 2-2 result was fair, although the late penalty awarded to Chelsea was dubious. It was great though, that West Ham left feeling angry that they had only drawn. We usually get whupped at Stamford Bridge. There is a new confidence at the Boleyn. Great things are possible.

In the evening I was out again, to watch the France v England rugby match at my local in Ealing, the Plough. The Grand Slam on. And we did it, 31-21. It was a bitty game. England were strong, dominating most of the crucial areas of play, and scoring three tries to France’s nil. But a lot of penalties were conceded, which kept on bringing France back into the game. In the end though, another win, and the transformation under Eddie Jones, with almost the same squad that flopped at the World Cup, is complete. Just shows how important good management is.

It’s a fantastic achievement, well above what we all expected. I was hoping for top place, but expecting second, to Wales. England reasserted their power in the forwards, and showed good pace and, sometimes, incision, going forward. Still a bit imprecise at times, but getting better all the time. It feels like, finally, they may take advantage of the flow of promising young players. Every top side, Quins included, has them. If England get it right then the rest of the world in rugby needs to get worried. No guarantee yet that it will happen, but now, it looks more likely. We shall see.

 

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My Top Twenty – Scottish pop tunes!

Posted on March 16, 2016 by John S

This one got sparked off by a recent discussion at work about SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon’s choices on Desert Island Discs. Mostly Scottish, but that turned out to be quite wide-ranging, many not exactly Scottish. It got me thinking about all the Scottish artists and bands I really like. There are loads. I narrowed them down to twenty for this list, but I had to leave quite a few out with a heavy heart and there will, no doubt, be some I have forgotten!

So here is my Scottish Top Twenty. With nary a bagpipe in sight!

1. Old England – The Waterboys

So I start my Scottish top twenty with a song about England! So typically English, a Scotsman might say. But Mike Scott is a Scotsman and this song is one of the great anthems. Old England is dying, he cries. And it is magnificent, with saxophones blaring. My love for the Waterboys is rooted in their Irish phase – Fisherman’s Blues and Room to Roam – but Old England and Whole of the Moon were the great precursors.

2. Tether – Chvrches

Anyone who reads my blog will know I love Chvrches! The combination of 80s electropop, an indie sensibility and, if you strip the songs down to the melodies and words, a celtic soul. With Lauren Mayberry’s beautiful voice – and look – fronting things up. Thether is one of their many great tunes: it builds and builds and bursts into a magnificent electro peak half way through. A true anthem. Scottish to the core – that combination of melancholy and anthem.

3. The Faith Healer – The Sensational Alex Harvey Band

SAHB were my favourite band for a period in the mid-70s, before punk took over. I never lost faith in them even when punk did prevail. Alex Harvey was an extraordinary performer and his band were characters too, especially guitarist Zal Cleminson. I saw them at Leicester de Montford Hall, one of my first gigs. For a while it was the best concert ever. Awesome music and sheer theatre. Faith Healer was one of the classics.

4. Maggie May – Rod Stewart

Rod is a great soul singer, and in the early seventies he combined the wistful celebrations of a song like Maggie May with the raucous rock’n’roll of The Faces. I forgive him everything since because of these amazing few years!

5. Party Fears Two – The Associates

All angst and hyperbole, the Associates took that early 80s grandiloquence and turned it into something sharp and very moving. On the edge.

6. Daddy’s Gone – Glasvegas

I had high hopes for Glasvegas for a moment in the 2000s. The power, the emotion, the look, the layers of sound, made me think that they were The Clash meets Phil Spector, or even Bruce. The next really big thing. It didn’t happen, but this was one of their finest songs. As a father myself, I knew what the words were all about – I kept having those games of football in the park…

7. Just Like Honey – Jesus and Mary Chain

What a great song this is! Featured in one of my favourite ever films, Lost in Translation.                                                                                                                                                             The JMC were all about distortion, feedback, over Beach Boys melodies; but this one eschewed the feedback and headed for a languid Velvet Underground style groove. Entrancing.

8. Can’t Stand My Baby – The Rezillos

A wonderful punk thrash, with a Scottish accent, singing about being uncool!

9. I Never Wanted – Idlewild

Epic guitar, in sequence with the melody. A beautiful song which simply soars.

