Hip-shakin' shoutin' in gold laméThat's how he earned his regal sobriquetBut he threw it all awayFor a porcelain monkey Warren Zevon - Porcelain MonkeyBefore Elvis there was nothing.John Lennon Today would have been Elvis Aaron Presley's 73rd Birthday. Assuming, of course, that you subscribe to the conventional belief that he died in 1977. If you believe he's still alive - and reliable sources suggest that many do - then I guess for you this is Elvis Aaron Presley's 73rd birthday.And if you're not convinced one way or the other, then there's always quantum mechanics. The Schrödinger's Cat paradox - the [...]
One of my favourite Christmas presents this year was the Season 7 DVD box set of the classic 90s American comedy series Seinfeld. I say "Christmas present", but I actually bought it for myself. 'Twas the weekend before Christmas and - after spending a day spending my money on family and friends - I felt like indulging myself. I didn't wrap it up or anything. I'm not that sad.I've been a fan of Seinfeld ever since BBC2 started showing it as a double-bill with the equally brilliant The Larry Sanders Show 12 or-so years ago. I used to set the [...]
The legendary Irish singer Joe Dolan died on 26th December 2007 aged 68.One of Ireland's most popular and charismatic performers, Dolan made his name in the 1960s and 70s, first as the lead singer with the Irish showband The Drifters and later as a solo performer. He toured extensively and was famous for his his Vegas-style showmanship and his trademark white suits. His hits included "Make Me An Island", "You're Such a Good Looking Woman" and "Lady in Blue".To be honest, I wasn't a big fan of his music. It was a bit too Easy Listening for my tastes, but [...]
Don't you just hate those end of year countdown shows? Cheap, schedule-padding fodder consisting of cobbled together clips and witless pundits pontificating witlessly. I even wrote about me intense dislike for this pernicious genre here. Oh, how I hate them.Here's a countdown of my favourite gigs of 2007:10. Jeffrey Lewis & The Jitters, Birmingham Hare & Hounds, 20th OctoberMy third Jeffrey Lewis gig and the best so far. I wrote a lengthy review of it here. In that review I forgot to mention that in addition to Jeffrey's uncle - Professor Louis - there was also support from local ska [...]
It's a bit late in the day, but I can't talk about The Pogues without at least mentioning the recent brouhaha over the re-release of their classic seasonal hit Fairytale of New York (AKA The Greatest Goddamn Christmas Song Ever).In case you missed it, BBC Radio 1 hit the headlines exactly a week before Christmas Day when they announced that they would censor the song for broadcast. The offending lyrics were embedded in the song's penultimate verse, in which Shane MacGowan memorably exchanged a barrage of earthy insults with the late Kirsty MacColl: You're a bumYou're a punkYou're an old [...]
I went to see The Pogues the other week. Really, I did.I suppose I should write a review or something, but it all seems a bit redundant. A Pogues gig is everything you'd expect a Pogues gig to be, only moreso. It was boozy, bawdy, boisterous and - by bloody bejaysus - it was a whole lot of fun.This wasn't the first time I'd seen them live, and it won't be the last. At least, I pray God it won't be the last. Shane turned 50 on Christmas day and has spent most of those years living on a diet [...]
