So sang David Bowie on “Where Are we Now?”, his wistful look back at his time in Berlin, on his album “The Next Day”, last year.
So, clearly, we had to visit the scene, and take a look nearby at Hansa Studios, the place where he made “Low” and “Heroes”, two of the greatest albums of all time, in the late seventies. And the place where U2 made part of their great album, “Achtung Baby”, too.
There has been a huge investment in this area since unification. Looking at the maps, Potsdamer Platz was cut in half by the Wall. The traffic space in the East, today’s major developments just in the West.
So this is West…
The station from the other side. Darkness was falling.
The Sony Centre is the big feature of the new Potsdamer Platz. It’s inside where it reveals its majesty.
We did check out the Hansa studios on Kothener Strasse (umlaut on that o) but it was locked up with no sign of activity. Oh well, I had to have my photo taken in front of one of the most important music studios ever….
Well, maybe, just maybe, my predictions are going to turn out right after all! Four teams all on four points after three games, and after yesterday England might be on a roll.
13-10 doesn’t sound like an exciting score. But it was a genuinely enthralling game, with two excellent teams slugging it out for supremacy. Both going for it throughout, with a good mix of kicking and running. Two packs of forwards evenly matched and two awesome defences.
At half time it was only 3-0 to England (courtesy of a huge penalty kick from Owen Farrell), but it had been forty minutes of end-to-end action, with both sides failing to capitalise on their overlap opportunities. England came closest to a try, when Jonny May got over the line, but let the ball slip from his hand at the last moment. It felt like a costly error, if error is the right word. He did have two Irishmen descending on him…
Ireland came out in the second half on fire and scored a brilliant try. A crafty offload to full back Rob Kearney allowed him to find gap in the English defence and he scorched through it. They’d scored a penalty too, so suddenly it was 10-3 to Ireland. At this moment I thought back to how Ireland had trounced Wales two weeks ago and was on the verge of accepting that this might just be a valiant defeat for a young English team against the hardened veterans of Ireland. A learning experience.
But I was wrong. England now have a never-say-die spirit. Farrell scored a penalty and then, after Jonny Sexton inexplicably kicked out of touch from the restart, England fashioned a try similar to, but even better than Ireland’s. A try made at Harlequins, I’m pleased to say. From the scrum, Chris Robshaw played link man and offloaded to Mike Brown, who exploited a gap in the Irish defence. Off he went and just as he was tackled he spun a pass to Danny Care who had gone with him. No-one was going to catch Danny and he scored between the posts. Farrell converted and it was 13-10.
There was still a quarter of the game to go, but no more scores. From an English perspective this was encouraging, because it showed they could close down a game, after failing to do just that against the French. From an Irish point of view it must have been frustrating because they were on top at the end.
Naturally I’m looking from the England angle, and this was a very important win. Ireland looked really good against Wales, the champions from the previous two years, and England beat them in a real head-to-head struggle. Afterwards, coach Stuart Lancaster, deemed it the most important win under his charge.
Mike Brown was again man of the match. Thoroughly deserved. His catching under pressure was impeccable, his breaks out of defence uplifting for the team and the crowd, and decisive that one time. His commitment and tackling exceptional. But he was not alone. The other full back, Rob Kearney, also had an outstanding game. For England, it’s unfair really to single out players, but the two second rowers, Joe Launchbury and Courtney Lawes were immense. If ever England secured a turnover, you would see the baby-face of Launchbury looking up from the bottom of the pile. And Lawes, having cut out the element of recklessness from his tackling (which hurt him as much as the opposition) is the ultimate marauder. Launchbury even managed to turn himself into a flanker towards the end when Tom Wood limped off.
So, the bookies have England 6-4 to win the championship now, with Ireland 2-1 and Wales and France 6-1. (Wales gave a disappointing France a bit of a hammering at the Millenium stadium on Friday). I suspect this is just the weight of English money. Wales remain the team that supplied the backbone and more of the Lions in Australia, and will be up for it when they clash with England in the next game. Anything could happen, but I’ll keep my money on England for now!
OK, let’s give it up for the Ramones Museum! @ramonesmuseum
Situated in the Mitte district, not far from the River Spree, on Krausnickstrasse, just off Oranienburger Strasse (love these street names!). Started by a fan, Flo Hayler, who, it is said, had accumulated so much Ramones memorabilia in his home that his girlfriend said it had to go. The current location,, which has a bar at the front, and a few rooms for the memorabilia and some videos at the back, was established in 2008.
