Beckys tears show us the way to go

Over the last couple of weeks the Olympic podium has been the scene for many a good cry.  And rightly so. There is no place so high as an Olympic podium, the absolute peak of sporting achievement and once up there you have earned the right to shed a tear or two of joy.  Many, many did.  And while it was delightful to see the faces of 15 year old Lithuanians, or swimmers from Hong Kong winning their only medal,  no tears signified so much than those of  Becky Addlington, bronze in the 800m Freestyle.  Hers were not tears of joy, but of disappointment. Let's be clear, there is absolutely no shame in winning a Bronze instead of a Gold, no one is let down, but the vision of her on the podium, sobbing in disappointment, spoke volumes of how far British sport has traveled in coming home. 

 For many years we were happy to settle of coming second or third, plucky losers enjoying  taking part while USA and Australia gloried in winning and gloried in rubbing our noses in it. Undeterred, we held non competitive sports days in schools, ensured every knew they were good at something and resisted encouraging individual brilliance.

How that has now changed.  Resources, money and top class coaching have targeted the outstanding athletes in many sports, they they have returned in investment in Spades and my, how we enjoy winning now!  

Ten years ago Becky Addlington would have been delighted with Bronze, now she thinks it's just not good enough.  That attitude and determination is a sea change in British sport, a complete about turn.  It has spread beyond Olympic sports and can be seen in road cycling with team Sky  the resurgent Welsh and newly reformed English rugby teams.  A quiet determination to win and not settle for second best and  willingness to do all the work necessary to ensure they achieve that. To take losing with dignity and let it make them stronger.  Let's hope it is here to stay and there are more fantastic sporting moments which can lift the nation in the way we have been lifted these last few, brief days.  It's just a shame that that the same qualities cannot be given to our overpaid , petulant and complacent footballers. Now that really would be a turn around

The curse of multi-tasking

There was a time that I would just put on a record and listen to it. Nothing else, just listen to the music and perhaps sing along, or maybe play some air guitar.  Occasionally I may have read something at the same time, but generally, listening to the music was the main aim of putting it on. Appreciating it and enjoying it. Some of this may have been governed by time. I only had 4 minutes, or 20 if it was an LP, before I had to get up and turn over or put something else on. The digital world changed all that with the advent of 80 minute CD's and a skip button. 

Since then, however, something has insidiously and radically changed  and the vast proliferation of distractions that now vie for my time means that I am shocked to discover that I seem to have become mentally incapable single-tasking.  I now find it almost impossible to watch television without checking my Twitter timeline, reading posts on a favourite message board or flicking through a magazine.  Even films are now a constant challenge for my attention. The very thought that I could devote two whole hours just to one form of entertainment is now almost laughable. There is so much more I could be missing out on. My beloved music has moved into the realms of background noise. The only time I am able to devote to actually listening is while driving or walking to the shop for my Sunday paper, which I will read with music in the background.

This realization hit me only the other week.  I was watching the first episode of "The Newsroom". A new drama by Aaron Sorkin.  Previously, any work by the wordsmith behind the West Wing was watched in rapt appreciation, particularly a new series.  Not this time. My wife pointed out thirty minutes in  that I had hardly watched any of it without the distraction s provided by the I-pad and mobile phone. Sadly,   I realized that I had very little idea of how the plot had developed over the previous twenty minutes.  I did, however know the thoughts (in 160 characters or less) of a random bunch of people , most of whom  I had never met, and had posted my views in response to a topic raised on a message board by another bunch of people I had never met.  I had no idea whether something which would once have been of great interest to me was any good or otherwise. I had happily waited my time and attention on minutiae of no consequence or indeed real interest.

I has been commented elsewhere that in the way we use entertainment media has changed generationally. Those of us with grey hairs used to own music, still do our children consume it.  As such it loses it's value quickly as you have invested so little time and money in it. The effort or appreciating it is too great to break through the clutter of what now comprises normal daily life. The same can now be said of films, TV programmes and increasingly books. 