10.  One World – John Martyn

John Martyn started in a kind of folk music, but always had guitars which took the songs some place else. That really came together on the album One World in late ’77, and the title track was the epitome. The slurred voice, the echoing guitars, the sweet melody… music with few parallels.

11. Sugar Hiccup – Cocteau Twins

Cocteau Twins came to the fore in the mid-80s.  Shimmering sounds, and Elisabeth Fraser’s beautiful, fragile voice. This track was the best example, for me. Heavenly!

12. I Don’t Want a Lover – Texas

I’ve always had a soft spot for Texas since I saw them play brilliantly in Paris, probably in 1990. Their first album, Southside, came out in 1989, and I Don’t Want a Lover was the leading track. A soulful, urgent piece, with Charlene Spiteri singing with real heart and a touch of the blues.

13. I Travel – Simple Minds

Simple Minds went on to great stadium things like Don’t You Forget About me, but this relentless electro-pop piece from the early 80s remains my favourite.

14. Woke up this Morning – Nazareth

Nazareth were a rasping, rock’n’rolling sort-of-metal band from the early 70s. They had a few hits like Bad Bad Boy and a cover of Joni Mitchell’s This Flight Tonight. (I heard the Nazareth version first!). My favourite track is this rocking tune that involves dead dogs, and hogs! It has warped my sense of the blues…

15. Pick up the Pieces – Average White Band

A mid-80s Scottish soul combo who came up with one of the funkiest instrumentals ever. Even metal fans loved it! Totally irresistible.

16. Neil Jung – Teenage Fanclub

Some of the best indie melodies you could ever wish to hear – from the 90s. This one was off Grand Prix, their best album. Fantastic tune, and a guitar solo which sounded like… Neil Young of course.

17. Rip it Up – Orange Juice

An important song in the development of indie in the 80s. But a funky wonder in its own right. A great example of the growing fusion of black and white sounds and rhythms at that time.

18. Stuka – Primal Scream

I could have picked any number of Primal Scream tracks to illustrate their importance. Screamadelica was the album that symbolised the Indie move into psychedelia and dance. But I love this one off the album Vanishing Point, which is infused with a crazy reggae dub.

19. Into the Valley – The Skids

A punky anthem with a big Scottish sound!

20. The Other Side of the World – KT Tunstall

A heartfelt, soulful, folky sound. Just a song I always come back to. Lovely.

There’s a variety of sounds in this list, but the unifying theme might be something big and heartfelt in the music.  Something sincere and often challenging. Something that fits in with that thing I call celtic soul.

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From Bethnal Green to Elephant and Castle: the language of place, the roots of English music and its twisted offspring

Posted on March 10, 2016 by John S

Two rather different evenings yesterday and today. Last night I was at St John’s Church in Bethnal Green to hear three talks on the Language of Place and some folk music from the Memory Band; tonight it was the irrepressible Fat White Family at the Coronet in Elephant and Castle. East London, South London – out of my comfort zone. I need some West London gigs!

The Language of Place event was organised by Faber Social, a branch of the well-known publisher. The speakers were Nina Lyon, a new name to me, who has just had a book called “Uprooted: On the Trail of the Green Man” published; Ian Sinclair, who writes really interesting books about London and its surrounds, its recesses; and Will Self who writes on the edge. The host described the latter two as writers of psychogeography – I think I know what he means!

Nina Lyon was a bit nervous and spoke fast, but the extracts from her book were engaging, and I liked the concept of pursuing the Green Man, a mythological essence of old Britain, a symbol of the heart of our culture, our environment. Ian Sinclair wrote a book I read a couple of years ago called London Orbital, which chronicled his journey on foot around the M25, the outer London ring road, a monstrous motorway. It was done in stages with different friends. It was a discursive book, full of digressions, occasionally irritating; but fascinating about what lies in those suburban spaces. Last night he spoke with wit and passion about his London, about a walk at night along the length of the London Overground, from Hackney to the West. Odd characters were encountered, night characters, London’s static, invisible people. And someone was taking pictures of pigeon nests, hidden in the brickwork of bridges, with cameras on fishing rods!