It’s a great spot. I love the fact that there is a Ramones museum in Berlin. Entirely random, but somehow fitting in the new Berlin. You go in and get a beer and view of the place for 5 euros. And a little badge that gives you lifetime membership. Bargain!
We spent an hour or so looking around, watching the videos, and just lingering. Enjoying the memories, a beer, and the vibe. The Berlin vibe.
Er, yours truly. Not very punk. But there in spirit!
Bernauer Strasse was about 15 minutes to the West of where we were staying in Berlin. In 1961 the Berlin Wall was erected overnight by the East Germans along its length. It was a response to the fact that 3 million East German citizens had chosen to head west since the end of the Second World War. There were so many grotesque and outrageous acts against humanity in the 20th century that the erection of the Wall and the killing of people who tried to escape over it is sadly just one of the more egregious. But it is unquestionably one of the most symbolic.
I was 2 years old when the Wall went up and 30 when it came down. So for a large part of my life it just seemed part of the normal state of affairs. Today it is inconceivable to think that this was seen as the solution to the emigration problem. (And no doubt a lot of other political issues). Inconceivable that that the Wall was ever there. But along Bernauer Strasse you are reminded of how and why and of the human cost. The grounds of what are now a simple open air museum and park were once the no-man’s land between walls. It is a fascinating, rather bleak and humbling place.
Here are a few photos to illustrate that.
Looking West today.
Monument to the front line.
The houses just inside the Wall were scenes of people making desperate escapes. Now they have striking photos on them.
A lot of escape tunnels were dug under no-man’s land. Some are now marked with paths on the surface.
A view of the whole open air museum from nearby watch tower.
A monument to those who died trying to escape.
A remaining piece of the Wall. One thing that struck me was that it wasn’t all that high – though high enough if you are trying to get over it. The TV tower lurking in the background as usual.
I’ve just spent a few days in Berlin with my wife, Kath, and friends Jon and Maggie. For Kath and me it was the first visit; Jon and Maggie hadn’t been since the early nineties. soon after the Wall came down.
I was really looking forward to the trip and it met my expectations big time. An utterly fascinating place. The modern, rebuilt, revitalised Berlin sits alongside the the parts that are still lost in time, while the vibrancy of the here and now, the optimism about the future, is intertwined with the unbelievable and gruesome past. You cannot go to Berlin – at least on your first visit – without experiencing the good and the bad, the exciting, the shocking and the downright bizarre.
I don’t think I’ve been anywhere before that makes you want to sit down with a beer after a day’s sightseeing and talk about history and the meaning of politics, of life, quite so much.
A truly profound experience, Berlin.
I’m not going to write an essay here, which hardly anyone will have time to read. Instead I’m going to run a little series of photos, a bit like my lovelondonscenes, with a few reflections where appropriate.
To start, a few shots from the rooftop of the apartment block where we stayed, courtesy of Circus apartments, in Choriner Strasse, in the Mitte district, just up from Rosenthaler Platz. East Berlin when the city was divided. Now very much the centre of town.
First up, a view of the ubiquitous TV tower, part of the East German legacy, situated just off Alexanderplatz. A reminder of the past, but also a stunning part of the present. It’ll be in a fair few shots. You couldn’t shake it off even if you wanted to.
The dome below is Berlin’s cathedral. Like St Paul’s in London, a survivor of the World War 2 bombings. It was a bit hazy as you looked into the sun. But we were lucky with the weather. Cold, but no rain for four days!
The tower in the background belongs to the Zionskirch, which became a place of resistance in the last days of the DDR regime.
East Berlin refurbished.
And the strikingly new.
So stay with me for more on Berlin. There is so much to see and say….
(And if you ever want to stay in a modern, stylish self-catering apartment, with a good cafe downstairs, within easy reach of all the main Berlin sights, you might want to check out Circus.)
New York, New York. An iconic city, a city that you feel you know even when you’ve never been there. I’ve been once, in 1986, on business trip, for a few days. I’ll never forget the dazzling view of midtown as our helicopter flew in from JFK. (Didn’t fancy that copter, but glad I took it when I saw that view). I did experience that strange sense of familiarity that comes from seeing New York on TV, on film. And also from the music of New York. Music that has been central to my musical journey. Rock, soul, rap, jazz, funk, Latin, new wave, pop. As rich a variety as anywhere in the world.
So how about a Top Ten of New York songs? Could be because the band or singer is from New York, or just that the song conjures up images of the city. Or maybe I’ll go for twelve, just this time, because I just can’t bear to drop any of the tunes below…
12. Blitzkrieg Bop – The Ramones
The band for whom three chords was an extravagance. Dumbhead rock’n’roll. Beach Boys meets Iggy Pop meets Status Quo. Inspired punk. Actually not dumb at all. Pure pop genius.
