Enemies of Civilisation

I’m sure we can all come up with the Great Nasties, those that spell the doom of the world in unpleasant ways, and those Niggling Little Hitlers that lead the march to destruction. One of my Great Enemies is the unholy alliance of Parcelforce and Amazon.

Separately I’m sure they’re lovely and are kind to animals and young children and all that stuff. But, Enemie, I Name Thee!

John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)

I'm not sure how many different versions of 'John, I'm Only Dancing' by David Bowie I have but I've acquired another one - 'John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)' on the 'Young Americans' album.

I love the original, which made no sense to me at the time since I was so young (shut up! yes I was), but, now that I've heard it, I love this funked up version as well. It sounds like mid-'70s funk, which it is, but the energy and exhileration just pour out of the speakers.

This song must go onto my iPod!

Iggy at Chelsea

I'm browsing round the RHS website while I try to decide whether to get a full day or afternoon ticket to the Chelsea Flower Show at the end of May and I notice that Iggy Pop's 'Lust for Life' is the inspiration for a small garden by The Children's Society.

The article goes:

Wild man of pop Iggy Pop is the inspiration for one of the small gardens at this year’s show! Lust for Life by the Children’s Society takes inspiration from the song Lust for Life by Iggy Pop and is an optimistic and invigorating space.

The innovative design uses the space to represent children's dreams through vibrantly coloured planting and 'thought bubbles' representing the dreams of children and their manifestation into reality. An arc of water, representing the power and triumph of the human spirit, traverses the garden in rhythmic bursts to the beat of Lust for Life.

Iggy said: "Lust for Life is full of optimism as young people should be...but too many aren't. I'm honoured that The Children's Society's garden is inspired by my music and wholeheartedly support the work that they do - they rock!”

This surely proves that gardening is the new rock'n'roll.

Here are a few memories of my trip to Chelsea last year:

Daffydowndillies

I make no apologies for liking daffodils, they’re the flower that says spring is here. I love seeing clumps of them popping up all over the place, a bright, cheerful yellow in various shades. They’re happy and cheerful, flutes surrounded by petals. I prefer the ones with darker flutes and light yellow petals – they seem a bit more traditional and ‘right’ to me. A lot of these new varieties don’t shriek spring as loudly as they could.

I have two vases full of daffs on my table, brightening up the room no end. The only downside is that they don’t last for long. They’re buds one moment, open into full bloom for a couple of days and then start turning. I don’t care. My photos are a bit misleading since the petals aren't as pale as they look, they're a nice rich shade of yellow.

In part, they make me recall driving along Scotswood Road with my Mam and challenging each other to count the banks of daffs growing where houses and workshops used to be in the olden days.

I like flowers anyway. I was pleased that I finally made it to the Chelsea Flower Show last year to see blooms of all descriptions (and some there are few words for). Now that I’ve properly discovered it, I hope to go again this year.

Amanda Palmer 'Satisfaction'

Maximo Park at HMV Oxford Street

I left work early to go up to Oxford Street to see Maximo Park play a promo gig at HMV.

The shop seemed empty when I got there and it was only when I noticed people coming in from the side of the shop that I realised there was a queue outside in the alleyway so I scuttled outside. I have to admit I hesitated before joining it - I haven't seen so many teenagers in one place since I last visited a school... but I was brave and joined it, iPod loudly playing in my ears and book of Sir Thomas Wyatt poems clutched tight to make me invisible.

After what seemed like an age me Geordie lads took to the stage and belted out 'Girls Who Play Guitars' from the new record (it's the first track and they opened The Astoria gig a month or so back with that song) before launching into 'Our Velocity'. I had a big grin plastered over my face as they played for just over half an hour, songs from the new record (including 'Books From Boxes' and 'Nosebleed') as well as Maximo classics ('Going Missing', 'Graffiti' and 'Apply Some Pressure' which closed the set). Jumping round the stage, belting out loud music and filling the barn that is HMV with energy - they looked and sounded superb, a tight band that know what they're doing and they're doing it so well.

I hung around for the signing afterwards, self-conscious and seeking solace in Mr Wyatt again but, as Chris said, they're my Maximos as well as anyone else's. After hanging around for an hour I finally had my 15 seconds with them. They sat at a table so each could sign records, CDs and booklets. All I could say was, 'it's a great record'/'love the new album' as I moved along the table and was rewarded with lovely smiles, beaming eyes and 'thank you's. Paul and Duncan in particular have very white teeth. They must've been on autopilot by the time I met them but they seemed genuinely grateful that people had turned up, that I said I loved the record and the beaming smiles and 'thank you's made the wait worthwhile. They were polite and came across as nice lads. Their Mam's would be proud of them.

SLADE in Flame - The DVD

'SLADE in Flame' was re-issued today and it almost sold out on its first day of release. I went up to the giant HMV shop on Oxford Street and there were no 'Flame' DVDs in the new releases racks or the SLADE racks. I went up to the counter to ask about it to to be told it was 'virtually sold out' and I followed the sales assistant round the various racks to eventually find three copies of the DVD - I took one, leaving two left for the rest of London.

'Flame' is SLADE's 1974 film that surprised us fans and has, over the years, garnered praise as a great rock film. The DVD is a new version from the original print and includes a new documentary of interviews with the band and a copy of the soundtrack CD. The packaging is excellent, with a gatefold sleeve and a 16 page booklet. It's a lovely package.

I haven't seen the whole film yet, I've focused on the documentary and interviews with the band. It's lovely to see Jim, Dave and Don talking about the film, alongside Noddy, although Nod's bits seemed to be from an interview included on the previous DVD edition of the film. I don't really care about that - it's great to see them all on the same DVD chatting about each other and the film. They were such a great band.

'SLADE in Flame' will receive it's grand viewing at the weekend. I'm listening to the accompanying CD at the moment - such great music. Be there or be square!

'Our Earthly Pleasures' by Maximo Park

How does one deliver an objectively critical review of perfection? The new Maximo's album is, quite simply, magnificent. It's full of driving energy, the music pushing forward and lyrics challenging pop conventions, with Paul singing in Geordie. They're in a league of their own.

She goes out/She gets drunk/She gets off/She goes home

It opens with 'Girls Who Play Guitars', a great opener, with girls living the lads life and enjoying themselves without a thought for tomorrow and why should they? As the sonng concludes, 'It's her life, And a life worth living'. Give up your prejudice and puritanical views and accept equality in all things. Why not? It's the same kind of feel to 'Karaoke Plays' a few songs later with personal freedom as a priority rather than convention.

In a way, this is a symbol for the album. It's more grown up than the first album, more 'adult'. The first album was a glory of songs about growing up, falling in love and leaving home. Since then, the Maximo's have travelld the world, felt the adoration of thousands at a time and seen and done things they probably couldn't even dream of when they wrote the first album. This record is more mature and powerful as a result of the last couple of years.

Have we become the Unshockable or the Saddened?

It's nice to see the Maximo's being self-aware of what's happening to them - are they becoming cynical of the world they see in front of them, which is, after all, quite a controlled world? 'The Unshockable' is a driving track, fast and menacing with clever lyrics in a sort of question and answer format to challenge the listener and move them forward like the motif of late-night transport.

You don't have to deny your urge / It doesn't make you bad

The opening lines to 'Your Urge' say it all really. Be who you are and don't be scared, accept you might be wasting your time but 'another useless fumble/another useless stumble' might still be worth it. On the other hand, you need to be sensible. 'Nosebleed' comments that 'He changed his look for you/You changed your life for him' and questions whether it was worth it. 'Did we go too far/ Is that why your nose is bleeding?'

Love is a lie, which means I've been lied to...

I'm pleased that, on this record, the song-writing credits are clear, with Paul credited to all songs, presumably for the lyrics. Co-writers are usually Duncan (guitars) and Lukas (keyboards), with one co-credited to Archis (bass), although Paul is credited with writing 'By The Monument' himself. Without being divisive it helps to show where interests lie.

You spent the evening unpacking books from boxes...

Literature and books in general are a constant theme in Maximo songs - I don't know much about the background to any of the band members but does this suggets that Paul was an English student at some point? With songs like, 'Books from Boxes' and 'Russian Literature', it makes you wonder. There's a short quote from 'Tender Is The Night' (F. Scott Fitzgerald) on the inside cover of the CD booklet. He obviously likes words, the texture of words on the tongue and the play with meanings by putting words together.

Actually, y'know, I don't care. It's a magnificent album and I love it. It's fast, it's punky, it's intelligent and it's by the Maximos. I'm seeing me Geordie lads twice in May and I want to hear these songs live. They're playing a 'secret' gig at the 100 Club tonight and I wish them well. Practice the songs, lads, so you're perfect for when I see you in May. I have no doubts you will be!

'When you tend to travel at such speed/It's wor velocity!'

Cerys Matthews broke my computer

Regular readers will know of my trials and tribulations with my laptop. It's been loyal throughout it's short life but nearly four years on it's showing distinct signs of aging. The screen doesn't always flash into life without careful bumping (lifting it off the table a short way and dropping it) to jog it along, the fan whirs loudly like an aircraft and increasingly it gets stuck on log-out and doesn't switch off (removing the battery helps with this).

But then came along Cerys Matthews. I enjoyed her last album ('Never Said Goodbye') so thought I'd check out her first (solo) album, 'Cockahoop'. So I got it and liked it and wanted to put it on iPod to enjoy wherever I am in future. But would it give up it's music? Would it buggery! The CD drive whirs and then stops, the CD isn't recognised, it doesn't exist. I try to open it manually and it's there, I can see the file icons on screen but can't open them, import them or add them to my music library. The songs are coded as .cda files (whatever that means). Then when I give up the damned disc won't exit. I couldn't get the drive to open for some reason. O woe. So Cerys broke my laptop. Although to be fair, it's her record company or CD manufacturer that's done it really. I give up and try again the next day and out it slides. Phew!

But why is the CD protected anyway? I've bought it, I've bought the right to listen to the music and if I choose to listen to it on the move rather than statically in my living room then that's my right isn't it? What's the point of protection when it's available for download on iTunes?

Beverley Knight - 'No Man's Land'

Beverley's new single.