Sportsthoughts (129) – A crazy end to the Six Nations Rugby!

Posted on March 21, 2015 by John S

Well, what a great, breathless end to the Six Nations rugby! England 55-35 up against the French, needing another six points to take the title on points difference, from Ireland and Wales. A minute left on the clock. A rolling maul, pulled down by the French. No penalty try or penalty given. Not sure why – I kind of trust ref Nigel Owens, who had a superb match. Ireland win it. So close…

It has been a good tournament. England, Wales and Ireland very evenly matched. England beat Wales at the Millennium Stadium impressively. Ireland beat England in Dublin, equally impressively. Then Wales beat Ireland at home, both sides slugging it out for supremacy. Technically the best game of the tournament, though England’s today must rank as the most exciting.

And what a joy it is to see England playing such free-flowing rugby. Still flawed; too many errors at times. Should have hammered Scotland last week; then they’d have been well clear on points difference. The last pass just wasn’t working. But getting there. Really getting there. So much young talent coming through. Jonathan Joseph, the Bath centre, perhaps the most notable addition this season; but the form of young fly half, George Ford, also Bath, has made us forget the absence of Own Farrell completely. There is real competition for places in all parts of the team. Finally, it looks like England’s larger rugby-playing population is starting to show. I know, just from my own club team, Harlequins, that we have players like flanker Jack Clifford coming through and sure to play for England in a couple of years. And an awesome centre called Joe Marchant, who just starred in the U-20 World Cup for England. There will be similar potential in all the big teams.

Anyway, well done to Ireland. My rational self says that they probably are the best of the European sides just now. A bit more clinical than either England or Wales. But the differences are marginal. And injuries to key players may affect them more when it comes to the World Cup.

Yes, all thoughts turn to the World Cup in the autumn, in England. New Zealand are hot favourites of course. South Africa next. But then Australia, England, Wales, Ireland are on a par. And France will get their act together – they have so much talent, and know how to do well in World Cups. As do England and Australia; Ireland and Wales less so.

There will plenty of twists and turns before mid-September. Key players in all teams will get injured. Some will lose form, other young stars will demand inclusion. And once it starts, who knows? England may not even get out of their pool. The fact that they’ve been grouped with Wales and Australia shows there was no fiddling of the draw. It is verily the Group of Death!

So fingers crossed that home advantage sees us through.

The Six Nations gives me a lot of cause for optimism, especially that performance against France today.

Can’t wait!

Posted in Sportsthoughts | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

lovelondonscenes – 91

Posted on March 19, 2015 by John S

On Sunday, I went to the Royal Academy, in Piccadilly, to see the Rubens and Diebenkorn exhibitions. Both really interesting, though they didn’t blow me away.

I liked the weird objects in the courtyard too, intruding on the domain of Sir Joshua Reynold’s statue.

IMG_2302_2

 

IMG_2304_2

 

IMG_2305_2

 

IMG_2307

 

IMG_2309

 

IMG_2310_2

 

Who can resist a crazy mirror? Brings the child out in all of us!

Posted in Photos - lovelondonscenes | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

lovelondonscenes – 90. Breakfast at the Walkie Talkie!

Posted on March 15, 2015 by John S

The Walkie Talkie, 20 Fenchurch Street, is one of those iconic skyscrapers that have grown up in the City of London and nearby, in recent years. Since the start of the year, you can go up top to the Sky Garden, to look around and eat and drink. On level 36 (of 37) is The Darwin Brasserie, and I went there with my good friends, Dave, Jon and Tony, for breakfast last Friday, before our annual “Virtual Cheltenham”, where we enjoy the Gold Cup and other races, without actually going to Cheltenham.

It is an extraordinary experience, for the views of London. The Shard is higher; but from this one, you get to see the Shard from an unusual angle too! And the breakfast was pretty good. Recommended for a trip – you have to book in advance.

A few photos. Starting with an earlier, nearby Monument.

