Rolling Stones to play Barcelona May 2006
Our roving reporter just filed this story with the headline "Up and coming underground rock'n'roll band to play Spain". It's hoped that the lads might play some of their old classics – such as "Brown Sugar" and "Can't You hear Me Knocking" along with the new material they'll play whether we like it or not.
I'm really looking forward to this. Adam and I have been banging on about going to see them for over a year now, and finally it looks like it's going to happen. Incidentally, it looks as if joining the fan club is prerequisite for getting hold of tickets. Never mind. That's what credit cards were made for!
Recent music
New-ish records I have been listening to recently:
The Howling Hex – You Can't Beat Tomorrow
This is Neil Hagerty's latest album and a sort-of follow up to All Night Fox. he kept the band name this time, but the music is completely different. He's added some odd syncopated electronic percussion and more acoustic guitar than in All Night Fox. Certainly he seems to be going for a sound that resembles listening to a band from outside the Hall. Favourite tracks: Apache Energy Plan (this is a theme continuing on from earlier Neil Michael Hagerty albums, but I still don't know what it means); You Can't Beat Tomorrow; No Numbers.
1 out of 1 – Buy Here Download 'Apache Energy plan' from Drag City here.
The Fall – Fall Heads Roll
I really like this album. Mark E Smith sounds a bit more like Shaun Ryder than he used to, but that doesn't detract from the fact that he's managed to produce a tight, thumping album. Out of 'new Fall' records, this is one of the best. The big single: I Can hear The Grass Grow is pretty melodic, but then it's a cover. Actually, the version I have on my Complete Peel Sessions is markedly better. Anyway, both of these albums are perfect listening for the fade to winter: they inject a little bit of summer into every listen. But just a tad.
1 out of 1 – Buy Here
Kubuntu: my dirty secret
Yeah so I've switched over to Linux. Kubuntu, to be precise.
I'm really happy with it. It's faster than Windows, accepts all my old files and disks, looks a lot smarter, fills me with a sense of – albeit geeky – pride, is infinitely more secure, contains OpenOffice which is compatible with MS office, seems more logical… and more.
The problems:
The benefits:
and lots more…
I have to admit it: I'm taken with this distro. I finally understand the Linux movement… but I still see many ways that Linux can be approved.
Mr Miyagi (Pat Morita) RIP
With the understandable sadness surrounding the demise of George Best, "arguably Britain's best post-war footballer", the death of an even greater hero has been overshadowed somewhat. I'm talking, of course, about Pat Morita – also known as Mr Miyagi in the Karate Kid series.
While Georgie was a hero for many Manchester United fans and countless football aficionados the world over, Mr Miyagi was a great spiritual teacher who taught a whole generation of children that bullies could be horribly wounded using skills learnt doing a saturday job. His legendary 'Wax on, wax off' approach – while not actually invented by Pat Morita – will certainly live on for longer even than Best's numerous incredible goals for Man U and Northern Ireland.
A sad day indeed for the ever colliding worlds of football, celebrity and martial arts instruction.
Languages and place names
It's been a long running discussion between Gemma and I that some languages change the names of towns more than others do. Admittedly, our frame of reference is fairly limited (i.e. we only really discussed English and Spanish) – but this doesn't mean that it's not an interesting topic.
The way I see it, in English, where we don't have a historical link with a place, we usually seem to use the local name of a place. That is to say, we don't change Madrid to anything else. In Spanish, London has its name changed to Londres (similar to the French form). We do change Sevilla to Seville though. We don't change Beijing (the standard international name for the Chinese capital). In Spanish, it's still called Pekín. Indian city names which have recently changed are similarly not recognised (though this is perhaps understanding: Spain has few historic links with that part of the world).
Also, the Spanish change people's names. When I was at school I was taught that speaking in a foreign language, one should never change the form of one's name to match the language being spoken. You were named William, not Guillaume, and that's how you should refer to yourself. Clearly, the Spanish don't care for this little rule. Everyone's name is converted to the hispanic form: Queen Elizabeth is called Isabel but in England, we call the King of Spain Juan Carlos.
I'm not saying that either side is right (well, I could hardly do that, given that I've not made any argument)… I just find it interesting that these differences exist. And that's it.
Gemma's blog
Gemma has moved her blog to thebadrash.com as it's "much better than MSN Spaces" (well, we all knew that!). I don't know what she's going to put on there, but there should be little doubt that it'll be a lot more successful, popular and full of content than mine!
Take care, though: she tells it like it is!
Click here to visit Gemma's new blog
The Kills – Barcelona
My brother and I went to see The Kills play at Sala Apolo on Saturday night, at exactly the same time as FC Barcelona were 'killing' Real Madrid. We all know how the football match went, but not so many people are aware that Saturday's gig by The Kills was an energetic, explosive and eventually awesome performance which matched at least one of Ronaldinho's magical goals.
I took some photos of the gig, but to be fair, they're all a little blurry. This is because we were stood right next to the stage and I didn't want to use my flash too much. I've put the least bad pictures online in the gallery which you can access by clicking here
I'll try and put a better review together when I'm not working, but the high points were certainly VV prowling around the stage like a tiger, Hotel 'shooting' VV with his shotgun-guitar, the pair of them singing "The Good Ones", Hotel drinking from a glass of wine, VV taking some sort of… medication while onstage, and being so close to the speakers that I still cannot hear properly. We also met their crew after the gig – nice bunch of people, but we didn't want to stay and make a nuisance of ourselves.