I watched The "Newsroom" again, ironically on the I-pad which caused the original distraction, whilst on a train. It was great.  I had missed something.  I'm trying to watch Grand Prix, TV dramas and  films consciously once again.  The rest can wait. It always did. Being able to filter out the distractions, concentrate and enjoy one piece of entertainment at a time is, in fact a great  joy. The availability of so many choices is a blessing of our age, but it should be just that, a choice. We run the risk of losing the pleasure of enjoyment and ending up as Roger Waters once put it "Amused to death"

Oi! Bruce, Sir Paul, pack it in, it's past our bedtimes.

Only in the UK could you expect an impromptu performance by two legends of rock and roll to be cut short because it was a bit late. Last night, Bruce Springsteen was joined at the end of his show by one of his heroes, Paul McCartney. After two songs they were still going strong at 10.45 and planning one last song to bring their show to 60,000 fans to a rapturous close, as is usual with a Springsteen. Instead of this they found themselves talking into microphones which had been silenced by organizers whose license ran out at 10.30 because of concerns over public transport. 

Setting aside the huge lapse in musical appreciation that this represented,  lets remember that this is a summer evening, albeit a wet one, in July, in one of the biggest cities in Western Europe. Can it really really be true that public transport in London stops at 10.30, even when it's not a school night?  The organizers have concerns over noise for local residents? Well hold it somewhere else then. An extra 10-15 minutes would have made little difference, but the pedantry of the decision is simply churlish. To then refuse to let the band leave for a further hour due to£ security" concerns is either petty, or a further example of the state of over hyped paranoia we have let ourselves slip into.

All this sorry decision has achieved is to spoil an evening for the music fans, and spoil a possibly unique moment for Bruce, Paul and the band. But more importantly, made London a laughing stock in the eyes of the world, at a time when all those eyes are all focused in thier direction. Hopefully they know roughly how long races will take during the Olympic Games.

Roger Waters , The Wall Manchester, May 2011

When: 

20 May 2011

Where: 

Manchester MEN Arena

Comments: 

Okay, you either like The Wall or you don't. There is no middle ground. It is 30 years since this show was last performed, there are major differences and it not just the technology. The 240ft wall is still there as are the inflatables and animations - modern computer imagery making them much clearer and effective. The band are not Floyd, but provide a excellent rendition of an album known word for word and note for note by all here tonight. But the main difference tonight was the crowd and Roger himself. While he performed much of the show on his own, away from the band, 15,000 enthusiasts managed to turn one of the most miserable pieces of rock music ever written into a full sing-along and Waters, rather than being petulant about as he was in the '80's, loved every minute, encouraging the involvement throughout. This is spectacle on a grand scale. Sound, crystal clear, visuals sharp and striking, totally over the top. If you like it, it's a great night out.

The Audience: 

All ages, standing and dancing like a normal rock show and having a great time. Sang along with the whole album even cheerless ditties like "Goodbye Cruel World" with gusto. Great and surprising atmosphere.

Food & Drink: 

As usual well overpriced. It seems arena food & drink rises at the same rate of inflation as ticket prices.

It Made Me Think...: 

The sheer scale of the show is difficult to take it all an and I'm sure I missed al lot of it while looking elsewhere. Whatever you views you couldn't fail to be impressed with the staging and the new found warmth and of rocks Mr Miseryguts.

 

 

First posted as A Night Out With.... on Word Magazine website (www.wordmagazine.co.uk) 25 May 2011

Eric Calpton, Cardiff May 2011

Where: 

Cardiff Motorpoint Arena

Comments: 

No flares or histrionics, Clapton shuffled on stage with an air of "Let's get on with it" and tore into Key To The Highway, which set the tone for the evening. The playing rarely less than brilliant, but you sometimes got the feeling it was a bit of drag him being here. Don't expect much new, the show is almost identical to the last tour with only one song from the last album, but when he closes his eyes, throws back his head and plays, Eric is still as good as he ever was. He more than did justice to the hits and his playing in the extended acoustic set was sublime and moving. He was too happy to share the solos his two keyboard players, which became repetitive, but Tim Carmon solo in Gary Moore's "Still got the blues" was a highlight. At other though times he seemed to be going through the motions. After two hours and a seemingly perfunctory Crossroads encore, with no band introductions or bows he simply waved and walked off stage without so much as a "fanguveymuchgoodnite"

The Audience: 

Mostly middle aged and worryingly well dressed for a concert. All controlled by intrusive & overzealous venue security, patrolling the isles armed with florescent armbands and torches. Why do we put up with being treated like this?

Food & Drink: 

A veritable smorgasbord, everything from cocktails to popcorn and ice-cream , reflecting the audience. I stuck to the coffee. Very rock'n roll.

It Made Me Think...: 

Part of my "Last chance to see" project (he's 66+, how much longer can he be bothered with touring?) and 4 days later I recall the show much more fondly than on the night. Go early and see Andy Fairweather- Low supporting - great fun.

 

First posted as "A Night Out With....." On Word Magazine website (www.wordmagazine.co.uk) 18 May 2011

Review Elbow , Cardiff 23 March 2011

Perhaps they are too clever. Perhaps they are too musically accomplished. Perhaps touring with a string section makes them appear too prog. Elbow, post Seldom Seen Kid, should be selling out medium size arena like this easily so why you can still get tickets the day before? It's big arena staging with projections and a walkway with mid crowd stage for Guy Garvey to do his work. The new songs in the set, of which there are many, fit seamlessly into an energetic and powerful show replacing older standards with no loss of class. Neat Little Rows and Open Arms being the highlights of the set. The magic of Elbow, and not just Garvey, is that they do very little on the stage but radiate all the warmth and charisma needed to fill these and bigger arenas. They make you feel welcome. Quirky, evocative and uplifting, all the elements of their studio music are magnified live and delivered with an effortless precision. Just six dates in to a no doubt long tour, can it get better? Perhaps.

The Audience: 

Groups, couples singles, middle age or younger, more familiar with the new songs that you would expect for an album that has been out for less than a month.

Food & Drink: 

6000 people standing in an arena? Get it beforehand. Although a tenner for three cold beers didn't seem such a bad deal in the circumstances.

It Made Me Think...: 

Make sure you enjoy them in these venues while you can because,by the time this tour has been though summer festivals, TV shows and promotions you won't be able to get near an Elbow gig for love nor money. Which is as it should be. Perhaps. 

First posted as "A Night Out With ....... On Th Word Magazine website (http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/) 25th March 2011

Review - Squeeze, Plymouth Pavillions, December 4 2010

Comments: 

Squeeze's challenge was to hold the audience's attention for 90 minutes with the 45 minutes of material that they had really come to hear. With an opening trio of Black Coffee in Bed, Take me I'm Yours and Annie Get Your Gun, it looked as though they could pull this off. The audience in this soulless basketball arena responded accordingly. Some, even unfolded their arms. However, the next hour of early album tracks and songs from the forgotten late 90's albums failed to hold the energy. The occasionally peppered hit would raise the noise and participation, only for it to sink again during the next 3 unfamiliar songs, until another bone was thrown to try to get us excited again. Finally, rewarded, for our patience, the final phalanx of hits were delivered to finish the show off, get everyone on our feet and stop the disappointing number of couples who took their coats and left mid set to beat the queues in the car park. Such is the lot of reformed '80's bands

The Audience: 

Couples - 45's and over.

Food & Drink: 

Black coffee

It Made Me Think...: 

Difford and Tilbrook should go to a Crowded House show, who resolved a similar problem with apolmb earlier this year. Now, must dig out my copy of Singles- 45's and Under again....



First submitted to "The Word" magazine website 5/12/10
Subsequently published in the printed magazine Jan 2011 edition........ To say I was chuffed was an understatement!