And then Will Self. Amazing. He immediately announced he had bad vibes. In this august Anglican Church! Whether it was the modern, rather disconcerting paintings of Jesus’s end or the terrible history of the Bethnal Green tube station, where hundreds of people died in a stampede down the steps during a German bombing raid on World War II, was not entirely clear. His delivery was spaced-out, unpredictable and very striking. And funny. Eventually he read a passage from his book “Umbrella”. It was a one man play as he assumed the accents of his early 20th century London characters. It was compelling.

Must do more of this sort of thing.

The writers were the main attraction for the audience, though my friend Paul had suggested going because of the Memory Band, whose singer is a friend of his. I hadn’t heard them previously, but liked the combination of traditional folk melodies, often instrumentals, and some wistful ballads. I thought the violinist was especially good, creating a real atmosphere of times memorial. Hence the name of the band, I guess. I shall definitely be exploring their recordings.

And then… the raucous, wild, weird, anarchic, rocking Fat White Family. I often describe bands by comparing them with others from the past. I haven’t a clue how to do that with FWF. I suppose Iggy and the Stooges are an influence; maybe Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa too. They took me back a little to my old favourites, the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, but really they are like none of these. They are rock’n’roll, twisted out of shape, kicked up the arse, lagered up. There is psychedelia. They do work up a rocking rhythm too – maybe there’s even a bit of dance culture in there.

The singer, Lias Saoudi, looked pretty different to when I saw FWF at Latitude and on the NME Awards tour last year at the Forum in Kentish Town. Resplendent in a baggy white suit and shorter hair. No shirt and the jacket soon came off, and later the shoes and socks. Mercifully not the trousers this time! The lead guitarist, Saul Adamczewski (who has had drug problems), too had shorter hair and even sang something resembling a ballad at the end. With off-kilter guitars of course.

All the favourites, like “Auto Neutron” and ‘Touch the Leather” and recent release “Whitest Boy on the Beach” (great title) were played and there was plenty of moshing at the front. Lias had a good time crowd-surfing, all flailing arms and legs. Yeah, this was raw rock’n’roll. Highly entertaining, but to be be enjoyed in smallish doses at my age, I think. If you gave me the choice of seeing the Memory Band or FWF tomorrow, I fear I would plump for the folkies. Even though I recognise that it is likes of Fat White Family that make rock’n’roll a living, breathing force, even today.

Great to have both though!

And if there is anything I will remember from these two evenings it will be the sheer presence of Will Self as he spoke. A force of nature. The language of time and place…

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Have You Heard? – (72) Erohs Shore

Posted on March 7, 2016 by John S

So, just to to say that one of my blog followers, Resa, put me on to this band, and her partner is involved. But as you’ll know, if you follow this blog, I only write about music I like, and I like this music!

The band haven’t made an album yet, as far as I know, but there is a selection of tracks on Soundcloud, which are well worth listening to. Link here. I really like “Honestly” and “LIM (Love in Motion)” but it is all good stuff. I wouldn’t mind hearing a heavier bass line, because I like that sort of thing, and it would complement the beats and the soulful vocals.

There is a feel of what we used to describe as trip hop back in the 90s. Updated with a modern R&B beat, and singing to match.  So I’m getting a bit of Massive Attack, Portishead. And that is a serious recommendation. But also a band I really liked in the early 90s, called Innocence. I’ve no idea whether Erohs Shore have ever heard them, being Canadian, but they share some DNA. Check out Innocence’s”Belief”, to hear what I mean. Here’s an example, called “Let’s Push It”, which itself is quite heavily influenced by Pink Floyd.

 

So check Erohs Shore out. Where they are heading, I don’t know. But it is a good start.

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Sportsthoughts (145) – Can England win the Grand Slam?

Posted on February 28, 2016 by John S

Three games into the Six Nations. England the only team with a 100% record. So can they do it, can they win the Grand Slam?

The Welsh and French will say no, with games to come. The Scots and Irish will say, please no, anything but…

I never got around to predictions this year, but they would have been: 1. Wales, 2. England, 3. Ireland; rest, who knows?

But England have started well under new coach Eddie Jones and look like real contenders. The forwards are back to being a real power and there is pace and skill out wide. The confidence seems to have returned after the World Cup fiasco.

But the Grand Slam? With Wales so strong? (They drew against Ireland, hence not having that possibility themselves). What could do it? Well, it might just be the phenomenon that is Billy Vunipola. Yesterday, in the 21-10 win over Ireland, he was incredible. The yards he made powering through the Irish defence, was extraordinary. In the first half he made more distance than the entire Irish team!

