Mewbox » Neil

STANDON CALLING 2010

Neil — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:21:53 +0000

ORQUESTA BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB LIARS AND THESE NEW PURITANS HEADLINE STANDON CALLING 2010

Ten years on from its first poolside BBQ, award-winning, intimate summer festival Standon Calling is excited to announce a unique and uncompromising music line up for its 2010 edition. Kicking off the first acts confirmed for this year is the special news that the legendary, Grammy-winning Cuban music ensemble ORQUESTA BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB will be headlining Sunday night of the festival, which this year takes place from 6 – 8^th August 2010.

Throughout the inventive and party-fuelled Standon Calling weekend, they will be joined by an international line up of emerging talent and hotly tipped acts, including the live tour-de-force that is LIARS, Southend quartet THESE NEW PURITANS who will headline the second stage, curated by East London promoters Twisted Licks. Other highlights include the intense and glorious soundscapes of Danish collective EFTERKLANG plus PANTHA DU PRINCE, the PHENOMENAL HANDCLAP BAND, ESBEN AND THE WITCH, THE MEGAPHONIC THRIFT, CLOCK OPERA, and much more besides. In the coming weeks there will be lots more revealed, including further headliners and very special guests.

Inspired by Havana’s 1940s private dance and music club of the same name, this year celebrates the 80th birthday of the ORQUESTA BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB’s leading lady, Omara Portuondo, and a return to touring after nearly 10 years. An original member of the celebrated Buena Vista Social Club, Portuondo is part of Cuba’s musical soul, a diva from the island’s golden age where she danced and sang at the famed Tropicana Club.

Headlining Friday night on the Main Stage will be rapturous US experimental alt-rock trio LIARS. Long kings of the underground, their exhilarating fifth studio album Sisterworld (Mute) has seen them propelled into the limelight and showered with praise. With their warped and wonderful live performances the stuff of legend, Standon Calling is proud to host a rare UK appearance, reflecting the festival’s legacy of supporting exceptional break through talent which has included Florence and the Machine, Friendly Fires, Delphic, Wild Beasts, Paloma Faith and Mumford & Sons in recent years.

Other highlights include Southend-on-Sea art rock darlings THESE NEW PURITANS who will take to the stage on Friday night, riding high from the success of their recent second album Hidden; German dance maestro PANTHA DU PRINCE whose latest album Black Noise was released to great critical acclaim (Rough Trade, Feb 2010); CLOCK OPERA who bring their unique cut up pop to the fields; plus latest Domino Records signing ANNA CALVI, fresh from supporting the Arctic Monkeys on tour; new Matador Records signing ESBEN AND THE WITCH, already supporting the likes of The XX, Efterklang, Wild Beasts and The Big Pink this year; Norway’s The MEGAPHONIC THRIFT, buzz band of the recent By:larm festival; and mesmerising eight piece New Yorker’s PHENOMENAL HANDCLAP BAND, whose stomping fusion of psychedelia, rock n roll and 60s soul will set Standon’s fields on fire.

The backdrop for this sensational sonic line up is the beautiful 16^th century manor house and grounds of Standon, Hertfordshire, which offers glorious rolling countryside only 35 minutes from London. Complete with swimming pool which houses an underwater disco, a host of late night surprises, secret stages and unexpected performances and critically acclaimed market-style street food stalls, Standon Calling will this year also launch its very own local produce boxes in its ongoing support of local agricultural industries, which will accompany the fully stocked festival bars featuring local beers and ales.

Expect some added mystery and mayhem at Standon Calling 2010 as its annual theme takes a dark twist, in the form of Murder on the Standon Express – cue trench coats and trilbies, swag bags and hidden treasure, film noir and pistols at dawn. Further details about on site artwork, additional cultural programming, kids activities, plus lots more music will be announced over the coming weeks.

Check out some of this year’s festival music highlights early, at a special preview party at Hoxton Bar & Kitchen on 4^th May, featuring Filthy Dukes DJs, North Atlantic Oscillation, Clock Opera and Tom Ravenscroft.

There is also a special pre festival family event in the pipeline, so watch this space for more news on that.

What is Standon Calling?

Standon began as a birthday party for founder Alex Trenchard who wanted to create an intimate weekend of ultimate fun for his friends. Standon grew solely by word of mouth and now people come from all over the UK for its friendly atmosphere and killer line up.

