Sportsthoughts (43) – To know or not to know the score, that is the question…..

Posted on September 2, 2012 by John S

Readers of a certain age, especially if they are British, will remember an episode of “The Likely Lads” (or “Whatever Happened to…) in which Terry and Bob spend the day trying to avoid hearing the result of the England game so they can watch it as if live on the TV that night.  It’s very funny.  And of course it ends with the revelation that the match was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch!

Yesterday was the start of the Rugby Union Premiership.  The mighty Quins were up against Wasps at Twickenham as part of the traditional London double header. First on, 2pm kick off.  I’d normally have been there, but we had tickets for the cycling at the Paralympics (more of that later). So, put on Record, watch on delay when I got back at about 3pm, that was the plan. Took a bit longer to get home than anticipated – I got trapped in the Olympics megastore as my girls shopped for souvenirs – but no matter, I was ready to roll at 3.30, to watch as if live.

What a disaster! Quins were totally out of sorts, Wasps rampant and it was 28-7 to Wasps after about 25 minutes. There was a massive gap on Quins’ left wing where George Lowe was meant to be, and Wasps’ speedsters, Varndell and Wade, were helping themselves to tries. This isn’t how it was meant to be. I was seriously thinking of using the fast forward button, to get the agony over quickly…

My mobile indicated that a text message had just arrived.  It was about the time the game would have ended. I suspected it might be from my friend Jon, who was on his way back from Cornwall, but whose family were probably following the score on Twitter in the car. Should I look? If I did, I’d know the score.  Ruin the live experience. But it wasn’t much of an experience.  I couldn’t resist the temptation.

What a comeback!

Really?

He didn’t mention the actual score, or whether the comeback had lasted to the end of the game. So there was still a little bit of uncertainty to justify watching as if live.  Even if now it looked as if the experience was going to be a bit better than expected. So I continued.

It got worse. Quins were lucky that Wasps had a try – another down Quins’ left – disallowed for an early forward pass in the move.  A product of new rules allowing the referee to ask for a video replay of more than just the final moments of a try. (A risk that refs will use this as a cop out, but it worked brilliantly for Quins this time.) The start of the second half wasn’t much better. And with 20-25 minutes to go, the score was Wasps 40 Quins 13 .

When is this comeback going to start?  It’s going to have to be amazing…

It was!

Quins opted for a triple substitution. Moments later one of the subs, Tom Guest, charged down a Wasps clearance and scored under the posts. Then a lovely move orchestrated by the magnificent Nick Evans led to Mike Brown diving in for a try wide on the left.  Then a perfect Evans cross kick was gathered by Brown for another try on the left. Then Nev had a piece of the try action for himself and wriggled through on the right for a touchdown.  He also converted three of the four. In less than twenty minutes Quins had scored 26 points and the score was 40-39!

Photo from Google images/ harlequins.co.uk

Wasps were out on their feet. But Quins still needed another score. Four minutes to go.  Was Jon’s text alluding to a great comeback that just faltered at the end?  Did he text me at the point that Quins had got it back to 39-40? It almost felt live.

The Quins forwards, now on top, squeezed a penalty out of Wasps.  Quite a long way out, but square on to the posts.  Nev stroked it over imperiously. 42-40! The boys held out for the last few minutes and that was it.

Winners!

Unbelievable.  What that will do to Wasps’ morale I hate to think.  For Quins , it will instill huge belief. But they had better sort out that left side defence.

Welcome back to the rugby – even if it’s never really gone away, if you take an international perspective. What with the Paralympics and the football in full flow, it almost felt too early to be watching the rugby again. But after that start, just can’t wait for the first home game this Friday against London Welsh.

Come on you Quins!

Photo from Google images/harlequins.co.uk

Posted in Sportsthoughts | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Have You Heard? – (18) “Channel Orange” by Frank Ocean

Posted on September 1, 2012 by John S

Frank Ocean is a singer from New Orleans who is part of the LA-based Odd Future collective. “Channel Orange” is his first solo album. I have my son Kieran to thank for putting me on to this. It may well be my album of the year.

The album is the best jazzrapsoul album I have heard for a long time. I use that expression jazzrapsoul to try to sum up a sound that covers all those bases and had its hey day in the 1990s when the fusion of sounds was really taking off.  I think back to the amazing “Rebirth of Cool” CD series in the UK, and artists like Maxwell (with his album “Urban Hang Suite”), Urban Species (“Blanket”) and D’Angelo (“Brown Sugar”). It’s in the spirit of the music played by DJ Gilles Peterson, about whom I’ve blogged before (see my Have You Heard 6).

The beats are really fresh, absolutely today’s sound.  But Frank’s singing and the vibe of the music conjures up so many images of Stevie Wonder, Prince and even Marvin Gaye for me. These are compliments – I’m not saying the sound is derivative.  It’s exactly the opposite.  While it reminds you of great sounds, it is distinctly the sound of Frank Ocean. He has made something quite original, from the materials of today and the past.

The subject material is quite dark.  There are stories of decadence, drugs, all the usual effects of too much money.  The big story at the time the album was released was Frank’s confession that he had a gay side – anathema to to the macho rap community. But that seems to have little relevance to the album, as far as I can tell.  Unless grappling with the issue has influenced the darkness of the lyrics.