IMG_2272

First sighting of the Walkie Talkie.

IMG_2273

The lift takes you to level 35, and from there you walk up to 36. I stopped on the way to view three examples of the monumental. The Nat West Tower, once the tallest, the Cheese Grater and the Gherkin. The Nat West never got a nickname; then again, what could it be?

IMG_2276

Looking down on Tower Bridge.

IMG_2278

Two views from my breakfast table.

IMG_2279

IMG_2281

Looking West – or is it North, given the bends in the river?

IMG_2283

The cafe below. Level 35.

IMG_2289

Like I said at the beginning, at the top of the Walkie Talkie, you get a different view of the Shard. You have to be there to get the full magnificence.

IMG_2297

Looking East, towards Canary Wharf.

IMG_2298

Coffee table chic!

IMG_2299

It’s worth a visit!

Posted in London, Photos - lovelondonscenes | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Have You Heard? – (62) Two electronic gems, by Redlight and Beat Spacek

Posted on March 12, 2015 by John S

Two great electronic tracks I’ve heard recently on the ever-brilliant BBC Radio 6 Music.

Redlight I know nothing about. Just heard “Gold Teeth” on Tom Ravenscroft last Friday and thought, I must have this. Robotic electro describes it.

Beat Spacek, “Modern Streets”,  I first heard on the 6 Music playlister, where the DJs all put a few current favourites on a playlist on Spotify. The music is a tremendous summary of what’s going on these days, outside the mainstream pop world. The Beat Spacek sound reminds me a bit of the music of The Acid, whose “Liminal” album I loved last year. I downloaded the album, “Modern Streets” and really like the variety, as well as that throbbing, distorted bass, which permeates the music.. You can make a link, too, with those artists like Burial, who make music that conjures up images of London at night, waiting for the night bus in the rain.

I hope these YouTube links work outside the UK. If they don’t, both tracks are really worth checking out by other means, if you like leftfield electronic beats.

Posted in Music - Have You Heard? | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

The NME Awards Tour, The Forum, Kentish Town. 4 March 2015

Posted on March 7, 2015 by John S

When I saw this gig advertised, I thought, I have to go! Not designed for the oldsters, obviously, but there was a great option. Sit in the circle and watch the youth going ape below. And they did! In a big way.

Four bands: all indie/punk in spirit. Palma Violets, Fat White Family, Slaves, The Wytches. Originally, The Amazing Snakeheads were scheduled to appear. But they split up. Shame – really enjoyed their performance, supporting Jack White, last year. And the album, “Amphetamine Ballads” is good.

So we started with The Wytches. They are from Brighton, a bit psychedelic and live, very noisy. The guitars thrash. At times it’s speed metal. Went down well with the crowd. Still early days for the band, a bit to learn about stage presence; but a powerful sound.

IMG_2232Next, Slaves. They were awesome. They were at Latititude in 2014, on the Lake Stage, in the evening but still daylight. It was a good sound, but inevitably, some of the impact was lost if you were sitting on a grass slope a hundred yards away. Tonight I got the full impact. And it was good. The spirit of punk really was revived. Guitar and drums, just the two of them; raw rock’n’roll. Lots of shouting – and humour. Really excellent.

IMG_2233_2

 

IMG_2236Then Fat White Family. They were extraordinary at Latitude last year, on the i-Arena stage. They play a warped rockabilly blues rock’n’roll. They are from London, but probably should be from Mississippi. There are hints of Captain Beefheart, but also Iggy and the Stooges. With a bit of British punk thrown in. Highly entertaining. Slower than the other other bands, so less moshing in the crowd; but I think they were appreciated.