Our kids area has been developed since Alex become a father last year! Kids can expect an interactive fun filled experience with the emphasis on education and discovery. Full details to be announced.
The festival is a not-for-profit event th at raises money for Phonenix Futures; a charity who support victims of drug and alcohol abuse across the UK.
The compost toilets at Standon are as green as can be, and contribute to Standon Calling’s overall green status – last year we won a Greener Festival Award for our environmental efforts.
Top secret areas at Standon change each year and revellers are unexpectedly led there when they least expect it.
You can walk around the whole festival site in under half an hour.

FESTIVAL TICKETS & INFORMATION:

Ticket Price: £95 weekend camping

£75 teen tickets for 13-17 year olds; Under 12s go free

Booking Fee: £2 per ticket goes to the charity Phoenix Futures

Theme: Murder on the Standon Express

Capacity: 5,000

www.standon-calling.com

SPECIAL PRE FESTIVAL PARTY, 4^TH MAY

Tuesday 4^th May 2010

Standon Calling Pre Party @ Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, London

Filthy Dukes DJs, North Atlantic Oscillation, Clock Opera, Tom Ravenscroft (DJ set)

£6 on the door

PRESS QUOTES:

“This year’s best boutique festival” – TIME OUT
“A tiddler compared to some but punching well above its weight” - THE SUNDAY TIMES
“Small but perfectly formed the epitome of the intimate festival…” – CLASH ONLINE
“Small, unspoilt, wholesome and sponsor-free…” – VICE
“The true British festival spirit is right here” – GIGWISE
“Standon Calling is a perfect example of a small festival getting it absolutely right…” – VIRTUAL FESTIVALS
“Beautifully different…genuinely warm…” – PLAYLOUDER
“Envisage the perfect garden party and you’re close to comprehending the spectacle that is Standon Calling.’ – DAILY MUSIC GUIDE

Hello Stranger // Press Release

Neil — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:50:43 +0000

Strangers In Stereo – The Future Of Music Blogs?
Friday, March 5th, 2010
——————————
OVERVIEW

Bringing 20 of the world’s most dynamic music blogs under one convenient roof, Strangers In Stereo (SiS) aims to eliminate the daily dilemma faced by every music fan — “What should I listen to?”. The answer is simple, SiS.

Launching on March 8th, 2010, our network draws from a wide range of geographies, genres and demographics. With writers scattered across the globe in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Sydney, Bahrain, London and Stockholm, SiS takes cultural diversity to a new level.

Aggregating select posts every week from each of the affiliated blogs, the network will cover new releases, live shows, news and more, through innovative and exclusive features. As bloggers, we’re close to the music and Strangers in Stereo
offers a unique enterprise with which to push the boundaries, shaping independent music as we know it. As blogs become a more accepted form of musical promotion and opinion, the challenge to make a difference as an individual grows every day. Strangers In Stereo allows blogs a chance to be a part of something bigger.

Each month the network reaches the network’s combined audience of over 2 million unique users, ensuring a built in audience of music fanatics. We’re working with Chicago-based digital lifestyle agency Mess (messmarketing.net) to provide a professional product; Mess’ past clients have included Microsoft, Burger King and Red Bull.

The future will see SiS branch into new areas, promoting independent music, putting on events across the globe and much, much more. We hope you’ll join us on this journey.

SiS Home Page
Twitter
Facebook

Founding Members:

Creamteam
Disco Demons
Discopunk
First Up
Forward Music
Hard Candy Music
Muumuse
Ohh! Crapp
Pigeons And Planes
Pretty Much Amazing
Sheena Beaston
Stoney Roads
Tastes Like Caramel
The Culture Of Me
The Music Ninja
The Music.fm
Too Many Sebastians
Tympanogram
Vinyl & Vodka
Yours Truly
——————————————————————-
LAUNCH

Mewbox Presents: Hello Stranger (Official Strangers In Stereo Launch Party)

To celebrate our launch in style, Strangers In Stereo is throwing a huge party at SXSW 2010, during the Music portion of the festival. Our SXSW party will be the first of our live events and we have brought together a great lineup of bands (see below) to mark the occasion. You wouldn’t want to miss out.

Don’t be a Stranger…

More Event Info…

VENUE

Elysium is a 500 capacity venue in the heart of Austin, less than 5 minutes walk from the Convention Centre. The event will be first come first serve, and 21+. The show will run from 12-6PM, with set times to follow.