It’s all about the music. Fantastic  jazzy soul beats, brilliant soulful singing, which really does remind you of Stevie Wonder and Prince – which is as good as it gets, as far as I am concerned.  And some rap interventions which are integral, not just show off pieces.

Every time I listen to this album it gets better. New aspects are revealed. But right now here are a few of my favourite tracks, to give you a taster.

Thinkin Bout You  is a classic soulful opener.  It may relate to the gay experience, but I haven”t really studied the lyrics.

Super Rich Kids is self explanatory. There’s some good rapping and an underlying beat which sounds like it might have come from Elton John’s “Benny and the Jets”. The singing sounds like it could be “Innervision” era Stevie Wonder, which really is the very best.

Crack Rock again is an obvious subject, but there is a beautiful melancholy about it and I can hear Prince singing “If I Was Your Girlfriend” somewhere in the ether.

Brilliant stuff, and there is so much more.

One to buy and cherish as the layers peel away.

Posted in Music - Have You Heard? | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sportsthoughts (42) – Whay-ay, the Big Man joins Big Sam at West Ham!

Posted on August 31, 2012 by John S

Done deal: Andy Carroll has signed on loan for West Ham from Liverpool

I’m surprised and rather delighted that Andy Carroll has joined West Ham on a season long loan, with an option, I think, to make it permanent. He’s a high quality player, a bit of a throwback to the days when a big man and a little man roamed up front in a 4-4-2, balls pumped up to the big man who would cause havoc in the opposing defence with his aerial power, leaving the little man to feed off the layoffs and loose balls. I think when Kenny Dalglish brought Carroll to Liverpool he might have been thinking about the old Toshack-Keegan combination, which thrilled the Kop decades ago.

It hasn’t worked out for Carroll at Liverpool because – especially now, under Brendan Rogers – they try to play a fluid, balls-to-feet 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 – which just doesn’t lend itself to the simpler, more direct play that can put a big, powerful, maybe-not-that-quick striker at the heart of the system. It actually works better with England, where Roy Hodgson still favours old-fashioned English virtues. And it did lead to that superb headed goal for Carroll against Sweden in the Euros, courtesy of Gerrard’s pinpoint cross.

So there’s a logic in Carroll joining the Irons, under the tutelage of Big Sam Allardyce, who still favours the quick ball up or across to the Big Man. He’s not the dinosaur manager of popular myth. He favours a 4-3-3 (which can become an over- cautious 4-5-1), but does like a robust centre forward who is good in the air and can hold the ball up. He likes to get the ball out out wide, and has already spent £10m on Matt Jarvis from Wolves to supply the crosses. Carton Cole in the centre is willing and powerful, but sometimes lacks the control and has spells when he just can’t finish it off. Carroll is undoubtedly a superior version and could well thrive in an environment where he will be the go-to man.

This presents a bit of a dilemma for the average West Ham fan (including me) who hangs on to the idea that Upton Park is “The Academy”. A place where only the finest football is accepted. Where the ball is the player’s friend. From whence came Bobby Moore, Martin Peters, Geoff Hurst, Trevor Brooking, Alan Devonshire, Rio Ferdinand… and, er, Julian Dicks, Billy Bonds (superb hard men, both). Are we happy to exchange style for success? All these exciting signings. Andy Carroll for godsakes! That’s real ambition. But the football, the football..

This hankering after good football, though,  is based on bit of a myth. There hasn’t been a lot of great football in recent years, probably not since ‘Arry Redknapp left. There have been plenty of relegation battles, sometimes ending in the drop, that’s for sure. So, while there were groans about the Allardyce playing style, there was an acceptance that he would probably get us out of the Championship and make us hard to beat in the Premier League. He did the first; jury’s out on the second. And with the acquisition of Carroll, it’s confirmed that West Ham will be joining Stoke and Sunderland as upholders of good old fashioned English football. Nothing especially wrong with that. Played well, it can be pacey, exciting and effective. But it can also be a grim tale of aimless long balls and wasted possession. A huff and a puff.

Meanwhile, the top clubs increasingly look to emulate the formations and style of play found on the “continent”. All play with an attacking intent. It doesn’t feel right in this era of attacking, fluent football, that West Ham, with their reputation for playing pretty, if largely unsuccessful, football, are moving to the ugly camp. If it’s successful then I guess people will buy in. If the only achievement is Premier League survival, I suspect the fans will get restive.

I have a feeling it could all be down to Andy Carroll’s head!

Posted in Sportsthoughts | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My Top Ten – Olympics music highlights

Posted on August 31, 2012 by John S

The opening and closing ceremonies of the London Olympics were infused with great British pop music.  We love our music, and I guess that, along with American music, it travels best around the globe.  Partly because it’s in English, of course, but also because one of the things we are good at in this country is making a really good pop tune.

Both ceremonies celebrated that in different ways.

The opening ceremony had the advantage.  No-one knew what to expect, so the canvas was open. And the music was mostly recorded, so they could have whoever they liked. I loved the quirkiness and the challenge of it. It wasn’t all the usual “pop royalty” suspects (see Queen’s Jubilee this year).  The Sex Pistols were in there, Underworld were celebrating lager, and the London East End’s very own Dizzee Rascal was performing his distorted hit dance tune “Bonkers”. We ended with Paul McCartney singing “Hey Jude”, but why not?  It’s the Beatles, innit? The best. Ever.

The closing ceremony focused on live performances, so it had to get people to turn up.  That limited its range, but I thought the show was pretty good.  I didn’t see it at the time, as I’d jetted off to Spain for a couple of weeks in the sun, but I watched it when I got back home. I’d been following Twitter where (unsurprisingly) there were some quite negative comments about the show. So my expectations were low. But I was soon really enjoying it. Another great spectacle and some top music.  The athletes looked like they were having a good time and the crowd certainly were.

Most bizarre moment of the closing ceremony was, I thought, the Pet Shop Boys cycling round the stadium singing “West End Girls” followed by a phalanx of riders in large orange helmets that made them look like some psychedelic offshoot of the Klu Klux Klan.  What was that all about? Quite what viewers would have made of it in, say, Jakarta, I really don’t know; but then the general quirkiness of both ceremonies was made to appeal to the British viewer, with I guess, a hope that the inventiveness and strangeness of it all of it all would somehow engage the global viewer.  With of course, Mr Bean and Eric Idle to make everyone laugh.

Anyway, I loved it all, but here are my Top Ten Best Musical moments.

10. (Closing) The Spice Girls on their London taxis singing “Wannabee” and “Spice Up Your Life”.  Easy to diss those girls, but they were real troupers on the night.  Good on ya!

9. (Opening) The crowd getting down with their air guitars to the metal bit of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

8. (Opening) Emili Sande’s moving rendition of “Abide With Me”. Tribute to those who had suffered in the 7/7 bombings, the day after we won the right to stage the Olympics. Brought a tear to my eye. Emili was also at the closing ceremony singing a rousing “Read All About It”

7. (Closing) Take That’s anthemic “Rule The World”. Used to be lighters that lit up in the crowd, now it’s mobile phones. Arms swaying…

6. (Opening) The Arctic Monkeys, playing live. starting with a rocking version of “I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor”, their greatest tune, and then a searing take on the Beatles’ “Come Together”.

5. (Opening) “Pretty Vacant” by the Sex Pistols blaring out and the performers pogoing to the beat. Back to 1977! I’d never have expected the Pistols to make the opening ceremony in front of the Queen, when once upon a time their songs got banned by the BBC. The times they are a’changing!

4. (Opening) “The End” and then “Hey Jude” by Paul McCartney. Some people criticised his voice.  It wasn’t as good as when I saw him at the O2 last year. But hey, it was still the right way to end the ceremony.  The greatest British pop band of all, the Beatles, probably the greatest full stop. Why wouldn’t we celebrate that? With “Hey Jude”, one of the great anthems. It moved me, for sure.

3. (Closing) Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen teaming up with Jessie J for a rocking version of “We Will Rock You”, the song that got played at all the Olympic venues that went for entertainment.  I heard it umpteen times at the football, the basketball and the beach volleyball. Jessie was a bit of a star at the closing ceremony, performing the Bee Gees “You Should be Dancing” with Tinie Tempah and Taio Cruz after all three of them had done their solo slots. And Brian May, with his big head of grey hair,  was an absolute star for starting with a magnificent metal workout from”Brighton Rock”, my favourite Queen tune. It did point up the lack of metal at either ceremony.  Why not a slot for Iron Maiden at the closing?  East End boys and massively popular around the world.

2. (Opening) Dizzee Rascal performing “Bonkers”. I love that song, especially the bass-heavy wig out in the middle of the tune.  It just made me laugh with pleasure to see Dizzee doing his bit at the Olympics opening ceremony. For all sorts of reasons.  Because this boy from the streets has become a kind of national treasure.  Because it would annoy lots of people who hate any kind of dance (ie, black) music. Because quite a lot of viewers around the world might have gone, who is this, and then said, hey this is good!  Because it said, more than anything else, this is Britain, BONKERS!

1. (Opening and just about everywhere. And at the Paralympics too). “Heroes”  by David Bowie.

(Click on the title to hear the song, then click back on this page to continue reading).

I love this song, always have – see my Bowie Top Ten. But when it came on as the British athletes emerged in their splendid white tracksuits with the gold trimming, it just blew me away. A truly inspired choice. It made me swell with pride. My team, the British team.  My song.  Our song. David Bowie, one of the greatest. It became a theme tune for the Olympics. Of course the lyrics don’t bear too much analysis, being as much about German cold war despair as the hope and belief. But that refrain…

We can be Heroes, just for one day!

Posted in London, Music - concerts, lists, reflections, Music - Top Tens | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Sportsthoughts (41) – those Olympics!

Posted on August 27, 2012 by John S

Two weeks on from the closing ceremony and a few days before the opening of the Paralympics in London, I’ve stirred myself to sum up how I felt about the games. We left for a holiday in Spain that last Sunday, so the blogging opportunities were a bit more limited. But no harm in spendng a little time reflecting, because we were all getting a bit euphoric!

I’m going to write something about the music too, so this post concentrates on the sport and the general vibe.

And that vibe, that was what was so extraordinary. Helped by GB’s medal haul, no doubt, but so much more than that.  A real pride in what we, as a nation had achieved at these Olympics: the magnificent architecture, the brilliant efficiency of it all (give or take the odd signal failure on the tube), the helpfulness and smiles of all those purple-shirted volunteers all over London, the amazing and imaginative venues outside the Olympic Park, the sheer goodwill between people of all nations, creeds and colours, the joie de vivre.

The build up in the media was typically probing for incompetence and failure. And a chance to knock the politicians – Tony Blair who helped win the games for London, Cameron now, Boris. Of course there would be a few glitches and the big story was G4S failing to provide enough people for security.  But the army stepped in and made things better anyway.  Good to have them around. People were still harping on about the cost (which was high) , the “Zil lanes” for the bigwigs (fair enough, I didn’t much like them in principle), doubting the transport system would cope, knocking Britain as so many like to do. I guess it’s in the national psyche to carp and doubt, but deep down there is a real pride and belief – it just takes a trigger to release it.

Just takes a trigger… or two. The procession of the Olympic Torch through the UK which clearly did energise the nation (though I must admit I largely missed it) and then that opening ceremony. I’ve written a bit about it already in Sportsthoughts 33, but I still chuckle at the audacity and quirkiness of it all, as well as the ambition and scale… and the brilliant music. I don’t know what the rest of the world made of it, but I think here in the UK, it gave us all a real buzz, a real launchpad for the Games.  A reminder (if we really needed it) of the rich history we have to draw upon, the humour and irony that infuses pretty much everything we do, and that music. When it comes to the crunch, we have the Beatles – no-one else can say that. It was so right to have Paul McCartney singing “Hey Jude” at the end, even if his voice was a little ropey.

Of course there was some controversy. An MP complained on Twitter about “leftie multiculturalism” – too much emphasis on Britain’s varied cultures. My God, the suggestion that black and white people might live together! Celebrating the National Health Service! That chap Dizzie whatisname going on about being bonkers! Bring back the Queen and the Rolling Stones! (whose entire musical references were from black America). Oh well, in a multicultural world we must try to understand all views. Some will be based on fear and loathing of anything but their own cultural references. We’ve got to deal with that, see how some of those fears can be assuaged.

I think the Olympics, as they progressed, might have helped.

Things start a little slowly, for GB, on the medal front. I really enjoyed going down to Richmond Bridge, to see the men’s road race flash by (see my Sportsthoughts 34). That buzz, the anticipation, the smiles, told you that this Olympics was going to be good. As it happened, the men’s team got their strategy wrong and never got the chance to launch Mark Cavendish to Gold. Material for the naysayers.  The swimmers weren’t doing quite as well either.  After a couple of days the articles were starting about the lack of Golds.  Oh, come on!

But then we got one, then two (Bradley Wiggins in the cycling time trial and Helen Glover and Heather Stanning in the women’s pairs rowing)  and it was all OK. And in fact it started going so well for team GB, that no-one knew where to go next. The positivity, both about the GB performance and the vibe at all the venues was such that the people began to lead the media.  Grumbling and criticising was becoming distinctly unfashionable. “Super Saturday” sealed it. When, that evening, GB won three Golds in the athletics arena – Greg Rutherford in the long jump, Jessica Ennis in the Heptathlon, Mo Farrar in the 10,000m – the buzz, the emotion, the love, was just extraordinary. The British butterfly – a real beauty with a big smile – truly emerged from its chrysalis and flew with red, white and blue pride. It was one of the moments when all cynicism was banished and there was unity in the joy of it all. Who could not be moved by Jess’s tears?

For a while, Britain – or the UK to be accurate – battered by recession, cuts, division, cynicism, self-doubt – rediscovered the love. For itself…

That mood flowed on through the second week, as did the medals. 65 in total by the end, with 29 Golds. That put us third in the medals table behind the USA and China (though I expect the Russians would emphasise total medals, which puts them third). A massive improvement on Beijing, which in itself was pretty good. commentators harked back to the dark days of Atlanta, 1996, when Britain won one Gold.

What’s the difference? Well, the brute answer is money. Britain started investing in its athletes. That meant the strategies could be developed and implemented, the talent identified, our strengths identified and nutured. Rowing and cycling for example. The National Lottery began in 1997 and it became a major source of funding. For Beijing £235m was put into team GB (I think that is for the four years in advance) and this rose to something between £260-3o0m for London, depending on whose figures you believe. Sydney 2000 was £60m and presumably before that it was even lower, as Sydney was the first Lottery-boosted sum.

So now will the funding continue?  The objective of doing well at our home games was bound to focus everyone, even the Treasury. Can that continue, in an era of cuts and downsizing?  David Cameron says it will, for Brazil. Hope he’s right.

And what of “The Legacy”.  A part of East London, Stratford, has been hugely redeveloped. There’s a massive Westfield shopping centre next door. There should be continued prosperity brought to the area. But what of the legacy for sport?  Is this a step jump, a new era? Will the nation get its kit on and participate?  Will children have the chance to make the best of their ability, regardless of background, outside the usual route of football? Will they have anywhere to play and learn those skills?  Since the Olympics, the papers are looking for examples of school playing fields being sold off, and they aren’t hard to find.  The education secretary, Michael Gove, is getting a bit of a kicking.  But will it last?  Will we lose interest in the detail, the local investment which is so essential? Without the focus of a Home Olympics? You have to fear the worst, especially when public funds are so tight.  When the Government cuts funding, local authorities usually take the brunt. Less national impact in the media.  The problems are manifested in local decisions, forced on cash-strapped local government.  At the same time, those authorities are told to prioritise things like social care (which is fair enough).  It makes funding of sport, which is not, in the short term, a life or death matter, or a vote winner, very vulnerable.  Thinking long term about something like sport, when money is tight and an election is imminent, will always be hard for any politician.

So the National Lottery remains key. If, of course, you believe that sport is important.  I do, of course. It’s good, physically for people, it can build self-esteem and teamwork,  and it entertains us and brings us together.  These things are hard to put a monetary value on, but I do think they are things to be cherished, and supported. As a tax payer, I’ll always be happy to see more of my contribution going into sport.

OK, enough of the diatribe. Here are my twelve favourite sporting moments from the Olympics, in no particular order. Was going to be ten, but I couldn’t leave any of these out, never mind the others that could have been in there!

* Bradley Wiggins winning the time trial and sitting on his throne in Hampton Court Palace.

* Lizzie Armistead’s brilliant silver in the women’s cycling road race, showing the men where they went wrong the day before.

* The US swimmers sweeping all before them and Michael Phelps breaking all medal records.

* The crazily festive atmosphere at the beach volleyball in Horse Guards Parade, with the fantastic nightime backdrop of Big Ben and the London Eye. Makes yer proud to be a Londoner!

* Seeing the power and skill of basketball close up, as Spain took on Russia.

* Greg Rutherford’s long jump Gold, overshadowed on Super Saturday by Jess and Mo, but just as impressive.

* Of course, the brilliance, and high spirits of Usain Bolt (and his silver medalling compatriot, Yohan Blake).

* Laura Trott’s brilliant achievements in the velodrome – such power. And then the almost bemused, breezy voice as she reflected on what she had done. Just so natural.

* Chris Hoy powering through to take the Kieren, after almost losing it to the German cyclist, Maxmillian Levy. And those silly bikes that take them through the first few laps.

* The sheer exuberance of the US women’s 4X100 sprinters as they smashed that old East German record.

* The mighty Mo Farrar taking the 5000m and 10,000m titles.  Surely the urging of the crowd helped sweep him to victory. Did someone really ask him whether he’d rather run for Somalia? Extraordinary.

And who doesn’t love this picture when he and Usain swap celebrations?

* And of course, Jessica Ennis winning the Heptathlon. And giving her all to win the 800m when she didn’t need to.  And the tears as she described in the BBC interview what it meant to her.  And those tears as they played the national Anthem for her Gold. The most moving moments of the Olympics for me.  Just sentimental, I guess.  But proud to be British, too..

And last thing, congratulations to the BBC for an absolutely fantastic presentation of the games. Everything – the presenters, the pundits, the commentary, the filming, the choice of channels (you could watch just about everything), the superb on-line offer.  Innovative, creative, professional, humorous: you name it, they got it spot on.  (Except when Chris Boardman couldn’t tell the time between the breakaway group and the peleton on the cycling road race, but hey, no-one’s perfect).

With luck, that will put paid to any more of those self-interested attacks on the BBC and the way it is funded. It is totally a national treasure. Get your hands off it!

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

Views from the Tate Modern

Posted on August 25, 2012 by John S

Yesterday, after I’d been to the Damien Hirst and Edvard Munch exhibitions I took a few photos of the striking architecture in the area. Full works are on my Flickr – see Blogroll, on toolbar to the right.

You’ve got to start with the greatest building in the vicinity, on the other side of the river. This shot taken from the third floor terrace of the Tate Modern.

Close ups of St Paul’s and the Millennium Bridge, which I think is a wonderful piece of architecture.

And closer still, this time from the 4th floor members’ terrace a little later.

A bit of the City and the “Gherkin”.

Just outside the entrance to the main turbine hall at the Tate there are some new towers, sharp and shiny, with some fascinating detail.

Even the cranes look pretty artistic!

I like this yellow building.  Could be part of a Pieter Bruegel the Elder painting, with that cutaway top and the patchwork windows.

This one has seen better days. Room for improvement though.

The Tate Modern, itself. An old power station.  Not beautiful, but starkly impressive.

A closer look at that anatomical piece, by Damien Hirst.

The Shard lurks in the background.

Back to St Paul’s and the bridge, from ground level.

And what if something went wrong with the theory of relativity?

Posted in London, Photos | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Damien Hirst at the Tate Modern, London

Posted on August 25, 2012 by John S

Words that flitted through my mind…

dot, dot, dot

Ambition scale audacious ugly repetitive spots dots bizarre amusing disgusting taking the mick magnificent golden belongs in natural history museum science museum syon park butterfly house curious kids mum is that a real sheep foul flies and bloody cows head flies flies flies cigarette butts yuk death sharks teeth alex harvey dove from above vic n bob rare beauty in a butterfly triptych real beauty killed a lot of butterflies 30,000 diamonds glittering how boots the chemist boring funny intriguing do angels have bones i had a butterfly collection once cruel dirty putrid black white baaaa obsessive meticulous why?

What can it all mean?

There was a mother there with three children, none older than nine or ten, probably. They were fascinated, full of questions. Are they real flies? Is that blood? That black thing smells. Ugh! Look, another shark! You’ve got a butterfly on your sleeve!

Therein, perhaps lies the appeal. Damien Hirst brings out the child in all of us.

