Monkey: Journey To The West

'Monkey' is the tale of a band of heroes and their adventures as they journey west from China to India to seek enlightenment from Lord Buddha. Through seas and volcano plains, battling demons and princesses, our heroes eventually achieve Buddhahood. It was all very familiar to me and closely mirrored by own journey to India many years ago - except I journeyed to the east, of course. Unfortunately, I did not achieve enlightenment. Or fight demons. But I was attacked by bats in a temple to Kali so that sort of counts...

Yes, I went to see 'Monkey: Journey To The West' at the O2 last night and thoroughly enjoyed the show as it tried to match the original telly series for daftness. Monkey flying through the clouds, being trapped under Lord Buddha's blue hand for 500 years and escorting Tripitaka on his pilgrimage. The staging was excellent, lots of people flying on wires and Kuan Yin (Goddess of Mercy, Queen of Heaven) flying to the stage from the audience. The music was rather variable but worked well with the visuals and the singing was all in Mandarin. It's great fun and a great spectacle! But that Monkey's a bit of a scoundrel and not to be trusted unless you're trussed up by the Spider Princess and need your virginity saving.

It's a nicely paced show but a bit odd in a way since there weren't really any spaces for applause without clapping over the start of the next scene. The audience made up for the lack of clapping at the end with the mass bowing of all the actors, joined at the end by the writers and designers, including Damon Albarn. And that was the downside of the night - it was press night. Not only was it press night, but there was a charity benefit as well.

Call me a grumpy old sod (you'd have every right to) but no-one said anything about it being press or charity night when we booked tickets and neither did they say anything about the restaurant being closed to mere paying customers while the liggers - at least some of them - got slightly sloshed on free booze. Take a look at the website and it says the restaurant opens at 6pm on 12 November, yet it was closed to non-liggers. So why was I sent 3 emails asking me to upgrade my ticket to include a meal in their lovely (but closed) restaurant?

And the place isn't easy to find if anything else is happening at the O2 - last night Kanye West was playing and the place was packed. The only signs directing you to Monkey were on the ground which, rather inconsiderately in my view, were covered by peoples' feet. And when I got there my first impression was that it had been done by someone off that old 'Changing Rooms' programme with black crepe tacked up everywhere to make it look stylish but you know the toilets are just portaloos with black crepe tacked to the outside and you're walking on black boards. The make-believe starts to fail at that point.

Ok, I admit I'm being churlish and they're trying to make it a seemless experience and I can forgive lots, but not the plastic seats covered in black cloth to make them look stylish like the portaloos. Yes, ok, I *am* being churlish. And it's a shame the powerpoint projection of the words in English broke down at one point (and why project to the side of the stage rather than to the top of the stage? it means you're looking away from the action if you read what the songs are about).

O dear. Churlish and a 'arf. Was it meant to be a rock'n'roll experience, man, that I mistook for theatre? Or am I just not getting their vision for it? No, I don't think it's anything like that. The show was great, the setting wasn't. I admit to being put off by arriving and being treated as a second class punter because I didn't have the right wrist-band and I'm sure that coloured the rest of my evening.

Go and see the show - it's great fun. You can even have a traditional foot massage that lasts for 15 minutes if you want. And there's loads of merch including "Buddha beads" for a fiver.

Scissorhands Champion

Tonight was the grand final of Celebrity Scissorhands, my *must-see* telly of the moment, all in support of Children in Need. The drama and glamour is now over for another year but it's been a fun watch. Steve Strange mysteriously left the show last week (boo!) and the three finalists were selected over the past week - Jeff Leach, Sabrina Washington and Scott Robinson - and Stedman Pearson was selected to manage the final night catwalk show.

In a last minute twist, one of the finalists - Scott Robinson - was ejected and he was gutted, man, real gutted. While Jeff and Sabrina went away to recreate their signature cuts, Stedman's catwalk show happened. Each of the celebs had a model who they'd cut and dressed in a makeover special and they looked good. Zammo was actually smart, so good on ya, mate! Winner of the catwalk must be Stedman - he has the moves and showed them off bigly. Well done stedman!

Nerves and tension mounting, on came Jeff and Sabrina with their models to show off and describe their signauture cuts, both looking good. But who would win? Who would be Scissorhands 2008? Nicky Clarke was head judge and he kept us waiting... and waiting... and waiting... until he announced Sabrina and the studio erupted into sparkly-shiny stuff blasting from the ceiling and falling all over as she was hugged and kissed by everyone and she was well-chuffed. Well done Sabrina, you earned it!

Phew! That's it all over now (wonder if there'll be a highlights DVD?). Considering that I don't really know who many of them are and have no interest in hairdressing and glamour stuff, I quite like 'em as a bunch - some of them are downright nice people. They've been good sports and put some long days in, and it's been fun being a fly on the wall watching them as they learn a new skill, have a gossip and entertain us all. I've really enjoyed it for some odd reason - it's a hairdressers life for me! In the olden days one used to run away to sea to become a pirate or run to the hills to join the circus. Now, one becomes a hairdresser. More power to your scissors and trimmers!

90 Years

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 was the time of the Armistice, the end of the war to end all wars. As ever, there are telly and radio programmes about war to coincide with the day and this year there seem to be more than usual because it's the 90th anniversary. Programmes about personal stories of the war, tales of regiments and tales of death.

One thing that keeps being mentioned is that survivors tended not to talk about their experiences when they returned home. This was certainly the case with my Granda who never spoke about the war until the years before his death - he told me more about the war (which wasn't much) than he ever told his own children, including my mother. The horror of it all was too much, the horror of what happened to those young men in the trenches and the horror - probably - of what they did. My Granda lost his left arm from the elbow and nearly lost his life. He used to strap a false arm to the raw bone at the elbow with a strap over his shoulder to keep it in place. He was always conscious of it and tried to disguise it, angling his body away from the camera in photos.

When I was looking through the papers at my Dad's house over the summer I found a photo of a handsome young soldier proudly looking into the camera lens and into the future. After a moment I realised it was my Granda and the amazing thing was that he had two arms. Maybe it was his joining up photo? I'd never seen it before and, obviously, had never seen him with both arms intact.

It's strange to think that today there are only three men alive who were in the war. They're pretty old, of course, and it's hardly surprising that only three men are still alive. But what is history to many, and taught as history in schools, is part of my life as well, through my Granda, the old codger who kept cans of beer under his bed in case he got thirsty during the night (he was sensible, my Granda) and who just had to look at a slot machine to win the price of a round. He was also an award winning gardener. He was many things, my Granda.

Mr Lea

Do you remember how excited I got last year when I discovered that Jim Lea had released his 'Therapy' album online, the first new music from him I'd heard since 1991. Well, it seems like he's doing it again, as reported on SLADE40YEARS.

James Whild Lea (his full name), has been in the studio making a new album called 'String Theory'. This was reported in March 2008 but I've just heard about it. No idea when it'll be released, but it's excellent news that there'll be another album.

Now, what about a few live gigs...?

Geordie Boy Alan Price

I've been listening to Alan Price over the last week or so, enjoying his songs, his voice and his interpretations of other people's songs. He's not someone I listen to a lot, but every now and then, generally late in the evening, a bit of Alan is good for winding down. I have his 'Geordie Boy' anthology (two CDs) and there are some great songs on there. People will know him as the keyboard player with The Animals in the early '60s and later as a solo artist who hooked up with Georgie Fame for some records. That sent me off on a hunt to find out what he's doing now.

Try Googling Alan Price and you get an odd variety of sites popping up including a site with lots of old information that doesn't appear to have anything to do with Alan. Following internet trails leads to the Alan Price Fans Forum and, after browsing on there, I found what seems to be Alan's real site. It's an oddly constructed site but it includes some new music from the man, some information on what he's been doing over the last couple of years and also refers to his regular appearances in a jazz club in Barnes! The site tells us that:

Alan Price has been working for the last two years on a stage-musical with the working title 'The Nearly Lucky Man' with the writer Paul Sirett. He continues with his monthly appearance at the Yamaha Room at The Bull's Head, Lonsdale Road, Barnes, London SW13 9PY. A successful workshop of "The Lucky Man' was performed at the Garrick Theatre on 22nd June 2007 Directed by Braham Murray, Musical Assistant David Rose,Sound Engineer Paul MacCallum together with a cast that included Derek Griffiths, Matthew Kelly, Elizabeth Price, Philip Stewart and Emma Williams.

