Entertainment For Lively Minds
The Nicest Men in Pop
While wandering through the centre of Madrid with the family yesterday who should we bump into but Norman Blake and cronies from Teenage Fanclub. I’m so disconnected from these things that they’d played the night before and I didn’t even know – my favourite group! My Beatles. Bugger. Still, I managed to shake hands, several times, gibber on about the wonder that is Shadows, how Songs From Northern Britain is the greatest album ever made and say thanks for 20 years of wonderful music. Best of all my six year old met and said hello to the man who wrote and sung her favourite song – Baby Lee. And all the while they smiled happily, freed up hands for the shaking, were profuse in their thanks, and seemed genuinely touched and surprised by the attention rather than put out by having their lunch interrupted by a gibbering fool.
I am 38. Don’t we ever grow out of this sort of behaviour? Still, Teenage flipping Fanclub! Marvellous.
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Funny you should say that
I just listened to an interview with them on the way into work this morning.
It's on the Sound Opinions podcast, which you can download here:
http://www.soundopinions.org/podcast.html
Brilliant
Thanks a lot
They truly are smashing
They truly are smashing chaps, aren't they? One evening after work in 1995 or so, I also bumped into them, carrying their guitar cases round the West End (they'd been doing a session at Radio 1). I convinced them they should seek refreshing cold drinks and ended up going to the Ship in Wardour Street and the Black Horse on Rathbone Place, where Norman put Thin Lizzy and Queen on the jukebox (all agreed that the bit after the opera section in Bohemian Rhapsody was the greatest moment in rock). There was also some talk about how Oasis had ripped them off (they'd lost a guitar tech to them). Left them on the pavement by the HSBC, pretending to busk About You. They were on Zig & Zag the next morning with massive hangovers.
On Ladies' Final Day at Wimbledon this year
I almost literally bumped into Welsh and British Lion rugby union legend Gerald Davies. I had to shake his hand and tell him how wonderful he was. What impressed me was how is graciously took the plaudits and thanked me for the compliments.
If I was on a day out and some gibbering idiot grabbed my hand I might not be so sanguine.
One of the greatest meets of my life...
was with Gene Parsons of the Byrds (of 'untitled' era 1971). He was playing an acoustic set in the small market town of Beverley, just outside of my resident Hull. There were only approx 12 people in the seated Picture-house and after about 20 mins into his set he told everyone to go to the pub to loosen up and come back in half an hour. For the first time in my life, I wasn't the first out the door to the pub but decided to stay and try to stimulate conversation with him. After several minutes of telling him what an influence he's been (drummer/vocalist) and generally fumbling awkwardly in the presence of greatness, he slowly raised his arm to hold mine, shook my hand gently and whispered in his southern American accent...'Bless your heart...' at which I welled up and had to sit down at his shear and overwhelming graciousness. I know he doesn't mean much to many, but to me that was the greatest meeting I have ever had.
Your six-year-old has great
Your six-year-old has great taste! Great band, great story.
Baby Lee
My 3 year old loves it too! That and the Duckworth Lewis Method's Meeting Mr Miandad get her singing along and bopping around the kitchen!
Thirded for Baby Lee!
My 8 year old and her 4 year old brother love playing along to that song more than any other - apart from perhaps Freedom Park by Marah.