Posted in Art, books, theatre, cinema | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Sportsthoughts (40) – FC Barcelona at the Camp Nou

Posted on August 23, 2012 by John S

On Sunday I fulfilled an ambition and went to the Camp Nou in Barcelona, to see the mighty FC Barcelona play.  To see the great Lionel Messi.

We were holidaying up the coast on the Costa Brava, near a town called Platja D’Aro. We’ve been staying at a camp called Cala Gogo for a few years, in the mobile homes owned by Thomsons Al Fresco. The camp is set in the hills, with a short walk to the beach, two good swimming pools, a decent restaurant and bar, open air discos, a Queen tribute band (really), big screen for Barca games (last year we saw both the intense Supercopa games between Barca and Real Madrid) and a lovely relaxed vibe about the place. Mainly Spanish, Dutch and French campers. If you are looking for a nice place to stay with kids, this does the business.

And one of the travel companies in the camp links up with a firm that arranges trips to the Camp Nou, amongst others. Sunday was the opening day of La Liga and Barca were playing Real Sociedad, from San Sebastian, in the Basque country. My son, Kieran, and I went along.  We had a very jolly hostess on the bus, a young Dutch woman called Demmy, who switched impressively between English, Dutch and Spanish as she exhorted us to sing along to the Barcelona anthem. It seemed churlish not to…

Tot el camp es un clam, som la gent blaugrana. Tant se val d’on venim, si del sud o del nord, ara estem d’acord, ara estem d’acord, una bandera ens agermana. Blaugrana al vent, un crit valent, tenim un nom, el sap tothom:

Barca, Barca, Baaarca!

That’s Catalan, by the way. Demmy helpfully translated the words for us.  Like any football song about the club you support, it’s all about how everyone comes together in the united cause. (Hmm, actually West Ham’s “I’m Forever blowing Bubbles” seems to emphasise dreams fading and dying, but it’s still quite moving when you belt it out.)

I was genuinely excited about visiting one of the true cathedrals of football.  The world’s best club team, playing the intricate football that has passed through into the Spanish national team, helping them to win the last two European championships and the last World Cup.  An unprecedented achievement.

But it has to be said that the stadium from the outside doesn’t grab you.  It’s big, but there’s no outstanding architecture – quite surprising when you think about the reputation of Barcelona, the city. I wasn’t inspired to do a photo shoot of the exterior, as I was, recently with Wembley stadium or the Olympic site (see my various blogs, in this Sportsthoughts series, or under the London category).

Inside, the stadium was showing its age too. Rather utilitarian, dark, in the corridors. And went you go out to the seats, impressive in scale, but quite basic. Two thirds, at least, of the crowd would get drenched if it rained.

But still, it was Barcelona.  And of course the pitch itself was in magnificent condition, being heavily watered to assist that trademark slick passing. (Just like Arsenal in that respect).

The team warm up. Dancing to Puyol’s tune.

And then, the game. First of the season.  Stadium no more than 60% full, so maybe 50,000 people. As well as holidays, I imagine some people were saving their first visit for this year’s Supercopa, which is again Barca v Real (tonight as I write), although this time with Barca merely as cup winners, while Real appear as winners of La Liga.

The game was terrific.  Especially the first half, when Barca took a 4-1 lead. The intensity of the second half was predictably lessened, but it had a genuinely moving moment when David Villa, who had been out of the game for a year with a broken leg, not only came on, but scored Barca’s fifth goal, after a classic move, slicing the opposition defence to pieces.

We watch Barca in awe on the TV. The intricate, triangular passing and moving, spinning a web that finally bamboozles the opposition, who begin to lose shape, leaving the gaps that Barca then exploit. The extraordinary Lionel Messi, in particular. He has a different licence to the rest.  He will wander anywhere, dribble, shoot from distance. Much of the rest is that extraordinarily precise short passing, probing, waiting, pouncing.  Seeing the whole pitch (which you can’t do on TV, which follows the ball) you appreciate the architecture of Barca’s game even more.  Players do interchange positions, especially in midfield, where Xavi, Fabregas and Messi, dropping back, were untouchable. The young player, Tello, positioned out wide left, was devasting in the first half, jinking into the penalty area cutting the ball back.  Not all the passes reached a Barca attacker, but I think the Real Sociedad defence was thoroughly discombobulated by his assaults. And behind the attacking players sat Busquets, ready to mop up whenever required.  Hardly visible, always present.

A midfield quartet, Pedro (I think) on the ball, Fabregas about to form the point of the diamond – see how he has penetrated the midfield cover –  Busquets (16) hovering,  Messi, the false nine, making up the four. See how closely they work together. Xavi in this case just behind, ready to join the fray, but covering for Pedro’s absence on the left, and Dani Alves’ typically advanced position, leaving the left back space exposed.

Having said all that, the first Barca goal was a simple Puyol header from a corner. The magnificent symbol of the club, the shaggy mane, nearing the end of his footballing days, but the ultimate Catalonian.  The goal greeted with a special delight by the crowd.  Next a Messi special, wriggling past his markers, shooting from the edge of the box.

Celebration.

Then another Messi goal. Finishing off one of those scything moves. Pedro then took a chance provided to him by one of Tello’s runs and crosses.  Clinical. Real Sociedad’s goal was a cracker too.  Absolutely cut up the Barca defence at speed.  A clue to Champions League challengers.  An insight Chelsea used to great effect last season. The soft underbelly of Barca is the central defence.  Puyol and Mascherano (a midfielder) to start, Piquet coming on in the second half. None blessed with amazing pace. Most of Barca’s defending is done higher up the field, as the midfielders and forwards swarm in pursuit of the ball if they lose it. But if you can get past that barrier, Barca are vulnerable. The question always is, do you dare commit the numbers to try?  Most teams say no, and sit back in numbers, hoping for a lucky break. Rarely works.

Real Sociedad, to their credit, did have a bit of a go in the first half.  And conceded four.  They sat deeper in the second half, and Barca probed round the edges.  It was good to see Iniesta, Piquet and then Villa come on, and the game ended happily with the Villa goal. (Of course he also got booked for taking off his shirt, to reveal a message on his T-shirt). And, it has to be said, the game drifted a bit.  Mexican waves began (never a good sign).  As Barca weave their spells, especially if they already have a 4-1 lead, there is a soporofic air.  Still a connoisseur’s delight, but not as viscerally exciting as seeing two English Premier league sides launching their frantic assaults on each other, the ball spilling every which way. Which is why the English media have suggested that Barca (and Spain) are boring. Well, only if you have the patience of a gnat. To watch Barcelona play football is a true privilege, football at its most refined – maybe the best ever. All those short passes back and forth may not always look like they have achieved anything, but subtly they change the geometry of the game, test the concentration of the defending team, until that concentration lapses, then bang! Cut to pieces. 

To watch Barcelona at Camp Nou, to see the genius of Messi and Xavi and Iniesta for real, is an experience I will always remember, and I hope I will return, to see Cesc Fabregas inherit the mantle from Xavi one day and become the fulcrum, the leader.

Cesc, No 4.

Kieran has forgiven him for leaving Arsenal, because this is so clearly where he belongs. Number 4, Barcelona. I bought him the new, garish orange and yellow away shirt with Fabregas, 4 on the back. It had to be done…

Get me a season ticket now!

Posted in Sportsthoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Summer reading, so intriguing!

Posted on August 19, 2012 by John S

One of the things I love about family summer holidays is that you get to catch up on your reading. It might be after breakfast, or on the beach, by the pool, or in the evening, before and after dinner and any activities, be it a game of cards or the open air disco.  Whatever, there is time to relax, contemplate and think things through.

I’ve managed to finish one book – Jennifer Egan’s “A Visit From The Goon Squad”, which combines a love of modern music with a wistfulness about the passage from youth to middle age and the missed opportunities – and start another: David Mitchell’s “Black Swan Green”. I’ve really enjoyed Mitchell’s other novels, not least “Cloud Atlas” and “The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet”. They combine fluid and entrancing prose with bizarre and often brutal happenings. I’ve been meaning to write something about Jacob de Zoet, which really is an extraordinary novel about Dutch traders in 19th century Japan and some nasty secret societies. Will do, in time. In good time…

But the thing I enjoy most is catching up on my magazines, in particular The Economist and Prospect. Both are brilliant and both stack up at home, because there is so much else to do. Especially now, with Twitter, Facebook and of course this blog. All eat into the time that  I might have used to read the weeklies and monthlies, though to be honest, I think the Economist has always stacked up, as I’d always read the NME or some music magazine like The Word or Q first.

But just today, after a bit of breakfast, I settled down with the June edition of Prospect and enjoyed an extraordinary variety of articles in the second half of the paper. I’d already enjoyed some reflections on Britain over the last sixty years and some troubling issues about the government in Hungary.  Today I started with a piece on the sheer variety of cultures in Indonesia and the trouble in governing it when a lot of power has been devolved to hundreds of small districts. Good for local potentates, harder for national strategy, or dealing with big mining companies. An interesting dilemma. We extol the need for local empowerment these days, but the sense in Indonesia is that it leads to corruption as local magnates are captured by big companies, and confusion as charities and NGOs don’t know who to turn to for decisions.

There was a strand running through the article on local customs, including the island of Sumbu, where they prop up the deceased for a few days while people come to pay homage and drink tea. Weird! Reminded me of when my wife and I toured round the island of Sulawesi. Tourists were invited to attend animal sacrifices, which were a big part of funerals. We declined, but did see a funeral procession, which involved a huge train of people and animals.  And all the skulls lodged in the cliffs. Spooky!

Next up was Will Self in characteristically entertaining mode analysing the advertising industry, suggesting, I think, that it was all about subliminal emotions, rather than direct hits.  But it wasn’t entirely clear. Then, the philosopher, John Gray, likened “The Wire” TV series to Greek tragedy, suggesting that it was a return to the idea that humans don’t really have control of their destiny, that the Gods, or today, the System, determine most things. Heavy stuff, but maybe in contrast to the Indonesian essay, which suggested that the system was losing control.

Then I read a review of art exhibitions in Dusseldorf – El Greco and his influence on German expressionists –  and London at the Tate Modern, which is showing a selection of works by Edvard Munch (not including The Scream). Fascinating, thought-provoking. I’ve already been to the Munch exhibition, as well as a lecture on it. I wasn’t as impressed as I thought I’d be: he came across as rather commercially-driven (all those repeat paintings) and strangely keen on taking photos of himself. But I think I’ll go again. The repeat paintings were fascinating in their nuances.