All in all, a wicked night well deserving 1 out of 1.
Tony Parsons – One man's assault on reason
Tony Parsons is a man. He's a hard man – tough, uncompromising and incisive, thick even – and he doesn't care who knows it. Every few days (I'm not sure that frequency ought to worry us), Tony Parsons writes a column in the Mirror (possibly the very worst of Britain's generally awful newspapers) in which he complains about how no one really knows anything, except Tony Parsons.
Tony Parsons has tackled such issues as cocaine, blogging and the blocking of Tony Blair's 90 day detention bill. He's not afraid of the big topics. The big. Issues. If you will. His approach is a classic example of the music journalist who accidentally stumbled into a cushy job. His persona: hard man, tough, uncompromising. Parsons. Tony BLOODY Parsons. His columns: complete BLOODY rubbish.
The latest column that Bloody Parsons has written starts off by saying that he doesn't know how long the police should be able to hold a suspected terrorist, and that he doesn't want some stuck up journalist, politician or (God forbid!) pundit telling him how it should be. he then tells us how anyone who opposed the 90 day bill is trying to deny British people the right to defend themselves. Tony BLOODY Parsons.
Every column I've ever read by Bloody Parsons seems to be poorly written and diametrically opposed to every value I hold to be true. We all like to moralise from time to time, but reading Parsons's moralising is like being stabbed in the head by some frozen urine that's fallen out of a plane. His style is perplexing. He's sort of ultra-loyal to Tony Blair (the only man in England who still is?) – and hates anyone who disagrees with him (especially Cherie Booth, QC). He is a pompous ass and a bloody nuisance.
This is my Bloody Parsons column for the day. I'll be back with another soon, as long as I don't implode with fury before then.
French riots instigated by anarchists?
Spain's Cadena Ser radio station reported this morning that French authorities have warned the Spanish government that French 'anti-state' activists plan to congregate in Barcelona in an effort to spark violence here.
It is believed that anti-globalisation protesters may try to instigate violence in the city during the Euromediterranean Summit which takes place on the 27th-29th of this month. French police agents have intercepted text messages and phone calls calling for people to "Continue the French revolt in Barcelona".
The suggestion behind this is that anarchists are at least seeking to capitalise on the French disturbances. It could also mean that anarchists have already been involved in the civil unrest, though the Cadena Ser report stops short of making that claim. It wouldn't surprise many people, though, if it were found that left-wing elements had been helping in the instigation and organisation of the French riots. On the other hand, perhaps this is a cynical attempt to deny the mainly north African rioters the 'credit' for organising things themselves.
Also, let's remember that Barcelona is currently awash with Italian anarchists who have fled here to avoid Silvio Berlusconi's increasingly paranoid and aggressive regime. Is it possible that something like the Euromediterranean Summit could ever happen here without some trouble and violence ocurring?
Softonic launch makes The Register front page
This just increased our hits by more than 500%
I won't be mentioning work too often, but this is awesome!
Mentalists
Some fireworks mad-men ran amok in my street last night. This is a picture of the mayhem they attempted to unleash. My house filled with the smell of cordite. Click for a closer view.
Ballad of Big Nothing
/You sit around at home now
Waiting for your brother to call
I saw him down in the alley
Having had enough of it all/
/All spit and spite, you're up all night
And down every day
A tired man with only hours to go
Just waiting to be taken away
Getting into the back of a car
For candy from some stranger
Watching the parade with pinpoint eyes
Full of smoldering anger/
/Do what you want to
Whenever you want to
Though it doesn't mean a thing
Big nothing/
Government defeated over 90 day detention – will Blair resign?
Clearly, MPs heeded my warnings over the 90 day detention issue! Will Blair resign now? I wish he would.
Posted earlier:
I am a British Citizen. I had a vote in the last election (well, it never actually arrived, but it's the thought that counts)… so I feel that I must compel the many hundreds of MPs reading this blog now, not to vote in favour of the governement's plan to extend detention-without-charge to 90 days. It's a mistake! It'll only cause more terrorists to be created! You can't just hand the Police any old powers they ask for! Please, Tony Blair, at least pretend you're not pushing us into an Orwellian mystery world!
1745 today my time sees the Commons vote on this vital issue. The stage is set. People against the 90 day ban are being called 'complacent' and even 'cowards'. As the Guardian says, if passed, this law will represent the most controversial assault on civil liberties in decades. If the law is passed, the Police will start using it on anyone they can (see current anti-terrorism legislation), and they will suddenly have ninety days to detain people while they 'find' evidence enough to charge people. This has to be resisted.
New music
Which band has been descibed as the 'new Rolling Stones' by the NME?
Answer:
The Arctic Monkeys (aka Don't Believe The Hype)
Immigration issues confusing you?
…why not have Sarah explain them?
I am not qualified to analyse all the causes of this, but I will try.
Yeah… I wouldn't have bothered actually.
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a blog by Tom Clarke in Barcelona, Catalonia, covering politics, culture and society
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