Here are just a few random pictures that I took at this years festival. There will be two more picture posts. If you spot yourself in any of them feel free to get in touch and I’d be happy to give you a mention on the blog. If you’d like to read my review of the day click here.
Well it’s that time of year again; time for me to spend three days standing in a field in Berkshire with thousands of other people. There will be shouting, mud (possibly), booze and drugs (for some), food stuffs thrown (usually scotch eggs) and oodles of great music. Yes the Reading Festival is here again and as has been the tradition for a several years now I will be attending with my good friend and fellow Zimmer Twin Nick. We are two fiftysomething music fans and between us we have seen all the great bands from Led Zep to the Foos and from Bowie to Suede. To be fair we have also seen our share of crap bands too.
Anyway who am I looking forward to most this year? I think the three headliners are a good choice. I saw Green Day back in 2005 at the Milton Keynes Bowl, that was a great show. I have seen Biffy Clyro at Reading a few times and after the release of their current album ‘Opposites’ earlier this year I think that they will make excellent headliners. I am looking forward to Eminem and I think he will be superb. However back in 2001 I thought his set, which included extensive collaboration with D12 was a little subdued.
Other acts I am quite excited about seeing are; Kate Nash (who I saw in York earlier this year), will the Tuts join her on stage? Let’s hope so! Then there is the supremely talented Jake Bugg, Chvrches, Johnny Marr, Savages, Palma Violets, Fallout Boy, Spector, Haim, Villagers, Jagwar Ma, the Bronx, the 1975 and the Fuck Buttons. Sadly I’m sure that some of these acts may be on at the same time on different stages. But whatever happens I intend to be there for the return of Enter Shikari and I will definitely not be missing Christchurch’s finest son Frank Turner and Nine Inch Nails. Fingers crossed that Trent Reznor is joined by his friend David Bowie, somehow I don’t think so though.
As for the BBC Introducing Stage we also take a look at a few of the up and coming bands. Sometimes we pick who we want to see based on their names. So this year we will be looking out for We Are Knuckle Draggers, As Elephants Are and Catfish and the Bottlemen. Who are you most looking forward to this year at Reading and Leeds? Don’t forget if you should bump into us Zimmer Twins feel free to say hello. I will make sure that you get a mention in this blog!
This is a public service announcement; if you are easily offended by the word FUCK then please read no further. You have been fucking warned ok!
I usually listen to my iPod in shuffle mode when I walk from the car to the office every morning. It gives me a good ten minute blast of tunes before I start the day. This morning up popped Eamon with his UK number one from 2004 “Fuck It (I Don’t Want You Back)” I believe that is the first UK number one to feature the F Word in its title. It even generated an answer song in response from Frankee. That was called “FURB (Fuck You Right Back)”. It got me thinking a few things first that FUCK is a rather good word when used in the right context isn’t it?
The word has featured in plenty of songs; “Working Class Hero” from John Lennon and the MC5 introduced their storming live version of “Kick Out The Jams” with the line ‘kick out the jams motherfuckers!’ The word has perhaps been a little overused by rappers too. But secondly it got me thinking what are my favourite songs with the word fuck in the title. Here are my top choices (plus Eamon and Frankee’s efforts) what are yours?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hojDnWRKrw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnsIAoOKBVE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvWj18LeU1g
Pierrot has let himself go a bit hasn’t he?
It seems like American goofball supreme Lady Gaga is doing her best to court controversy once again. Her new album ‘ARTPOP‘ is released later this year and it will be released in a several formats, notably an app. A Gaga spokesperson apparently says “the app itself is a musical and visual engineering system that combines music, art, fashion and technology with a new interactive world-wide community”. They then go on to say “The album ‘ARTPOP’ musically mirrors Gaga’s creative process as she passes through the mediums of each artist she collaborates with, scoring a blueprint of her journey. The result, a “rage” of electronic passion and fury, defining each artistic process from beginning to end, ‘ARTPOP’ could mean anything. But for her, this is a celebration of obsession.” Could this woman be any further up herself?
So far up herself she probably left the snorkel somewhere up her backside
If there was a prize for someone with the ability to endlessly talk bollocks and that bullshit was an art form then she would win every award available. Do people believe this shite? Anyway the album as an app type experience has been done before when Bjork released her last album ‘Biophilia‘ as an inventive collection of apps. I’m not saying that Gaga’s album will be bad, in fact I am a fan of her music. What I am saying is do we really have to put up with the pretentious crap that she promotes herself with.
Anyway how controversial is she on this occasion? Well she has released a picture of herself with no clothes on sitting on a chair made of discarded microchips and wearing a pair of eye test glasses. Oh shock horror that will offend everyone won’t it? The new single is released on 19th August and is called “Applause”. I’m happy to applaud her musical output to date but not her image and all the drivel and nonsense she spouts! Oh and finally the single isn’t too bad, perhaps a little bit Madonna-ish in places though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lgidy9kK0vg
Is Bjork more tasteful than Gaga? I’ll leave you to decide!
Paul Hewson a.k.a. Bono Vox off of U2 has recently been awarded one of the highest cultural honours available in France. This was in recognition of his services to music and committment to humanitarian aid. he was given the honour; Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters by French Culture Minister Aurelie Filippetti in Paris. He dedicated the award to his band, saying, ‘I’ve got the biggest mouth and the loudest voice but the music we make comes from each other’. The award was first presented in 1957 and has been awarded to other musicians including; Bob Dylan (1990), David Bowie (1999) and Patti Smith (2005). Two James Bond actors Sean Connery (1987) and Roger Moore (2008). Donald Sutherland, Bruce Willis, Clint Eastwood and Audrey Hepburn are also in that exclusive club along with writers T.S. Eliot and Julian Barnes.
Pope steals Bono’s glasses in effort to look cool…….. FAILS!
While we are talking about awards it has been announced that the BMI, the music rights organisation, will present a special icon award for his contribution to music to one-time enfant terrible of the UK tabloids John Lydon formerly Johnny Rotten. Lydon will receive the award in October this year. Since those ‘The Filth And The Fury’ headlines from 1976 when Lydon was known as Rotten and fronted the Sex Pistols he has achieved bigger musical success albeit with a little less notoriety with Public Image Limited (PiL). perhaps in a step away from the rather typecast image that the British press have of him he has also appeared on the UK reality TV show ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here’ on ITV in January 2004 and later fronted a few wildlife programmes. He is currently touring with PiL and recently took to the stage at Worthy Farm, Glastonbury with the band. So it now remains for me to congratulate Hewson and Lydon on their awards. For me the Lydon award is more appropriate and at least neither is some poxy award from our blood sucking UK royal family!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkMQuaObPQI
Apparently Wacko Jacko was at one time lined up to take the lead role in a film version of Doctor Who in 1988. Personally I am so very glad that it didn’t happen. What do you folks think? I suspect he would have had a 12-year-old boy as his assistant though. Quite topical given that his daughter Paris was supposedly turned down for a role in the TV series. Bill Cosby was also considered for the Doctor Who role in 1988 as well. Click here to read the story on the NME site.
Which rock or pop star do you think would make a good Doctor Who? I reckon David Bowie (obviously), Matt Bellamy, Macy Gray or Florence Welch for starters!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCVz7O0kK60
During my formative years I was a big fan of the USA. This view was largely developed from reading Marvel comics, the Apollo missions and watching westerns and war films on the TV. As I got older and became interested in politics my views on America flexed somewhat. Whilst there is much to love about the place there is an awful lot to dislike. I love New England, San Francisco, Marvel Comics and Stephen King to name but a few. I dislike, again to name just a few, the Republican party, the Christian right, Dubya, Gun laws and the way Hollywood changes so much in movies (The ending of I Am Legend, Disney‘s version of Winnie the Pooh and the fact that no Americans were involved in the real Great Escape)
But I do have a number of friends and readers that are Americans so I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a very happy Independence Day from a Brit across the pond. To help you celebrate here are some of my favourite USA themed songs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWmrPF8LKpU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dGj9h8ggCc
Welcome to America! 🙂
Not content with picketing the funerals of servicemen and women, gay people and Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman those arseholes at the Westboro Baptist Church are now attacking Taylor Swift. They have called her the ‘poster girl of the young whores of doomed-America‘
Taylor sends a message to those twats at the Westboro Baptist Church!
Clearly these fundamentalists have shit for brains and how come the Christian right isn’t shouting them down for at least being unpatriotic; ‘doomed-America’? How would these fuckwits react if we picketed their funerals and constantly pestered them with hate messages? Would anyone care if the Westboro Baptist Church was destroyed? I doubt even god would care. I suspect that if he/ she exists (and I don’t believe he/ she does) he/ she would break into a wry smile when hearing the news. But equally the fact that arrogant religious nutcases like this exist helps prove to me that there is no god, because if there was why would he/ she create such a bunch of moronic, bigoted wankers as those who are a part of the Westboro Baptist Church?
The same people who picket funerals send their kids out like this? That really is obscene!
The video has sacrificial goats 🙂
If God exists I suspect he would carry a placard that says GOD HATES THE WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH!
Daft Punk‘s stunningly great single “Get Lucky” is now the biggest selling UK single of 2013. The song which also features Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers reached sales of one million only 69 days after it was released. Only one other French act has hit the million mark for a UK single and that was David Guetta with “Titanium” which hit that peak a few weeks ago some 79 weeks after its release.
Another three UK singles have finally reached the heady heights of one million sales this year and they were released in 1976, 1995 and 2001. The songs in question are;
“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” – Elton John and Kiki Dee. I assumed that had already sold in excess of a million
“Mysterious Girl” – Peter André. Seriously? Who on earth is buying this crap so long after it was released. If I find out who you are I will come to your house cover you in honey and tie you down above an ant’s nest. I will also put a wasp’s nest on your head. All the while you will be forced to listen to Peter Andre‘s Greatest Hit ( a very short compilation) over and over on endless loop.
“Whole Again” – Atomic Kitten. Once again, who the hell is still buying this? the punishment will be similar to the above but instead of listening to Peter André you will be subjected to an endless loop of Kerry Katona‘s appearances in TV commercials for the Iceland chain.
However as an act of leniency on my part if you ‘fess up to these appaling crimes now then you will be forgiven. So if you are guilty and also feel the need to come clean then come to Father Bill’s Confessional Box a.k.a the comments facility in this blog!
Those lovable urchins One Direction (a.k.a. Wand Erection) have come up with a new wizard wheeze to keep them in the public eye for as long as they can; well at least their management have. they now intend to compete with many female artists not in the charts, not on arena stages but in the nostrils of their fans. Just like J-Lo, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and many others they have launched their own perfume! It is called ‘Our Moment’ and in my opinion is the serious milking of the 1D cash cow. It apparently mixes a number of scents into a kind of ‘fruity florals’ smell. What the fuck is that all about? They’re young men; surely it should smell of pheromones, sweaty armpits, beer, fags, kebabs, burgers, Nandos and stale farts? I suppose that if nothing else it does support the notion that the polished turd that is One Direction really does stink!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WQL1bopFGE
With Just A Hint Of Mayhem 