11. Jet Boy – New York Dolls
I remember first seeing this lot on the Old Grey Whistle Test. Could only have come from New York. Too wild for anywhere else. Four blokes dressed in women’s clothes pumping out cartoon rock’n’roll. Jet Boy is the best thing they did.
10. Black Gold Of The Sun – Nuyorican Soul (ft Jocelyn Brown)
The standout track of a wonderful soulful, funky, latino compilation. The sound of a New York that I’ve never been to, but feel I know through music.
9. Venus – Television
From one of the greatest ever albums, “Marquee Moon”. Tom Verlaine on vocals and guitar. A song from the fragile heart of the city.
8. We Live In Brooklyn Baby – Roy Ayers
The jazz funk master. The title says it all… a languid masterpiece.
7. The Boxer – Simon and Garfunkel
Has any other song conveyed so well what it’s like to be lost in a big, new city?
6. Psycho Killer – Talking Heads
One of my favourite bands. This is from their first album, “Talking Heads 77”. New York’s an edgy city. This is a very edgy song.
5. Fight The Power – Public Enemy
The greatest ever rap band? This was the theme tune to the Spike Lee film “Do The Right Thing”. Elvis was a hero to most, but he never meant **** to me….
4. Spanish Stroll – Mink de Ville
A new wave classic, where punk and Latin soul met in perfect harmony.
3. I’m Waiting For The Man – The Velvet Underground
The place where the New York white boy/girl artists got embroiled with the darkness of the city. The Velvet Underground are the ultimate rock’n’roll sound of New York. It’s seedy, dangerous but exhilarating.
2. You Said Something – PJ Harvey
Polly Jean’s finest moment for me. The girl from the west country who turned rock’n’roll inside out. Here finding a rare moment of love…
On a rooftop in Brooklyn, at one in the morning,
Watching the lights flash,
In Manhattan.
I see five bridges, the Empire State Building,
And you said something
That I’ve never forgotten…..
1. Meeting Across The River – Bruce Springsteen
There are so many Bruce songs I could have chosen, but this short piece, the prelude to the mighty “Jungleland” might be the most poignant. The small time loser, with a deal on the cards that might allow him to break free.
And when I walk through that door, I’m just gonna throw that money on the bed…
The jazzy trumpet in the background reminds me of the time I sat in a cocktail bar, with friends, looking out at Brooklyn Bridge, lit up in the night sky. An unforgettable moment. How many cross that bridge with hope in their hearts?
There are so many songs I could have picked, so many artists I’ve left out. Blondie, Madonna, any number of Bob Dylan songs. Ryan Adams’ “New York, New York” (no relation to the Sinatra wedding party favourite!). So much soul and funk and rap. And one of Bruce’s greatest ever songs, “New York City Serenade”. But the twelve I selected are real favourites, all songs that mean something to me, something about New York City.
What songs remind you of New York?
And hey, let’s leave with a bar room blues from the great man himself, Frank Sinatra. “One For My Baby”.
I guess that makes thirteen.
And er, PS… I plain forgot Jay Z and Alicia Keys’ magnificent tribute to NYC, “Empire State Of Mind”.
Day 2 of the Tube strike. Decided to forgo the buses and just walk, apart from the Ealing Broadway to Paddington leg, which is a nifty 8-10 minutes on the train.
So 25 minutes from home to EB and 45 from Paddington to Victoria, via Hyde Park. A great opportunity to stick the iPod on and enjoy some music as well as the scenes around you. Hyde Park below.
Chose my staple Rockmix playlist, which has more than just rock – a bit of reggae, soul and dance too – put settings on shuffle and started walking!
Made a burden into a pleasure. Here’s what came on….
Boys Don’t Cry – The Cure. Chose this one with a random flick of the wheel. Love the indie-pop-electro combination.
The Faith Healer – Sensational Alex Harvey Band. Awesome riffage from Zal Cleminson.
All Down The Line – Rolling Stones. Keef and Mick Taylor laying down the rhythms on Exile From Main Street.
Old England – The Waterboys. Such a magnificent tune I played it twice.
Star – Primal Scream. Everybody is a star….!
Mary Queen of Arkansas – Bruce Springsteen. This and Primal Scream were all I needed to get from Ealing Broadway to Paddington. Quick.
Black Dog – Led Zeppelin. Put a spring in my step as I set out from Paddington station!
