Like many English cricket fans, I'm convinced that the ill-fated Ashes Tour of last winter didn't *actually* happen. Reason enough, surely, to retreat into EA Cricket 07 to recreate the adventure Down Under in the pursuit of retaining the urn so gallantly won in 2005. And in doing so, at least in my mind and house, rewriting cricketing history to further dent Aussie pride and strengthen the legacy of the modern England cricket team.
So, as a little project conjured up in my spare time, I'll be letting you know just how my bid to alter the whole space-time continuum goes, starting with the 1st Test in Brisbane whenever I can be arsed. It should also be noted that the England and Australia squads are based on the current roster and not those at the time. Which means I shan't be facing McGrath, Warne and Langer. Advantage? Well, no. For they won't be facing Simon Jones, Trescothick or even Geraint Jones. Yeah. I kept Flintoff. I'm not stupid.
28 February 2008
The Results Are In... NME Awards 2008
Some things in life are guaranteed without fail. Your football team will always let you down at a critical moment, you'll always be a disappointment in bed, and hoards of adolescent fuckwits will vote Pete Doherty their hero of the year. It's enough to make you lose faith if you are actually prepared to let yourselves be bound by the annual ego-trip that is the NME Awards.
London's O2 arena was the venue for this year's festivities, and it seems as if the NME's faithful consumers have gone out of their way to defy logic, and more importantly, piss me off. Several of the results, particularly the bigger awards, are on the verge of being incredulous albeit sadly predictable. And where better to start than the oft-unbelievable 'Hero of the Year' award. It seems tradition dictates that Pete Doherty wins it every year... clearly because a crack addict producing second rate music in a watered-down guise of previous glories is clearly something that the nation's 14-16 year old scenesters aspire to. And I blame that particular trait for One Night Only among others.
And then it's only right that the Arctic Monkeys are rolled out to pick up every gong going for being the Arctic Monkeys. A quiet 2007 has yielded Best Video, Best Album and presumably Best Song featuring the name Brian. Oh, and The Enemy picked up Best Band. For what, exactly? Wearing tracksuits in a non-threatening manner while trying to be Coventry's version of Oasis.
But there is a silver lining to the immense grey clouds... the Manics picked up Godlike Genius showing that the NME have, yet again, gone full circle in their love-hate relationship with the Cymraeg gods (and also if you believe that Morrissey would have taken it had he not had a tiff with them).
It's hard to criticise the NME cos they are fucking good at what they do. It's just the majority of their readers that get on my tits, uniting morons from GCSE to Undergraduate level. More concerned with image than the music, not knowing who Richey Edwards was when he was on the cover two weeks ago, and trying to impose their will on free-thinkers. I'll continue to occasionally pick up the NME if I can afford it. But just don't ask me to relate to some of their readers, because even a labotomy might not even help 'em. And yeah, I'm angry for getting so bothered about it. Maybe it's just that I still have a lot of faith in (new) music and am already resigned to knowing that people won't give a shit unless the NME tell them.
London's O2 arena was the venue for this year's festivities, and it seems as if the NME's faithful consumers have gone out of their way to defy logic, and more importantly, piss me off. Several of the results, particularly the bigger awards, are on the verge of being incredulous albeit sadly predictable. And where better to start than the oft-unbelievable 'Hero of the Year' award. It seems tradition dictates that Pete Doherty wins it every year... clearly because a crack addict producing second rate music in a watered-down guise of previous glories is clearly something that the nation's 14-16 year old scenesters aspire to. And I blame that particular trait for One Night Only among others.
And then it's only right that the Arctic Monkeys are rolled out to pick up every gong going for being the Arctic Monkeys. A quiet 2007 has yielded Best Video, Best Album and presumably Best Song featuring the name Brian. Oh, and The Enemy picked up Best Band. For what, exactly? Wearing tracksuits in a non-threatening manner while trying to be Coventry's version of Oasis.
But there is a silver lining to the immense grey clouds... the Manics picked up Godlike Genius showing that the NME have, yet again, gone full circle in their love-hate relationship with the Cymraeg gods (and also if you believe that Morrissey would have taken it had he not had a tiff with them).
It's hard to criticise the NME cos they are fucking good at what they do. It's just the majority of their readers that get on my tits, uniting morons from GCSE to Undergraduate level. More concerned with image than the music, not knowing who Richey Edwards was when he was on the cover two weeks ago, and trying to impose their will on free-thinkers. I'll continue to occasionally pick up the NME if I can afford it. But just don't ask me to relate to some of their readers, because even a labotomy might not even help 'em. And yeah, I'm angry for getting so bothered about it. Maybe it's just that I still have a lot of faith in (new) music and am already resigned to knowing that people won't give a shit unless the NME tell them.
12 February 2008
Latest music offerings...
Black Kids Extend UK Stay
One of the big hopes for 2008, Black Kids, are going to be staying in Blighty a while longer after being asked to support both Sons & Daughters and Kate Nash in the month ahead. The Yank rockers were already over here to play London’s Water Rats on 6 February and a NME Awards show alongside Pigeon Detectives at Astoria on 7th February, but these latest dates will keep the music playing well into March.
Spread The Love
Those sassy Swedish songsters Love Is All have revealed the exciting details of their forthcoming new album, not to mention the important matter that a new boy has joined their ranks.
And a review...
The Superimposers - Harpsichord Treacle
When that umpteenth cup of tea or that extra woolly jumper fails to release you from the cold clutches of winter, you do could do a lot worse than to reach the new release from London duo, The Superimposers. For Harpsichord Treacle is a lush world of wonder capable of invoking memories of halcyon Sixties summer days, and I wasn’t even there. I just get my ideas from that Procol Harum video, but it warms the cockles if only for the shortest of spells.
One of the big hopes for 2008, Black Kids, are going to be staying in Blighty a while longer after being asked to support both Sons & Daughters and Kate Nash in the month ahead. The Yank rockers were already over here to play London’s Water Rats on 6 February and a NME Awards show alongside Pigeon Detectives at Astoria on 7th February, but these latest dates will keep the music playing well into March.
Spread The Love
Those sassy Swedish songsters Love Is All have revealed the exciting details of their forthcoming new album, not to mention the important matter that a new boy has joined their ranks.
And a review...
The Superimposers - Harpsichord Treacle
When that umpteenth cup of tea or that extra woolly jumper fails to release you from the cold clutches of winter, you do could do a lot worse than to reach the new release from London duo, The Superimposers. For Harpsichord Treacle is a lush world of wonder capable of invoking memories of halcyon Sixties summer days, and I wasn’t even there. I just get my ideas from that Procol Harum video, but it warms the cockles if only for the shortest of spells.
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