Elysiu, 705 Red River St., Austin, TX 78701

Find out more about Elysium

Viktoria Modesta // Vote V for eVo!

Neil — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:11:34 +0000

It’s a hard life here at Mewbox. We’re currently splitting our time between sorting a load of events with one of the majors, getting our shit together for SXSW with Strangers in Stereo, drinking, dancing, laughing and talking to overtly glamorous ladies. Where did it all go wrong? Anyway, I’ll stop waffling, and let you see what someone more interesting has to say (in case you can’t work it out for yourselves, the questions are by us and the answers by V).

Hey Viktoria, I don’t really know whether to start with questions about you, your music, or your participation in the Evo Music competition. Probably best to let people get an idea of who you are first, then move on to the music, I think. I’ve read your bio on your website, and it’s left me with more questions than answers. First off, you came over from Latvia in 1999, and started modelling at 15 – what brought you to the UK?

My parents brought me to London in search of better future as living in post USSR Latvia wasnt exactly full of opportunity or any normal living.

And how did you get started in modelling? Was it a conscious decision, or were you approached to do it?

By age of 14 i was totally involved in exploring my personality and was mixing in alternative circles in Camden Down. Pushed to the edge of normal society for being different and not quite fitting in any the box i started my search for somewhere i can be myself. Modelling was a natural progression as i met many photographers and designers it became more apparent to me that posing in at from of camera was something very natural for me.

A lot of your modelling seems to have been subculture/fetish oriented – is that a purely professional choice, or do you have a long standing interest in these area?

It wasnt a professional choice as such but after some experience it seemed that alternative styling and my rather changing personality and image suited the edgy, extreme and sometimes sexual image that subculture modelling offered. Despite that in the more recent few years i have conciderably moved around in the fashion circles touching on avante garde high fashion and art projects.

I see you’re the face of Torture Garden. I remember going to Torture Garden a few times, a long time ago now, and my most entertaining memory of the place is my first visit when I was talking to a friend and found myself being energetically paddled by a fat man in a nappy and baby’s bonnet. I gave him a gentle slap on the cheek to stop him, and he started crying until someone came and put a dummy in his mouth, which seemed to calm him down. What’s your most entertaining memory of Torture Garden?

God! Soo many years n so many parties merge into 1. I think my first Torture Garden was the most unbeatable experience as it was the first time i felt totally free in my self expression, fashion and sexuality. It is never a dull moment i can assure you!

You’re now taking Torture Garden events on tour on your own. You seem very busy these days, with mainstream modelling, event hostessing, the TG events, award ceremony presenting, and work as an artist’s model and a stylist to cope with. Where do you find the time to write and perform in a band?

Well i am incredibly self driven I spent most of last 5 years working on music in the background while modelling and styling. But music has been a constant passion for me since i was a child attending performing arts school in Latvia. So when i moved to London few years down the line i started having lessons again and went through a dozen producers which really helped me understand what my musical style is and what kind of artist i want to be. If you want to do something very very much there is always time!

I see Viktoria Modesta (the band) is a collaboration between you and Nik Hodges. Is Nik Hodges invisible? If not, tell us something else interesting about him.

‘Nik is the ‘man in the shadows’ . He prefers to occupy the studio leaving me to occupy the spotlight, although you may catch him onstage with me hiding behind a large bright white guitar.’

Having listened to the tracks you have up on your site, I’d describe your music as slightly downbeat, very well crafted electro pop. Would you say that’s a fair summary?

Id say its pretty accurate. I think the music reflects me in many ways as it has all elements of music i like electro, pop and twangy guitars layered through the music.

How did you decide which song to use for the Evo Music Rooms competition?

Jane Bond was the first song Nik and I wrote together and it has been one of public favouties.

If you win the competition, what are your plans?

Get a record deal, write new music and put on some amazing shows on!!

And what if you don’t?

Just the same

As a final note, I read on your site that you had a leg amputated in 2009. It certainly doesn’t seem to have stopped you working very hard at what you do, and doing it very well. A lot of people would give up, or hide, after something like that happening, but you don’t seem to feel that way. What has kept you going?

Proving every person that doubted me wrong

And do you see what you’re doing as having a message for other people in similar situations?

Absolutely its all about how you see yourself

So there she is…if you like what you hear and see, vote for Viktoria at Evo Music Rooms now.

I did. And even if I hadn’t, I would. Just for Camden Down.

Stag & Dagger // 2010 Dates and Stages

Neil — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:52:19 +0000

Our new friends at Stag & Dagger have sent us through their dates and initial listings for this year’s do – eyes peeled, more to follow!

LONDON: FRIDAY 21 MAY
GLASGOW: SATURDAY 22 MAY
www.staganddagger.com
www.seetickets.com

£12 Early Bird Tickets available now from Stag and Dagger Tickets

THE BUG * WILD BEASTS* SIAN ALICE GROUP*
JOKER* FRANKIE & THE HEARTSTRINGS*
DJANGO DJANGO* COOLY G*
ONEMAN* FILTHY DUKES*
THE RADIO DEPT.

Stag & Dagger returns to London and Glasgow for its third year in 2010 with over 100 live
music acts and DJs in the one-ticket-gives access to all, multi-venue festival. As always, along
with established names on the bill, Stag & Dagger promises to showcase some of the most
up and coming new bands and DJs from around the world.

The early bird tickets sold out in record time, so due to overwhelming demand we will be
selling a number of additional early bird tickets at £12, for a limited time only.
The line up so far is listed below, with many more acts to be announced in the coming
months.

LONDON LINE-UP SO FAR:

FACT:
The Bug
Bug MCs (Flowdan and Daddy Freddy)
Mount Kimbie
Deadboy DJ
FACT DJs
Deadly Rhythm:
People Under the Stairs

DELS
Deadly Rhythm Soundsystem
Feeding Time:
Comanechi
Sian Alice Group
Active Child
Wichita 10 Year Anniversary Party:
Frankie & the Heartstrings
Sky Larkin
Cold Pumas
Dam Mantle
Kill Em All:
Filthy Dukes (DJ set)
Django Django
Teenagers in Tokyo
Is Tropical
Clock Opera
Stopmakingme
Hyponik:
Cooly G
Oneman
Brackles
Bok Bok
Reecha
Hyponik DJ Squad
Sonic Cathedral:
The Radio Dept.
North Atlantic Oscillation
Yeti Lane
Team Ghost

LONDON STAGES STILL TO BE ANNOUNCED:
Blogger’s Delight
Club The Mammoth
Faster than Sound
Get Me
No Pain in Pop
The Quietus
SWN
Sexbeat
Snap, Crackle & Pop
Robin and Partridge: The Story Club

GLASGOW LINE UP SO FAR:

The Antlers
Chapel Club
Divorce
El Rancho Relaxo
Erland & the Carnival
Esben and the Witch
Frankie & the Heartstrings
Joker
Kid Adrift
Male Bonding
My Latest Novel
Place to bury Strangers
Sparrow and the Workshop
Unwinding Hours
We were Promised Jetpacks
Wild Beasts

SXSW // Mewbox Presents : Hello Stranger // March 20th 2010

Neil — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:38:32 +0000

The official launch party for the new bloggers collective, ‘Strangers in Stereo’ is to be presented by Mewbox at this years music conference SXSW in Austin, Texas. We’ll be there to demo the app on both the Archos and the Android platforms, talk about what plans Mewbox has for the year ahead as well get involved with some good music and help support the launch of Strangers in Stereo. We might even have time for a beer along the way. See you there?

Secrets of the Stars #1 Elton John

Neil — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:31:35 +0000

Aargh! Not another camera intruding on my private life!

Sir Elton John is secretly…

I was reading casually on the internet earlier today, just browsing through the music news, when I came across a headline I just couldn’t believe. It truns out that Sir Reg, I mean Elton John, is secretly…SHY! I want you to understand the shock I felt when I read this. Being half asleep, my head filled in some of the sense and before I’d had a chance to digest it properly I thought for a minute they were suggesting that the fake furred flower fancier might be…well, never mind, I was half asleep, but imagine my shock on hearing the old Dame Edna impersonator is shy.

As Elton never said: ‘I first became aware of this painful shyness when I got the urge to swagger around with the big leather-clad mustachioed men who terrified Kensington Market in the late 60s. It became more apparent as I felt the need to dress myself in shiny platform boots and sequinned bodysuits and parade around on stage as the centre of attention for a crowd of thousands. It really came to a head when I started losing my hair, though. Luckily, by this time I was well enough connected to call Mrs Thatcher, who sent me off to see her brother, and after 20 years of hard work, my only real problem now is an infestation of rats”.

Anyway, I’ve done a bit of work (well, 30 seconds on Google Images to be honest) to show you just how shy brave Sir Elton really is:

One of a young Sir Elton's ingenious but ultimately unsuccessful attempts to blend in to the crowd

Brave Sir Elton conquers his fear to model a pink sequinned cowboy catsuit in a selfless bid to distract the world's media glare from a grateful Miss Piggy

His car collection beset by paparazzi, an outwardly calm Sir Elton attempts to protect it by selflessly putting his trembling body in the line of fire

Overcoming what can be a crippling affliction so completely is surely cause for some kind of celebration, maybe even a party. But no doubt Sir Elton would be too shy to throw one.

Natubella – ElectROCKchick!

Neil — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:16:19 +0000

Coming to you from Argentina via Sweden, Natubella has a unique take on the current trend for retro-future electronica. Loving electronic music, and loving rock, she has fused the two into a sound she describes as ElectROCKnica – in her words, ‘This is not rock with a synth, but synth that rocks!”. Formerly a part of one of the biggest electronica bands of South-America, Los Sueños de Anderson, Natubella went solo in 2006 and has been working closely with four (mysteriosuly unnamed) producers from Argentina and Sweden. They finished the album “Little Devil” in 2009, and Natubella has decided she now has time to play a couple of nights over here.

So what’s the music like? Quoting influences such as Goldfrapp, Curve, Massive Attack, Madonna, Depeche Mode and Blondie, the rock part may seem a little absent. But her recent cover of Black Sabbath’s N.I.B. shows the other side of the coin. If you’re nice to us, or even if you’re not, you can get a copy of it here (usual drill, right click to download).

There’s elements of rock and electronic, obviously, a fair bit of pop, and a smattering of industrial and even goth tinged nuances in it. Listening to some of the tracks on her facebook page, you can maybe hear a hint of Hazel O’Connor in the vocals at times. And a kind of post-punk ethos in there too. In fact, it’s a meld of loads of things I like from the 80s, persuaded to dress themselves up for a very modern big night out. Some up tempo, some down tempo, some sad, some mad. Plenty to get your ears round! I enjoyed it enough to have saved the date to go and see her on Saturday. Her gig, I mean. Some people…

If you fancy coming down and having a listen, you’ll be able to catch Natubella (and me if you know me or have ESP) here:

Bar Music Hall, 134 Curtain Rd Shoreditch, London
“Saturday 13 Feb 9pm till late. @ Bar Music Hall HoxtonLab presents eXs My hart is electro!!”

Spasticus Fantasticus

Neil — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 23:52:59 +0000

Following up from the news roundup this week, this is just a (tiny) little bit more on Ian Dury. It was great to hear someone has made a film about someone worthwhile for a change and I thought I’d give those of you who don’t know about him a brief idea of what he was up to. Won’t go too much into his personal history as I suspect there will be an avalanche of that in the wake of the film, but I thought I’d stick up a few bits you might enjoy.

First off, we’ll give you his contribution to the International Year of the Disabled, Spasticus Autisticus . Dury was disabled himself, and whether it bothered him or not you can work out for yourselves. Unfortunately, the authorities didn’t take such a broad view of the subject – the song was considered so offensive it was banned from radio play. Obviously the disabled were meant to be grateful rather than contribute or enjoy themselves.

Realising he wasn’t allowed an opinion or to have fun, Dury may have resorted to self harm (or just gone a bit sub) , before remembering the only way to get a film made about you was to hit all the big words in the title.*

*Mewbox takes no responsibility for the accuracy of these statements or their ordering, by the way. They fell out the sky.

While I’m here, I’ll also add a little something which regular readers will know illuminates a subject dear to the heart of Mewbox, a contribution to the ongoing and endless debate about the value of cover versions. This one includes a little bit of fun had at the expense of the Met when Hugh Cornwell was banged up for having things in his pocket which led the authorities to suspect he might be going out with the intention to have fun. Can’t be having that, sonny!

Apropos of nothing, while we’re the subject of peaches, we thought we’d give you another version. Funnily enough, this one involves another decent bloke, Terry Hall.

Anyway, I hope and doubt that the film will do justice to the work (let’s not discuss life) of a unique talent. If the team behind it manage it, they won’t half be clever bastards .

News Beat

Neil — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 17:22:52 +0000

So, what’s been going on this week in the music world? While we’ve all been sitting by the fire, eating, drinking and being merry, plenty of hard-eyed musos have been fighting hard to get ahead:

Knee Deep in it
Foremost amongst these, as so often, were U2. The formerly Irish stadium rockers have managed to bag the massive retirment payoff (well, we can hope) that is a headline slot at annual mudfest Glastonbury. They’ve promised to ‘leave their mark’ on the legendary festival. Let’s just hope they wipe up after themselves.
NME

You Scratch my Back
Blagging along in their wake is Peter Gabriel, who has given up writing and performing material in favour of getting classical performers to perform versions of other luminaries’ numbers on the basis they do the same for his tracks in future. Paid twice for doing nothing? Nice work if you can get it.
Billboard

Won’t somebody think of the children?
Also full of senior vigour, The Who have proved a controversial choice as the headline act for the Superbowl. Made famous again as the intro act for TV series CSI, US child safety campaigners have objected to the presence at a national event of Pete Townsend, who was placed on the sex offenders register for 5 years for using his credit card to access child pornography. But apparently it’s all OK as he was doing (self-accredited) research.
NME

While others have taken a hard-earned break:

Reasons to be Cheerful
This is more like it. Great musician lives with polio and cancer, writes great music, dies, has film made in his honour (Sex & Drugs & Rock’n'Roll). Maybe he didn’t die young enough to be propelled to heroic status, but Ian Dury wrote some great tracks and was a decent human being, rare enough in the business. Check out his stuff, and don’t forget to look beyond the hits to some lesser-known gems. Jack Shit George is a particular favourite of ours.
Music News

That’s it for this week. Maybe those lazy youngsters will be back at work next week. Ciao!

I Won’t Do What You Tell Me?

Neil — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 03:01:22 +0000

I’ll start off with a confession. I’m guilty of being an idiot too. I bought a track I never really liked (although I do like it more now than when it first came out, but no matter) just to help keep the little man-Cole off the top of the charts this Christmas. But it wasn’t an expression of individuality. The sad fact is that I did exactly what they told me. Just like all the mugs who bought whatever drivel Cowell offered them this year.

It’s one thing buying a track you like because you want to. That’s fine by me. It’s pretty much OK buying a track because it will make your missus happy. Maybe just about forgivable buying one because you want your mates to think you’re one of the lads (or lasses, sorry, no sexism here!). But it’s not OK buying one because Cowell has conned ITV into brainwashing the nation for his own profit. And, if anything, it’s probably worse buying a track just to spite someone you’ve never met and don’t give a toss if they live or die. But I still did it.

So why? That’s the question? I’m not good at doing what I’m told. Never have been. This basic inability has caused me untold trouble down the years, as anyone who’s known me a while will tell you. What could the reason be?

It wasn’t a social media acceptance thing. I never joined the Facebook group, never told anyone I’d done it. So not a real life social acceptance thing, or a way to give people a laugh at what a jolly rebellious chap I am. It wasn’t out of any deep personal animosity to either Cowell, who I find rather amusing, or the tiny Tynesider, who probably gets enough gyp without me adding to it. It wasn’t about the song they released, I don’t know its name, let alone what it sounds like. I didn’t even really care which got to #1. So why?

I’m not sure, probably never will be. I’d like to think it was to be part of some kind of experiment, but if so, surely I’d have been more interested in the outcome? Maybe it was some kind of post-postmodern activist apathy, but that kind of thing sounds like to much effort to me.

I’m guessing it was partly to do weariness at the relentless media manipulation to which we’re all subjected. But I fell for that in a different medium where the message was put in a way I found more palatable. More than that, I think it was a gut reaction to the desensitised, artificial nature of the crud that’s forced down our ears by the media. I know some people like it, but that doesn’t make it right. I can think of many things, involving animals and children for instance, that people like. It’s just my opinion, but I don’t think they’re right either.

So if that’s my gripe, what’s the answer? How do we get music back to a point where we don’t have to buy superannuated rock-rap whinges to keep tiny Geordie manlets off the top of the charts at Christmas? I’m not sure myself, so why not suggest something?

Just don’t make it Cliff Richard.