IMG_2240

IMG_2249And the Palma Violets. I’d listened to them before, as NME hyped them up for a while. And I liked the indie/punk sound – quite a bit of Strokes, like a lot of recent bands. Live, though, they were on another level. It totally rocked. Relentless rock’n’roll. For an oldster like me, so many echoes of The Clash – and The Libertines. Not bad bands to sound like. It was absolutely brilliant, so energising. And, needless to say, the crowd in the front twenty rows or so went crazy. It was great watching them, saying to oneself, that was me once upon a time.  I don’t think that’s regretful; it’s actually loving seeing a new generation getting down to the same hardcore rock’n’roll as I enjoyed in my youth. Wonderful to know that the spirit lives on.

IMG_2253

IMG_2259

IMG_2267

Punk, metal, indie, whatever. Rock’n’roll never dies!

Posted in Music - concerts, lists, reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

lovelondonscenes – 89

Posted on March 6, 2015 by John S

IMG_2226

Mile End, East London.

For me, a place I only ever went through, on the tube, en route to Upton Park, to see the happy Hammers. The other day I went there to give a talk at Queen Mary, University of London. That reminded me of the history of England I’ve been reading recently. Going right back to 1381, Mile End is where King Richard II, still a young lad aged 14, rode out to confront Wat Tyler, leader of the Peasants’ Revolt. It was also where people’s armies congregated, during the time of Henry VIII, to organise for the possibility of resisting a French invasion. There was no need, but paranoia was high.

What does this show? Knowing your history brings context to so many places. Can you imagine something so momentous happening in this place today?

Posted in Photos - lovelondonscenes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The War On Drugs, Brixton O2 Academy, 2 March 2015

Posted on March 3, 2015 by John S

IMG_2214_2

A full concert by The War On Drugs is something I’ve really been looking forward to. They were brilliant at Latitude last summer – see my review of that (Sunday section). But it was only 45 minutes worth. Since then, their album, “Lost In The Dream” has grown and grown. Just about all the papers had it in their top three of 2014. I put it second, though I suspect the music will be longer-lasting for me than Royal Blood’s, which came first.

“Lost In The Dream” is a magnificent album, with roots in Americana, Dylan, Springsteen, Neil Young; but with an electronic backbeat, and almost a sense of dub music at times. It’s moving, beautiful, meandering, and musically inventive. The more I listen – and I’ve listened a lot – the better the album becomes. I’m lost in that dream. And last night’s concert reflected that.

It started with “Under The Pressure” – what else? The moment that ticking sound started, the crowd knew and roared its approval. It is such an epic tune on record, and live it is even better, as lead man, Adam Granduciel, lets rip on guitar. The show started on a high and never came down. All but one song on “Lost In The Dream” got an airing. The one that missed out was one of my favourites, “Suffering”. I wondered if it was just too painful for Adam to sing; but, looking at Setlist FM, it is played, just not tonight. There were plenty of songs from the previous album, “Slave Ambient”, too. “Baby Missiles” followed “Under The Pressure” and the encore had a couple of those tunes, with Adam really wigging out on guitar.

Inevitably, my highlights were the songs I love most already. “Eyes To The Wind”, mid-set, was truly uplifting; and I was relieved and delighted that “Lost In The Dream” made it, first song in the encore. Such a touching, beautiful song.

IMG_2220_2

All the tunes were embellished with echoes, pounding beats – the band were really tight – and awesome guitar solos. Adam Granduciel is one of the best guitarists I have heard in recent years. In my Latitude review, I likened the sound to the solos in Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Freebird”; but it’s that and more.

I’ll be interested to see where The War On Drugs go from here. I’m not sure they are really a stadium band. The fragile heart of their songs might be lost, as well as some of that electronic ambience. But the riffing and the solos would make the transition. Fingers crossed they get it right.

IMG_2224_3

 

 

 

 

Posted in Music - concerts, lists, reflections | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Sportsthoughts (128) – An afternoon at the Olympic veldodrome

Posted on March 2, 2015 by John S

On Saturday we had a family trip to the Olympic velodrome, to watch part of the Revolution series of elite cycle races, which take place in London, Manchester and Glasgow. It was an opportunity to see how things are looking at the Olympics site these days and to see some seriously good racing.