I Follow You – Melody’s Echo Chamber. She’s French.
Oh! No not my Baby. Rod Stewart. Rod at his soulful best
This Wheel’s on Fire. Bob Dylan and the Band. Direct from the Basement Tapes.
Look Wot You Dun – Slade. My early teens!
FM – Steely Dan. This was a great moment. The song worked so well as I strolled through Hyde Park, with the the central London skyline starting to emerge. Urban.
Buzzin’ – Asian Dub Foundation. What a great song! Drum’n’bass, reggae, Bhangra, punk, all in one feisty number.
Tommy Gun – The Clash. Straight after the ADF. What a combination. Absolutely rocking!
Lost in the Flood – Bruce Springsteen. Second track from Asbury Park. Wondrous.
Sun – Two Door Cinema Club. It’s not all nostalgia.
Going to California – Led Zeppelin. Another from Vol 4. Love it!
I Don’t Like Mondays – Boomtown Rats. Big song in its day. Prefer Rat Trap.
The Whisky Makes You Sweeter – Laura Cantrell. A lovely, lovely song. I paused outside the office so I could hear it to the end.
Bob Crow, you cannot defeat us while we have music!
Hyde Park today. An unplanned lake. OK, pond. Not exactly Somerset Levels, but shows how much rain we have had. The ducks – or the seagulls – have settled in.
Can’t beat commuting on a Tube strike day! My alternative arrangements took me to Paddington. Bus to Victoria was the plan…
This was the mayhem on Praed Street. Most buses didn’t even open their doors. Headed down to Edgware Road. Still on Praed Street, this amused me greatly. Hope they were open for business this morning!
Edgware Road buses weren’t much better, so I walked to Victoria. It was fine – very cold and windy, but a good bit of exercise. About half an hour.
(Wrote this on iPad while watching Chelsea beating Man City 1-0 at the Etihad. Impressive multi-tasking, I’m sure you’ll agree!)
Well I said the predictions would probably be wrong! So close though, and agonising for England after coming back brilliantly from 16-3 down. An entertaining battle, which could have gone either way, but it was looking like England’s until the last few minutes.
So what went wrong for England, or right for France? I’ve seen suggestions on Twitter that England weren’t fit enough. I don’t buy that one – early in the second half the commentators were saying France had lost their legs. True, Owen Farrell got cramp with ten minutes to go and that restricted what he could do. But I doubt that was a lack of fitness. Did England lack the experience to close the game down? Again, don’t think so. The backs were certainly youthful, but so were France’s – the game was won by a nineteen year old, Fickou – and the English forwards had plenty of nous and hard experience.
No, I think it was the substitutions that did for England. There are always plenty of them in rugby these days. It’s a brutal game, and the forwards, especially, need refreshing to maintain momentum. But just as England went 21-16 ahead, with a cheeky drop goal from Danny Care, the changes began. And one of the first to go was Danny boy. Coaches often do swap scrum halves at around 60 mins. They play such a pivotal role in the game, and a new man can bring fresh energy and different angles. But Danny was running the game, still showing zip, driving the forwards on. It was a very odd decision, good as the replacement, Lee Dickson, is.
The other change that didn’t work – no surprises – was Dylan Hartley coming off and Tom Youngs coming on. Now the all-action nature of the hooker means a swap is inevitable. It worked brilliantly for France as sub Dimitri Szarzewski made a superb run and pass to Fickou to set up the winning try. But when Youngs replaces Hartley the line out loses its poise, doubts creep in. Youngs made some powerful surges, but some of the control was lost.
And did the awesome Courtney Lawes really need to come off?
I know the coaches are sitting in the stands monitoring the individual performances, making fine judgements about how to strengthen and rebalance the team as the pressure mounts in the final quarter. To this day I don’t really feel I know the half of what’s going on, on the rugby field.
But it looked like England, having powered their way to a lead after a terrible start, had France on the rack, a foot on collective French neck, and then released the pressure. Any game between closely-matched teams is going to ebb and flow. Often when you get on top is when you relax, even if you don’t realise it. Maybe that’s why the subs came on. To keep up the pressure. But another ten minutes or so with Care and Hartley running the show might have made England unassailable.
Maybe.
The great thing about great contests. If, but, maybe, should’ve, could’ve…
England showed a lot of promise (Nowell and Burrell both did well, I thought), France showed they’ve still got the winning mentality. With Ireland and Wales winning as expected, England now have the catch-up challenge. They managed it during the France game and then fell at the last. Can they claw their way back over the five games and make it a four way battle for the Six Nations?