And yet, in that stat lies the reason why England might blow it. For most of the game, the first half especially, they were so on top, camped in the Irish half, dominating possession. But so many moves broke down at the crucial moment: a misplaced pass, a dropped ball. They should have been out of sight at half time, but were only 6-3 up. It’s a familiar England problem, that lack of precision when it counts. They showed they could do it, for ten minutes in the second half, and they scored two excellent tries. That spell won the game, but they then put themselves under pressure again with another familiar trait: giving away needless penalties. They aren’t unique in this respect, and after all, it is a high-intensity contact sport. People make mistakes, try to get away with things. Both are punished. And the ref yesterday, Raymond Poite of France, who is usually fairly sympathetic to England’s style of play, lost his patience with them, no doubt at all.

If you ask yourself, would New Zealand or Australia have squandered so much possession, such dominance, the question answers itself. There is a way to go.

Still they did win 21-10, and defended very well at the end. I was delighted that Jack Clifford, Quins’ young star, came on and won a vital turnover at the end, which cancelled the building Irish pressure. He will be a permanent fixture in the team soon. And Saracen’s Maro Itoje was almost as awesome as Vunipola, in his first start for England in the second row. Amazing to have Courtney Lawes coming off the bench! England do have strength in depth.

The big collision is on 12 March. England v Wales. Could go either way. The winner will take the Six Nations. If England win, they still have to beat the French in Paris; and no matter how the French are playing, you never know what they’ll do on the day.

A way to go, but can England win the Grand Slam? I say yes!

 

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I Was There is here!

Posted on February 27, 2016 by John S

Eight years in the making, my music book, “I Was There – A Musical Journey”, finally emerges from the printers! This edition isn’t for sale, but I’m working on a version that will be ready for selling soon. So watch this space if you are interested…

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Sportsthoughts (144) – The genius of Dimitri Payet

Posted on February 24, 2016 by John S

payet

West Ham have a new hero. A midfielder with such skill – and passion – that he ranks with the greats of our club. I’m talking midfield creatives here, so the World Cup 66 trio aren’t involved. We are talking about Trevor Brooking, Alan Devonshire, Paolo di Canio, Joe Cole.

And I’m talking now about Dimitri Payet.

In the summer the club finally got rid of Sam Allardyce as manager. The anti-football, percentage man. Keeps you in the top division, yes, but kills the joy of the game. Of course we all love to win. But football is also about the excitement, the beauty, the creativity; marvelling at superb systems of play but also moments of individual inspiration. Our new manager, Slaven Bilic, understands that, believes it, and is also an ex-West Ham player. He understands and respects the West Ham way, which Big Sam never did.

And Dimitri Payet epitomises that way. The sheer joy of the game. Skill which is a good in itself, as well as a huge contribution to the team. Some of his moves this season have been truly audacious. His free kicks and set pieces generally are so precise, dangerous, that we have confidence that there may be a goal at any moment. And he tracks back, fights hard for the team. The fans have really taken to him. He is the symbol of the new era, the optimism, as we look forward to playing at the Olympic Stadium next season.

I can say that I haven’t been more excited by a West Ham player since the emergence of the young Joe Cole. Sadly he went to Chelsea, had some of the inventiveness knocked out of him to fit in with the Mourinho system, and never really fulfilled his immense potential, although he was still an outstanding player. Payet is a different case. He is 28 already. We bought him from Marseille. He had a bit of a reputation as a bad boy, a bit inconsistent. Neither has been evident at the Irons. He has quickly become the man around which most of the team’s play revolves. When he was injured, early this year, the team dipped, although they did well to hold on to draws, if not wins. Being West Ham, we still have bad games, but more than for a long time, we are bossing other teams – and entertaining. West Ham fans are happy again!

Our big fear, of course, is now that the biggest clubs will come calling, offering to increase his wages hugely. My hope is that, because he is 28 already, they may not be so keen. Also that he will realise that, as the top man at West Ham, and now our best-ever-paid player, he will be central to the team in the way that he could never be at Man Utd, City, Arsenal, Chelsea.

Fingers crossed, because, after two-thirds of the season Dimitri Payet is already a legend!

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