I’m pleased to say it was a big thumbs up for everything!

And the velodrome was looking good. This is a photo taken after the afternoon event finished. The weather wasn’t the best.

IMG_2206

The centrepiece of the afternoon was Sarah Storey’s  – one of Britain’s great Paralympic champions – attempt on the world hour record. This was set in 2003 by Dutch cyclist Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsen, in Mexico City; so at altitude. She had ridden 46.065 km; Sarah just fell short, managing 45.502 km. She broke a few records on the way, and the whole thing was a wonderful exhibition, with the tension and excitement building as the minutes ticked away. I’d wondered how you would sit through one person riding around a 250m metre circuit, for an hour; but it was genuinely engrossing.

Here are some photos of Sarah going for it, and doing a lap of honour after she’d recovered a little from the effort, and, no doubt, the disappointment.

IMG_2182

IMG_2194_2

IMG_2200

The afternoon session began at 1pm, with some men’s 200m time trials, ahead of knock out stages later. The timed distance is slightly less than the circuit, which is 250m. I know this because a 10Km race was 40 laps, a 20km race, 80. The races were over in a flash, but the acceleration through the last bend was impressive. Best time was from Eddie Dawkins of New Zealand, and he ended up winning the final. The quarter finals were fun, because you get that silly cat and mouse stuff, where both riders dawdle along, waiting for or planning, the first move.

IMG_2129

The programme of races is quite varied, to keep the interest of the audience. It works really well. The strangest race was the Derny (10km), where each rider has a lead man on a small motorbike. As well as adding to the spectacle, the lead riders create a slipstream, which which allows the cyclists to go faster. All I can say is that it was weird, but impressive. Peter Kennaugh, one of the British, Sky riders, won, so we were all happy.

First photo is the lead racers getting ready for the final. Not the most athletic bunch! A couple of the race and then Peter Kennaugh winding down.

IMG_2201

There was real skill involved, though. I couldn’t see how the cyclists could communicate with the leads about accelerating or slowing. It was too noisy to shout and they didn’t have radio, as far as I could see. I guess it was just feel; maybe if the cyclist’s front wheel got really close to their back one. And of course, all the practice beforehand.

IMG_2144

IMG_2138

 

The women’s 20km points race featured one of Britain’s Olympic stars, Laura Trott. And she won on the day, to great acclaim.  The way this race works is that after every ten laps (out of eighty) there is a one lap sprint. The winner gets five points, second 3, third 2 and fourth 1. In addition, if you lap someone you get 20 points. There might also be something for lapping the entire field – this happened in the later men’s race. Having the sprint every ten laps adds to the excitement hugely. And brings in all sorts of tactics. You just have to remember who is in the lead overall, as lapped riders continue and participate in the sprints.

I didn’t get a very clear photo of Laura winning, but here are a couple on her journey. She is in blue. The first is just the women waiting for their turn. In the second photo, she is poised to overtake everyone and win the sprint. The third is a bit blurry as she is still riding quite fast with the flowers she got for winning, which were about to be hurled into the crowd.

IMG_2148

IMG_2152

IMG_2157_2

The men’s points race, also over 20km, had a lot more riders, but they were all comprehensively out-raced by the Australian, Glenn O’Shea. The most powerful display of the day. Peter Kennaugh beat him in the Derny; but he was supreme in this race, lapping everyone, and some people twice.

IMG_2159

IMG_2173

The last race featured eight of the women who’d been in the points race, including Laura Trott. This time it was the Elimination. Every two laps, the rider at the back of the field was eliminated until two were left to slug out the final two laps. So you had to be very careful about pacing yourself at the back! The crowd were right behind Laura, of course, and she won this as well. A pretty good day for the British riders.

A great day’s entertainment. The venue is awesome, and the cycling befits it.