Next a short story by a Chilean novelist who I’d not heard of, called Roberto Bolano. He died in 2003, but has come to be widely recognised since then. Though not by me! The story is about a Spanish soldier who somehow gets involved in world war two with the Germans, gets injured and released, sent on the wrong train so he ends up with the SS in Russia, gets caught by the Russians  and tortured, but somehow gives them the impression he is an artist, ends up in a Siberian camp, is released and winds up as a janitor in Barcelona.  All in a few pages!

And the last piece was by Richard Dawkins, sticking a very large boot into a fellow scientist, Edward O Wilson, who takes a different view on evolution to him. Wilson has just published a book called The Social Conquest of Earth. Dawkins does not like it as it suggests that evolution can come through societal groups rather than genes jumping through individuals. That is my massively simplistic summary of the dispute. Dawkins’ article seemed rather abusive for a scientist, but also highly entertaining and informative. I flipped to the July edition to see the reaction.  Turns out it has had the biggest response ever to a Prospect article. Lots of scientific types getting very arsey! But hey, I’ve learned quite a lot from both sides.

That’s the point.  Just a couple of hours reading expanded my knowledge and appreciation of things in so many ways. Usefully? Who knows? Who cares? It’s good to learn, as far as I am concerned. I know a bit more about quite a few things as a result of today’s reading.

That feels good to me.

Posted in Art, books, theatre, cinema, Random stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sportsthoughts (39) – The Return of the Premier League

Posted on August 18, 2012 by John S

So soon after those feelgood Olympics, all those supremely talented athletes, at once successful and humble, in tune with the crowds who roared them on. After all the smiles, the friendliness, people of all nations happily mixing, celebrating, drinking in the atmosphere…

The return of the bloated, snarling, avaricious monster, the braying, hate-filled crowds, the cosseted, isolated, arrogant players? Yes, welcome back the Premier League!

At 3pm, British time, the first games kick off. I’m sitting in the Spanish sunshine, so I’m rather removed from the hype which is no doubt being generated as I write. Olympics? What were they, compared to “the greatest league in the world”? Back to self-regarding business.

But, yeah, I might feel a little anti about the League That Ate Itself right now, as it intrudes on the summer and the Olympic vibe, but I know that very soon I’ll be as engrossed as ever in the comings and goings, the controversies, and yes, the crazily entertaining football, the sublime skills, the acts of heroism, the atrocious refereeing decisions, the impassioned debate, the micro analysis of formations, pass completion rates, and all the rest.

And with West Ham back in “the greatest league in the world” it’ll be more personal than it was last season. Is the squad good enough to stay up? Yes, I think so, and Big Sam has made some astute purchases to strengthen the defensive areas of midfield: Mohamed Diame from Wigan (he looked good for Senegal at the Olympics) and Alou Diarra from Marseille. It’s a team that increasingly resembles Sam’s previous Premier League sides, Bolton and Blackburn (we’ll ignore Newcastle). Lots of big strong lads, well organised, tending to launch the ball quickly forward, either to the wings or the Big Man. The Big Man. Why, we even tried to entice lumbering Andy Carroll down to London. He is Big Sam’s ultimate striker. In fact, I think he might have enjoyed playing for the happy Hammers, but I guess he feared it would harm his England chances. Or maybe, like a true Geordie, he just hates “Cockneys”.

Anyway, it won’t always be pretty to watch, but I reckon Sam will steer us to mid table mediocrity. Then the fans will get bored and start to fantasise about Paolo di Canio, as he takes Swindon to the top of League One…

So, what about the top, territory that West Ham are unlikely to stray in to, unless they have a little run at the beginning? (The opening few games are a relatively gentle re-introduction – fingers crossed!). Well, it is hard to see beyond the two Manchester clubs, with City favourites for a second title, now having the confidence of the breakthrough. United have added Robin van Persie to their ranks, which should, in theory, make them pretty unstoppable. But I wonder. Will RVP and Rooney gel? They play in much the same part of the field. Will Rooney sulk if he has to compromise? Will RVP have a Dutch tantrum if he’s not first pick all the time. Will he even stay fit? The joys of speculation!

Hard to see beyond Manchester, but, but… Chelsea could be exciting, with their new look midfield, Newcastle might continue their upward path, and Arsenal, post-RVP? Well, the fans seem optimistic, including the one in my household. Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla are exciting buys, especially the Spanish midfielder, who would probably walk into every international team but his own. Add Walcott and the Ox and you have some mouth watering attacking possibilities. But will the defence be good enough to win the League? Wenger has made no additions there, and as I write, there’s a possibility of losing  defensive (as in Arsenal defensive) midfielder, Alex Song, to Barcelona. But one of the famous back five of old – Steve Bould – has been brought in to organise them, and the younger players will have matured. It might just work.

So, I’m going to allow a touch of wishful thinking to overrule cold judgement and predict a title win for the Gunners. City 2nd, Chelsea 3rd, United 4th, Newcastle 5th. Liverpool and Spurs battling it out for 6th – transitional years for both. Surprise success of the season? Everton maybe? QPR?

Or how about the mighty Irons?

Posted in Sportsthoughts | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments