As I said in my last post , my trip to London and to the summer fun at Hyde Park was more to see The National than Neil Young. I love Neil and wanted to see him again but The National was the attraction.
The National are a band that demonstrates how important 6 Music has become , for me at least, as a way of discovering new bands in the same way that John Peel used to be for me particularly as a teenager.
If you haven't listened to BBC 6 Music do so now, if you like any of the music I post occasionally on this blog you will love it.
Here is a link to The National's website, you can listen to and watch them perform some of their music.
Sunday 20 July 2014
Thursday 17 July 2014
Neil Young at Hyde Park
Last Saturday I saw Neil Young and Crazy Horse in Hyde Park. My son was with me.
I got tickets in reality more to see The National than Neil Young. They were excellent and a band I have wanted to see for years. I think they sort of spoiled Neil Young and Crazy Horse for me.
Not too keen on the set Neil played, not many of my favourites. He seemed to realise that the set list wasn't going down too well and, as he went into his solo set half way through he said " You sad bastards stop complaining" to the crowd.That made me smile. You get what you are given from Neil Young. No compromising.You have to admire that. And boy can he play guitar
Not a classic and my son said it was like watching an old bloke and his mates jamming after the first two songs ( Love and Only Love and Going Home)took up the first twenty minutes of the set but it was still worth the trip down to London for me. Another chance to see a true legend.
I got tickets in reality more to see The National than Neil Young. They were excellent and a band I have wanted to see for years. I think they sort of spoiled Neil Young and Crazy Horse for me.
Not too keen on the set Neil played, not many of my favourites. He seemed to realise that the set list wasn't going down too well and, as he went into his solo set half way through he said " You sad bastards stop complaining" to the crowd.That made me smile. You get what you are given from Neil Young. No compromising.You have to admire that. And boy can he play guitar
Not a classic and my son said it was like watching an old bloke and his mates jamming after the first two songs ( Love and Only Love and Going Home)took up the first twenty minutes of the set but it was still worth the trip down to London for me. Another chance to see a true legend.
Friday 11 July 2014
World Cup 2
My last post lamented the quality of the football in the knock out rounds of the Brazil World Cup. Then , just to make a fool of me, Germany go and thump Brazil 7-1 in the semi final.I was sat watching it with my wife, our jaws dropping in amazement as the goals went in.
Normal service was resumed the following day with the excruciatingly boring Holland V Argentina semi.
I hope the Germans turn it on again on Sunday and smash the Argentinians. It's not often you'll hear me support the Germans but over the last couple of years having been to Berlin twice and with my son's passion for all things German,I have almost become fond of them.
At least they are a team not like the South Americans who are Messi and 10 other blokes in blue and white striped shirts.
Normal service was resumed the following day with the excruciatingly boring Holland V Argentina semi.
I hope the Germans turn it on again on Sunday and smash the Argentinians. It's not often you'll hear me support the Germans but over the last couple of years having been to Berlin twice and with my son's passion for all things German,I have almost become fond of them.
At least they are a team not like the South Americans who are Messi and 10 other blokes in blue and white striped shirts.
Saturday 5 July 2014
World Cup
I just about remember watching the 1966 World Cup Final on a black and white TV with my Dad and brother.
I vividly remember watching England throw the game away against the Germans 4 years later thinking how could that happen. I remember 1978 thinking how far away Argentina seemed watching the Dutch contrive to lose again after losing in '74. I remember watching Platini in 1982 and '86 as well as the "hand of god" .1990 of course lives on in the memory. I remember 1994 and the heresy of staging it in the USA.
In 1998 we were on holiday in Brittany for the final.I remember my son, who was only 7 at the time, wanting Brazil to win as we stood and watched the match in a bar full of passionate French fans. We went back to our apartment at half time as he got a bit scared as the French got more passionate. 2002 mostly passed me by but 2006 lives on as we were in a hotel bar in Barcelona full of Italians for the final.
Four years ago I was in Cuba for some of the World Cup watching England humiliate us again only softened by drowning my sorrows with excellent Mojitos.
This year it is hard to remember that England actually played in the competition, we were so poor.
it has been a funny World Cup this time round. It seems to me that the quality of the football has actually got worse the longer the competition has gone on. Brazil have been poor and their match against Colombia was not worthy of a quarter final of the biggest competition in the world. France and Belgium looked like they had had enough and wanted to go home in their defeats flattering the Germans and the Argentinians in the process.
The match I am watching now as I type ( Holland v Costa Rica) is again very poor. It is hard to believe this is the same Dutch team that two weeks ago destroyed Spain.
But I'll keep watching the match and the rest of the competition because the World up has been an important part of my life for literally as long as I can remember.
I vividly remember watching England throw the game away against the Germans 4 years later thinking how could that happen. I remember 1978 thinking how far away Argentina seemed watching the Dutch contrive to lose again after losing in '74. I remember watching Platini in 1982 and '86 as well as the "hand of god" .1990 of course lives on in the memory. I remember 1994 and the heresy of staging it in the USA.
In 1998 we were on holiday in Brittany for the final.I remember my son, who was only 7 at the time, wanting Brazil to win as we stood and watched the match in a bar full of passionate French fans. We went back to our apartment at half time as he got a bit scared as the French got more passionate. 2002 mostly passed me by but 2006 lives on as we were in a hotel bar in Barcelona full of Italians for the final.
Four years ago I was in Cuba for some of the World Cup watching England humiliate us again only softened by drowning my sorrows with excellent Mojitos.
This year it is hard to remember that England actually played in the competition, we were so poor.
it has been a funny World Cup this time round. It seems to me that the quality of the football has actually got worse the longer the competition has gone on. Brazil have been poor and their match against Colombia was not worthy of a quarter final of the biggest competition in the world. France and Belgium looked like they had had enough and wanted to go home in their defeats flattering the Germans and the Argentinians in the process.
The match I am watching now as I type ( Holland v Costa Rica) is again very poor. It is hard to believe this is the same Dutch team that two weeks ago destroyed Spain.
But I'll keep watching the match and the rest of the competition because the World up has been an important part of my life for literally as long as I can remember.
Tuesday 1 July 2014
Sunshine
Now it's July. Middle of the summer and the sun has shone even here in the North East. I'm taking a quick break from the football festival that is this year's World Cup to write this.
Summer means exams and holidays and festivals to me even though I haven't taken an exam for over 15 years not had a proper summer holiday for five and not been to a festival for over 10 years.
The Summer also means the marching season in Northern Ireland. I was reminded of this when I looked at a colleagues' on line calendar today and saw July 12th marked as a holiday in Northern Ireland.
This has given me the excuse to put this track by Stiff Little Fingers. I hope the youngsters there still want an alternative land.
Alternative Ulster- Stiff Little Fingers
Summer means exams and holidays and festivals to me even though I haven't taken an exam for over 15 years not had a proper summer holiday for five and not been to a festival for over 10 years.
The Summer also means the marching season in Northern Ireland. I was reminded of this when I looked at a colleagues' on line calendar today and saw July 12th marked as a holiday in Northern Ireland.
This has given me the excuse to put this track by Stiff Little Fingers. I hope the youngsters there still want an alternative land.
Alternative Ulster- Stiff Little Fingers
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