On the way back to Stratford station we walked through the Olympic site. I wanted to see how the future West Ham stadium was looking.

It’s alright!

IMG_2207

 

 

Posted in Sportsthoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Have You Heard? – (61) Three songs that mention Rabbits

Posted on February 28, 2015 by John S

By a strange coincidence, three of the songs I’ve been listening to a lot recently mention our furry, big-eared friends in their titles. I’m glad to say none of the songs in question are the notorious Chas’ n’ Dave ditty “Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit”!

Since I’ve finished writing my book on music, I’ve been listening to the radio a lot more in the evenings. That means BBC Radio 6 Music; and there is just so much good stuff. Two of the songs here come from that listening; the other is a revival. I’m going to start with the latter.

The other day, travelling into work, I fancied listening to a bit of The National. They are a band I know should be right at the top of my list of favourites, given what they do. But it has taken me time to break in. So, anyway, I put on the latest album, “Trouble Will Find Me”. It’s an excellent album. When it first came out I listened a few times then rather forgot it. And forgot there had been one track which stood out. It came on as I was walking from Pimlico station to the office. And immediately, I went wow. What a beautiful, moving song this is. I liked it so much, I put it on again, and again. The last time, I delayed going to the office so I could hear it finish. The song was “Pink Rabbits”. Sounds like a title that could be about hallucinogenic drugs; but, in fact, it’s the name of a drink. A cocktail presumably. Singer and main man Matt Berninger refers to it as he laments a break up which wasn’t at easy as expected.

It’s a simple song, with the classic sad chords: a mix of G, D, C, Am and Em. But with a lovely Elton John-like piano and some wonderfully off-kilter lyrics, which, for me, make the song more poignant. The lines that really get me are these:

You didn’t see me, I was falling apart – I was a white girl in a crowd of white girls in the park – You didn’t see me, I was falling apart – I was a television version of a person with a broken heart…

Weird, but very affecting. And where do those metaphors come from?

Here’s a video of The National playing the song.

Next is Caitlin Rose, a young American country singer. I saw her perform at Hyde Park last summer, at the Neil Young Concert (which The National were also at). She was really good, maybe the most enjoyable concert I saw that day. Basic country rock’n’roll, but beautifully delivered. I’d already bought her most recent album, “The Stand In”. I liked it; but the best music, for me, of this type is still Lindi Ortega. A couple of weeks ago, Marc Riley on 6 Music played an old session track, from a couple of years ago, by Caitlin, called ‘”For The Rabbits”. It was arresting. I had to have the original. That was on her previous album, “Own Side Now”. Duly downloaded.

I’m delighted to say that when I checked on YouTube, the 6 Music performance of the song was there. So here it is.

And then, something very different. “Rabbit Hole” by Jamie T. Popular with the youth. Quite hard to categorise, and I’ve not really listened to a lot of his music. But I probably should, as the punks, reggae, rap and dance are clearly all inspirations. Anyway, I kept on hearing this song on 6 Music and the chorus lodged in my mind. So I had to buy it.

Not surprisingly, this one has an official video.

So many other good songs I’ve heard recently, and I’ll try to share a few more.

Posted in Music - Have You Heard? | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

Sportsthoughts (127) – Managerial madness at the Irons and Bees

Posted on February 22, 2015 by John S

By which I mean the madness directed at the managers…

Now, regular readers of this blog will recall that I’ve not been a big fan of Sam Allardyce at West Ham. Last season, I was in the Sam out camp, more for the style of football than the results. His results have been OK – more than OK really. He got us back into the Premier League, consolidated the position, and this season has taken the team to a level not experienced for a decade at least. And this season, perhaps under the instructions of the joint Chairmen – Davids Gold and Sullivan – his team has mostly played fluent attacking football, which has warmed the cockles of the East End hearts.

Results have faltered a little bit recently, although, objectively, draws against Spurs, today, and Man Utd a couple of weeks ago, are pretty good. The only thing is, we were winning both the games until the last couple of minutes of added time. So disappointment was high. Four points lost. And then there was the abject 4-0 defeat to West Brom in the FA Cup. The distrust of Sam, always just below the surface, bubbled up again. Some fans – diehard fans; going away to West Brom is diehard – abused David Sullivan for leaving the game early (to see his ill mother) and it got plastered all over YouTube and Twitter. The bitterness re-emerged. Really didn’t take much.

What this shows is that there is only a fragile peace between Sam and the fans, and the Board. Some of the people in the know have been saying on Twitter that the Board are already looking for a new manager, for when Sam’s contract runs out at the end of the season. The names being mentioned are ludicrous. Rafa Benitez, currently at Napoli; Diego Simeone – yes Diego Simeone! – manager of Atletico Madrid, who won the Spanish League last year, breaking the duopoly of Real and Barca. Why on earth would he want to come to West Ham, much as we love them?

Well, there’s one possible reason, which might just kick in, in about a year’s time. In August 2016, West Ham move into the Olympic Stadium, in Stratford. That could lead to a step change in the club’s fortunes – as long as we don’t relegated next season! It might be the moment when a very rich owner, like Sheikh Mansour at Man City, steps in. A London club, based in the Olympic stadium – that has to be attractive. Truly iconic. Now, Sullivan and Gold have been great for West Ham. They rescued the club, sorted out the finances, made money available for good players. They are fans. But they are also astute businessmen. They know the score. They could sell out and make a fortune. May keep a small share so they stay on the Board. It all makes sense. And then, Diego Simone, with promises of a huge budget, might answer the call.

For now though, I think we should keep the faith with Sam. He’s shown, this season, that he can adapt. Still, in some of the big games, he reverts to the over-defensive mentality. But I’m hopeful that he and the team will grow in confidence – sustained confidence – from what they’ve achieved this season.

But football is a wacky business – he could be out on his ear, come the end of the season.

At least at West Ham it’s all still speculation. At Brentford – my favourite lower league club, the one just down the road – developments have been truly bizarre.

Brentford are having their best season since the 1950s. They are in with a good shout of being in the Championship play-offs this season, having only been promoted to that league this season. They are, for the first time that I have ever known, in about twenty years of watching them, playing really good football. Things couldn’t be better.

So the manager, Mark Warburton, is being relieved of his duties at the end of the season. Unbelievable! Warburton is not a conventional manager. He didn’t play at a high level; and, in fact, spent time working in the City. But he loved football, worked his way in, and used his intelligence and man-management skills to good effect. Hence where he is now, and where Brentford is now. Obviously time to show him the door!

Why is that? Well, the diplomatic story is a difference in philosophies between him and the owner, City trader, and sports betting specialist, Matthew Benham. Like Gold and Sullivan at West Ham, Benham is a fan, and has pumped a lot of money into the club. His partnership with Warburton seemed like a match made in heaven, but it has suddenly fallen apart. I heard Warburton on BBC Radio 5 Live last week, articulate as ever, saying that it was just a different view of how to run the club. Benham apparently wants a director of football and a coach; Warburton prefers to have overall control of the playing side of things. Benham believes in stats (with his gambling heritage), Warburton puts faith in seeing a player, assessing his character. Actually, if the two of them could see it, those views could be complementary, cover all the bases. A great partnership. But I guess the egos have clashed – and the man with the money always wins.

I hope Benham doesn’t get seduced by the aura of the foreign manager, and one that is unproven, incapable of adapting to Championship football next season. Otherwise the Bees could easily get relegated and the future, even with a new stadium in the offing, could take a bit of a downturn.

It’s madness, really. I hope Benham doesn’t think he can get Diego Simeone!

Two clubs – my clubs – on the verge of something special. And eminently capable of screwing it up!

Naturally, I fear the worst….

Posted in Sportsthoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments