Tuesday, May 05, 2009
BLACKOUT THREATS
I've just started a new sideline blog as a way of staving off boredom. Obviously a sign that my time as a blogger is almost over. I'm like one of those bloated '70's rockers who bogged off to North Wales to record a solo album.
Anyway, its called "I DON'T LIKE THEM," SED IAN and it is here.
It isn't for everybody but, in the unlikely event that you watch Coronation Street, you might be vaguely interested.
Don't worry, it'll only last for a fortnight tops.
Labels: Coronation Street, ennui, sideline blogs
Saturday, April 25, 2009
WHY DO WE NEVER GET AN ANSWER?
Today is the fifth birthday of this blog.
I think I'm supposed to spout some vague platitudes about how blogging has changed my life in a positive way, improved my *career* and helped me make loads of new friends around the world so that we can all bask in the glow of positivity and smugness.
It would all sound a bit fakey though, as I hardly ever post these days. Everything starts to lose its appeal after five bloody years, doesn't it?
In fact, I rarely comment on other blogs now and find that I forget to look on Bloglines for a few days at a time, which means a backlog of unread posts which ... puts me off participating even more, har har.
Still, it's not all been bad. Remember the January 2006 blogmeet and the hilarious drinking game? Remember the bloggers' weekend at Camber Sands? Remember the blogging fortnight camping in the Pyrenees? Phew, that really was an emotional rollercoaster and a *journey* for so many of us. It certainly made a man out of me.
One of my fondest blogging memories is the terse e-mail correspondence I had with an American woman who took offence to my description of Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues. I said that he had a face that looked as if it had been carved out of Mount Rushmore: she said that he was so uncomfortably handsome that it would take anyone's breath away.
Occasionally I will look back at the pictures sent on her e-mails of Justin wearing a variety of denim shirts, sandy chest hair poking out and I'll think - when did the fun go out of blogging?
Labels: anniversaries, blogmeets, ennui, journeys, Justin Hayward
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
ENNUI RULE THE DANCE
As blogging ennui* continues to set in like a cold, clammy sweat around a wheezing geriatric on a death bed, it's only fair that I should hand over the reins of the blog to someone else for this post. That someone else is Michael Eavis, big cheese of the Glastonbury Festival, who is going to tell you something about this year's Glastonbury lineup.
Take it away, Michael.
I'm the laughing gnome, and you can't catch me.
Um, hi everyone. Just popped in to have a few words about this year's exciting Glastonbury lineup.
Um, something there for everyone, I'm sure you'll agree. Surprisingly enough, there are a few tickets left, so hurry on over to the Glastonbury hotline to book now. It could be your last chance!
Take it away, Michael.
I'm the laughing gnome, and you can't catch me.
Um, hi everyone. Just popped in to have a few words about this year's exciting Glastonbury lineup.
There's been a lot of stuff and nonsense in the papers about, um, how the festival has gone downhill in recent years, what with the exorbitant ticket costs and our determination to stop yobs scaling over the fence and ruining it for the likes of genuine music fans such as Sadie Frost, Sienna Miller, Danny Dyer, Peaches Geldof and other esteemed celebrity guests who for me embody the real spirit of Glastonbury. Well, um, all I can say is - we'll stay tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime!
There have also been complaints about the band lineups in recent years. It has been suggested that some of our headline acts - Ruby Murray, Lew Stone & His Orchestra featuring the fragrant Elsie Carlisle, Van Morrison, Sir Cliff Richard, Stuart Gillies, The Kings Singers and Moira Anderson - may have been a little out of touch with the current music scene.
Well, um, I've taken this on board and this year have pulled out all the stops to attract a crowd of youngsters.
This year, the jewel in the crown will be Sunday night's headliner on the Urban Stage: young American rapping and scratching star Jay Zed!
In an unprecedented move, I'll actually be introducing Jay Zed from the stage myself, and have been "practising my urban patois" as I believe they say. Jay Zed - he's def and he's fresh for 1983!!!
Each day will feature one main stage, as we attempt to cut away all the fat and present, in essence, the ESSENTIAL new young music. Here is the full lineup for each night:
FRIDAY NIGHT: WAKE UP BRITAIN! THE AMERICANS ARE COMING!!!!
(All the best in new, exciting young leftfield American bands!!!)
HEADLINING: JOURNEY
Billy Joel
Air Supply
Styx
Jennifer Warnes
Foreigner
The Cars
Mister Mister
Huey Lewis And The News
*
SATURDAY NIGHT: WAKE UP BRITAIN! IT'S THE NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS STAGE!!!
(Top underground music weekly The New Musical Express brings you the best in leftfield young British music!!!)
HEADLINING: THE MIGHTY LEMON DROPS
Menswear
The Senseless Things
Gay Dad
Jesus Jones
Daisy Chainsaw
The Family Cat
The Soup Dragons
Scouting For Girls
Ned's Atomic Dustbin
*
SUNDAY NIGHT: WAKE UP HOMEY, IT'S THE URBAN TENT!!!
(Please note: anyone carrying a gun will NOT BE ADMITTED into the Urban Tent)
HEADLINING: JAY ZED "ALL THE WAY FROM AMERICA!!!"
Smiley Culture "FROM LAAAHNDAN TAAAHN!"
Wee Papa Girl Rappers ("Ennui* rule the dance!!!")
The Rebel MC "FROM LAAAHNDAN TAAAHN!"
Yazz featuring The Plastic Population
Derek B
Normski
The Real Roxanne
Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen
Um, something there for everyone, I'm sure you'll agree. Surprisingly enough, there are a few tickets left, so hurry on over to the Glastonbury hotline to book now. It could be your last chance!
Labels: ennui, ennui rule the dance, Glastonbury, Jay Zed, Michael Eavis
Monday, April 07, 2008
SMELLS OF WEE
It looks as if this week's blogging craze is blogging ennui, which means we all have to pretend that we're too exhausted by thinking about what motivates us to blog, the Blogging Crisis and by worrying about what's happened to all the bloggers who've given up to post anything but YouTube clips.
Of course, I hate to be left behind with whatever is the fashion, so here's an appropriate YouTube clip. Sorry about the lack of Serbo Croat subtitles.
Oh yeah, and this is one of my favourite pop promotional things - dead 1960's, midway between Marty Feldman and The Wednesday Play. Plus, it's appropriate in Blogging Ennui Week.
Hey, are we really in Bloggin' Dead End Street?
Right, you can sit there drinking foul coffee, smoking foul cigarettes, wearing black polo necks and furrowing your brows, ennui-sters. Some of us have got us tea to make.
Of course, I hate to be left behind with whatever is the fashion, so here's an appropriate YouTube clip. Sorry about the lack of Serbo Croat subtitles.
Oh yeah, and this is one of my favourite pop promotional things - dead 1960's, midway between Marty Feldman and The Wednesday Play. Plus, it's appropriate in Blogging Ennui Week.
Hey, are we really in Bloggin' Dead End Street?
Right, you can sit there drinking foul coffee, smoking foul cigarettes, wearing black polo necks and furrowing your brows, ennui-sters. Some of us have got us tea to make.
Labels: ennui, furrowed brows, Gauloises, Jean-Luc Godard, The Kinks
