Hurrah! The Cold War’s back

Putting a side the loss of freedom, the roll back of democracy etc the Cold war was good for Popular Culture.

Let’s face it fear, imminent obliteration and broad brush ideology was lots of fun and made for great art!

Examples:
Spy novels: have been rubbish since 1990, any good ones have to be set in past to make sense.

Mad pop song about politics: it might have been multi-millionaires singing in praise of Chairman Mao but has there been any good songs written about Iran or Sudan?

Films: hurrah Johnny English get’s let off the hook and is replaced again by horrible Ivan as the bad guy in action pics. Hollywood could never get the balance right with Middle Eastern terrorists or Yardies it all went a bit racist. Plus media moguls as Bond Villains were rubbish.

Sci-fi: Point of fact global warming is bobbins for near future disaster mad max style stuff you need a good nuke to get things going.

Computer games & comics see sci-fi and films

Art: well the CIA paid for abstract expressionism, uncle Joe stumped up for constructivism and Sergei Eisenstein what we do we get nowadays Grayson Perry and those Russian faux lesbian starlets.

So, what’s the best cold war song, film or book?
ps: here's Len Deighton's CV

Taken ill the other day I was resting on the sofa and decided to watch some box set tv to cheer myself up (the West wing to be precise). Having struggled to kitchen to make tea etc I settled down to watch the show. But I can’t because there’s 4 minutes of legal notices that you can’t skip through you have to sit their while they scroll tediously through hundreds of countries.

This raises two thoughts firstly does Switzerland have any oil rigs and are they really full of drillers desperate for the latest on CJ and Toby, also coaches haven’t shown videos for at least 20 years.

Lastly has anyone got any suggestion how culturally I can fill these seemingly endless 4 minutes being that the tea been made already?

Ps. Imagine if they did the same on cd’s

not sure this is a thread or not more of an observation.

But I was sorting out my music on media player and noticed that "NO" was much more popular than "YES" as far as song titles go that is.

Is this me being negative in my choices or is rock just grumpy?

The geniuses at The Onion are bang on a usual as they nail the delight which is You Tube and other online comment logs where the general public can leave anon posts. http://www.theonion.com/content/news/local_idiot_to_post_comment_on?utm_...

Apart from here and a few trusted blogs I've stopped reading the comments on news sites, you tube etc they never enlighten or entertain just annoy, am I alone?

A while back it was being sold off for flats.

Is this still the case?

Walking past just now it looked shabbier than usual.

I've been to see loads of memoral gigs there including seeing Mercury Rev for the first time and I think the Pixies.

So seeing as the world needs more "high quality loft style apartments" like a hole in the head is there any news?

Lastly what's the best/worst gig you've seen at this old dame of a sticky floored venue.

* sorry for being centrist it's a venue at the end of Charing Cross road in that there London! ;)

Somehow you know he’s up to no good.
SERJ TANKIAN

Saw this picture in a gig email update there’s something about this guy that say’s there’ll be trouble.

Any others pop stars who you know are up to no good?

Seperated at birth the Bard of Llareggub and the pulse of Memphis.

"They shall have stars at elbow and foot"

Are record companies really so bad?

In various posts lately loads bile vitriol and anger has been aimed at record companies. They are decride as all that's bad about the music industry and it's a good thing file sharing is destroying them one expense account at a time.

Basically record companies are worse than arms dealers and run by venial stupid uncreative coke snorting drones.

The funny thing is the last time I went into a record shop on Berwick st you could buy a t-shirt with a record company logo on it, last year the Zep played a tribute concert to record company boss and a certain northern city's most favourite record company has had at least 3 films made about it (proper ones that get shown in cinemas and that).

You could easily say that along with BBC there have been no other orgaisations as important to Britstish music as record companies, every much lauded bearded cover star of this magazine has gained their prestiege and wealth with the help of record company (even Van Morrison).

Mick Hucknall couldn't have gone it alone if record companies hadn't spent a fortune getting him there.

So amongst the talk of faceless mutinationals and getting their just desserts are there anythings we'll miss about record companies?

As pointed out by my friend Steve during Grinder Man's excellent full on performance at Latitude at the weekend the Badseeds really need to watch out for Naim lobbing them in for the halfway line.

I haven’t seen the ‘Nile that many times (4 tops) but then again I think I’ve seen 10% of their recent performances!
The gig last night was truly excellent here’s some reasons why:
The venue:

I think Somerset House is perfect for this size of summer gig; a slightly sloping plaza, a striking back drop and a surprisingly intimate feel.

The sponsors telling a group of fans with an average age of 40plus (and mostly well off looking) in big letters that “rebellion is the only thing that keeps you alive”.

The sound:

is the sound at recent gigs getting better? Last night, for me it was perfect, clear and involving, every word as sharp as a bell.

The band:

5 years between gigs and they still stroll on 5 minutes late hurrah!

Musical highlights:

Easter parade, Happiness, Strangers in the night and Tinsel town in the rain (2x).

I won’t go over the top but the music was truly beautiful and the whole gig had a friendly joyful atmosphere, well worth the wait.
To quote my friend (who has seen 13% of their shows) “arguably the best gig of my life”
Blue Nile info

ps: Anyone got any decent pictures mine were rubbish?

I was reading the piece about the dearth of Liverpool bands in the capital of culture celebrations when two things sprung to mind.

Firstly are The Beatles really a Liverpool band?

Seeing as they learnt to play in Hamburg then had to move to London to make it, then lived there and were enthused and enlived by London's arts scene. Their songs with a few very notable exceptions don't reference merseyside in the way van morrison's do. So the best London band ever?

Secondly has any GREAT record ever been recorded in Liverpool as all the ones I can think of were made elsewhere?

Who's going to latitude?
and has anyone got their tickets in the post yet?
Should I be worried mine haven't turned up yet the festival website is not very helpful.

Sisters of Mercy: "I don't wanna be a lover I wanna be a SRN".

What do the staff and student body feel about The posh bullyboy school St Viacom'sof the Sour Faced Kiljoys in the marsh demanding that the school Phonogram and beat combo discs be returned.

The governors of St Viacom's have also asked the school secretary for all pupil's school records and home addresses so they can "send the boys round".

So it looks like our friday shindig may be cancelled and the wealth of treasures in the record box shut away for only the select few to enjoy.

Just got sent this

"Gilles Petersen and Brownswood Recordings present:
A Night of Death Jazz
with
SOIL & "PIMP" SESSIONS
+ Chromehoof & The Mighty Jeddo "

Does anyone have clue what this means I only understand "recording" "present" and "with"!
"soil and pimp sessions" is it anything to do with Gardener's world? Is Gay Search involved?

It can't be young people's beat groups as T'old Gilles is a man of advancing years?

Help please!