That's in the 'news' section so it isn't entirely up to date but the tours page refers to his current tour with The Manfreds (drat, missed the show in October in Croydon) and his next gig at The Bulls Head in Barnes on 19 November as part of the London Jazz Festival. I think I might pop over to Barnes to see the great man himself.

And here's a little something for all the Geordies out there:



You don't mess with a Geordie lass - burn them down indeed!

Poly's Christmas Present

It's too soon to start talking about Christmas but you need to get excited about a new Poly Styrene single - a Christmas single!

Well, it's not really a Poly single, apparently she's adding her voice to the new Goldblade single, 'City Of Christmas Ghosts' due to drop on 1 December. I haven't heard it yet but assume it's a re-worked version of their existing song, 'City Of Ghosts'. Goldblade were the support act at the X-Ray Spex gig at the Roundhouse back in September.

Poly's last outing was a duet with Brian James on 'Eye Witness' from his last album a year or two ago. Here's hoping for more from Poly but I'll gratefully accept the upcoming Christmas present.

Scissorhands

I've got a thing about 'Celebrity Scissorhands' - it's this month's *must see* telly and I've got no idea why. Anyone that's ever seen me wouldn't confuse me with someone who spends a lot of time on my appearance, so why am I fascinated by a hair-do show?

It's one of the shows paving the way for Children In Need, three weeks worth of a group of celebs being trained to do haircuts, make-overs, waxing and all that salon stuff on people donating to Children In Need. I don't know who most of the celebs are but they're really working - 7-8 hour days, five days a week. The only celeb I'd stand a chance of recognising in the street is Steve Strange (and that would probably be because of what he was wearing than anything else) but I've at least of heard of Stedman from Five Star and Lucinda from 'The Apprentice'. The other celebs are a mix of TV presenters and various singers and the bloke who was Zammo in 'Grange Hill' 20 years ago.

It's good fun seeing them trying to be cool and trendy, offering advice to people about what they should do to their hair and then watching them slowly, ever so slowly, do the cut. An hour or two later it's finished and so many of them look the same. What's with the endless long-at-the-front/short-at-the-back cuts? Copy cat or what. And, of course, Steve Strange is the image and make-over consultant and some of his, erm, creations are quite truly, um... what's the word I'm looking for ....?

Anyway, I'm enjoying it and, if I had hair, I'd quite fancy being a customer myself (so long as they don't touch the beard). Take a look at it - it's on a few times each evening at different times on BBC3 for the next couple of weeks. Let your creative juices flow.

'Running For The Drum' Ordered

I'm one step closer to getting Buffy Sainte-Marie's new album, 'Running For The Drum'. Buffy's site has a link to buy the album and DVD through her agent but they seem to be having problems and referred me to ShopEmi in Canada to buy it, which I dutifuly did. So, at some point in between 1-3 weeks time, I should have a new album from Buffy.

Rock Follies

Those of you of a certain age will, no doubt, remember the 'Rock Follies' telly series in 1976 and 1977 with Julie Covington, Charlotte Cornwall and Rula Lenska as The Little Ladies band. Songs were written by Howard Schuman and Andy Mackay (of Roxy Music). The first series was done on the cheap until it really took off and production values improved in the last few shows. Then 'Rock Follies of 77' emerged, a lot slicker but still studio-bound. It was a great series and such a shame it all got bogged down later in legal wrangling. I bought the albums at the time and now, of course, the CDs.

Look what I found on YouTube - bring back memories, anyone?

'Rock Follies'



'Biba Nova'



We're all gonna live forever!

'The Things You Have To Do' - Julie Covington



I might have to hunt out the DVDs...

Novice Theory on Jools

If you didn't catch 'Later... with Jools Holland' last night you can see it on the iPlayer for the next week and, if you scroll in to 40:10 you can see and hear Novice Theory sing his mysterious 'About the Dream'. This is the song (and performance) he delivers at Justin Bond's 'Lustre'. The song is available to download at iTunes along with the rest of his album.

If you'd like to hear more, just click on over to his MySpace site.

UPDATE:

And here's the performance courtesy of YouTube: