the soundtrack to the day you wish you'd had
For those of you who, like me, have less than zero desire to support your national team, why not check out the World Development Movement’s page which assesses each of the country’s for their ethical criteria, and tells you who you should be supporting in each game! click here for the chooser.
I’ll save you the hassle – Ghana and Sweden come out tops. :o)
thanks to Darren for the link.
Actually ended up watching the last 15 minutes of the football yesterday. Was very disappointed when England scored – surely anyone with a heart was wanting it to be at least a draw? I have no idea at all how some spurious national pride can get in the way of wanting underdogs to do well. A load of the members of the Trinny team play well outside the premiership, for teams like Port Vale – I’d have loved to see them beat or draw with the bloated, overpaid, media-savvy pretty boys of England.
But sadly it wasn’t to be. And then Sweden won, which meant Trinidad can’t even go through just by beating Equador – they need to win by a few goals in order to go through on goal difference… so now I actually do want England to win their next game, and Trinidad to beat Ecuador, and then we’ll have them in the last 16, which would be fabulous.
Get me with my wikkid football-score-working-out skillz! Statto!
no, I’m not setting up a rival international ISP with crap interface and ‘keywords’. the ‘vs’ in the heading refers to my not being able to email anyone with an aol.com or aim.com email address. This is almost certainly because both my stevelawson.net and steve-lawson.co.uk domains have been spoofed by some spamming wankers using them to send out god-knows-what, and after a certain number of spam emails received by aol users, they’ve just blacklisted the domain names. I think…
So I’ve emailed their customer services (or rather, got someone else to email their customer services, as they have an aol address so wouldn’t have got it!!!) and asked them to unblock my main email addresses (steve@ each of the domain names).
But for now, if you’re an AOL/AIM user, if you have an alternative email address, please include it when emailing me. If you’ve emailed me recently and were expecting a reply that hasn’t arrived, it may well be that I sent it and it was eaten by the AOL blacklist…
One of the bizarrist bits of political posturing of the last couple of decades was Norman Tebbit’s assertion that you could judge the level of an ‘immigrant’s’ allegiance to England by asking them who they’d support when their country of origin played England at cricket… did second Generation Bangladeshi, West Indian or Pakistani root for their country of birth or the country of their family heritage?
The problem with this is that it assumes that sporting allegiance is somehow a given expression of national pride.
The problem is, that under the Tebbit test my national identity can be filed under ‘couldn’t give a shit’ or when feeling generous ‘the independent republic of underdog’. I have no sense of association with sports men and women from England at all. The english football team is not ‘we’ it’s not ‘us’, it’s 11 blokes that I don’t know, probably wouldn’t like very much if I met them, who just happen to have been born on the same bit of land as me. So what?
So, in this world cup, I’ll be rooting for Iran, Togo, Trinidad, and any other underdogs.
And as a musician, I’m hoping that England go out in the group stage, just to free up the venues for music again instead of sports on big teles. :o)
Much has been made of the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq, with reporters and politicians calling it great news.
Clearly, al-Zarqawi was a mad terrorist, though in body-count terms, he couldn’t hold a candle to the destruction wrought by the US/UK illegal invasion and subsequent killing spree. The twistedness of one set of international warlords crowing over the death of an opportunist who had galvanised support for his mad behaviour out of the perfectly logical opposition of the Iraqi people to the presence of the US/UK troops is hard to watch. It makes a little more sense of what George Galloway said last week. I still think Galloway phrased it in a stupid way (though it depends on how edited the quote was by the GQ writers), but his point about the equivalence of someone killing Blair vs. the blowing up of innocents in Iraq was a point that needs to be made. The point isn’t that killing Blair would be a good thing – of course not – but that ALL the killing is wrong. Bad guys getting killed isn’t a good thing. It’s occasionally understandable if it’s an attempt to prevent further killing (cf. the role of Deitrich Bonhoeffer in the plot to assassinate Hitler), but rejoicing over death is a perilous activity (I’ll reserve final judgement til I see my own reaction to the eventual demise of Margaret Thatcher… the desire for a street-party will definitely be bubbling below the surface, but I do hope she dies peacefully…)
Anyway, none of that was the point of this blog. The point is how the world leaders’ comments on the death of al-Zarqawi reflect their appalling understanding of the nature of anti-western sentiment across the Arab world. They keep referring to a-Z as the al-Qaeda leader in Iraq, ignoring the number of correspondents who say that al-Qaeda hardly exists at all as a hierarchical structure, and clearly not getting that the killing of a leader leading to a collapse of the resistance is a distinctly old war way of looking at things. If the plot to kill hitler had succeeded, it’s quite plausible that the second world war would not have happened. He was very strongly the driving force and ideological brains behind the Third Reich.
al-Zarqawi holds no such power. He was a new war leader. He was a fire-brand and a loud mouth, but he didn’t invent anti-western sentiment in Iraq or anywhere else. He didn’t invent suicide bombing or car bombing. His are not the only resistance army at work in Iraq. Much has been made of his Jordanian birth, to try and suggest that the resistance is a foreign thing, not an Iraqi thing. I think the former residents of Falluja might have something to say about that.
And before any of you hawkish readers get on your high horse – no, I’m no fan of al-Zarqawi. I’d have liked to see him tried in a war-crimes court, alongside Bush, Blair, Rumsfeld, John Reid, Condoleeza Rice, Saddam Hussein and any other psychotic war-mongering nutter engaged in killing people across the planet. He’s an easy target for a government desperately looking for some ‘good news’ in a worsening situation, but the death of one dude isn’t going to change the state of play in Iraq – it’s more likely to strengthen the resolve of those opposed to the occupation – and it certainly doesn’t provide any kind of counterbalance to horrific atrocities happening in the name of ‘enduring freedom’.
The mad thing about all of this is that I wish they were right – I wish the killing would stop, it’s a shame that taking out a-Z isn’t going to be the end of journalists being kidnapped and beheaded. But it’s an even bigger shame that the western troops are still there, still provoking, still giving footholds to murdering loons looking for an excuse to kill more westerners. All the presence of the army does is prove them right. All the killing of a-Z does is provide reason to ‘avenge his death’.
As the magical Franti says, ‘you can bomb the world to pieces, but you can’t bomb it into peace’. When will they stop trying?
One of the regulars – Cryptic – over at the forum just posted this link to some photos of yesterday’s gig – there are some fantastic photos there, though it’s clear that I a) need a hair-cut, and b) need some new things to wear on stage!
‘Twas a fab gig, and the perfect warm up for our Edinburgh run in August. I’m looking forward to it even more now!
Just about to start rehearsing for tonight’s gig with Julie McKee. I’m so looking forward to this one – I rarely bother to learn other people’s songs, as the only gigs I tend to do these days that aren’t my own music or improvised are jazz gigs where I’ve got charts. But as there aren’t many Green Day, Slipknot, Cure or John Martyn songs in the Real Book, I’ve had to actually learn them.
Please come down if you’re in London at 6pm – it’s at the National Theatre Foyer, free to get in, and will feature much bass and vocal loopage. Go on, you know you want to.
My what a mixed up week!
Starting with the screwed up car – bad times.
Then Tuesday I had a rehearsal with Julie for our gig at the National Theatre on the 31st – got lots of songs done, including songs by Green Day and The Cure. It’s going to be a fab gig. – good times.
Wednesday was another great rehearsal, this time with Andrea Hazell – Andrea’s only improv experience before this was onstage at Greenbelt last year with me, so she came round for a run through before thursday’s RC gig. Working through various ideas we found that Dido’s Lament by Purcell worked beautifully when looped and layered over ambient mush! – good times.
Which leads us to Thursday and the RC gig. The day started with renting a car – Enterprise do a scheme where they pick you up for free as well, which was nice. I then set off to pick up Todd from Peckham. When, after an hour and a half I hadn’t reached the river, I had to admit defeat to the traffic and head back home, leaving Todd to get the bus to the gig! – bad times, but at least I got to have a listen to the whole of the new album on the in-car CD player and check out what it sounds like in another situation. it’s pretty damned fine sitting in traffic music!
Anyway, came home, loaded the rental car, with gear and TSP, and headed down to Darbucka. Got there nice ‘n’ early, got set up and sound-checked, and even the sound check was sounding lovely. It’s safe to say, that this Recycle gig was one of my all time favourite gigs. Y’all know by now the the RC is ALWAYS stunning, but this perhaps even eclipsed the others. I started solo, with a glitch-free version of ‘Behind Every Word’ (first time that my opening tune at the RC has gone off without a hitch)… However, the loop gremlins just hid until my second track – some weirdness going on in ‘FRHU’ but it was still fun. Followed that with ‘Grace And Gratitude’, then got Andrea up to join me. We did two long pieces – the first a wordless improv, and the second was the Purcell – the purity, clarity and power of Andrea’s voice makes for a completely unique duo experience. Like so many people, the harshness of bad opera has left a bad impression on me, but working with Andrea shows just how good operatic vocals can be when performed by a world class singer. A total joy.
After the break, Todd Reynolds was on. I already knew Todd was amazing, world-class. I wasn’t quite prepared for just how awe-inspiringly amazing he would be as a solo performer. This was, without a doubt, one of the greatest virtuoso performances I’ve ever seen – it’s hugely inspiring to watch someone play who has obviously dedicated such a super-human amount of time, energy and love to being right at the top of their game. I can count on one hand the performers I’ve ever seen of equivalent levels of skill and beauty in their playing – Gary Husband, Show Of Hands, Antonio Forcione, Michael Manring… it’s a tiny tiny select group that serve as a wake-up-call to the rest of us to up our game considerably. I don’t think I’ve ever heard violin played like that live, even on video. It was a fairly small crowd for the RC, but every single one of the people there got a major treat checking out Todd’s magic.
And then the improv bit at the end, the musical equivalent of a 70s wrestling ‘royal rumble’, only a bit more gentle and considered. For this, the three of us were joined half way through by Julie, and the transition from the layers and layers of Andreas’ huge expansive voice fading across to the intimate exquisite layers of humming from Julie was definitely one of my favourite improv moments ever.
How lucky am I? Definitely Good Times.
And then today. I took the rental car back, they found a stone-dent in the back door (was it there when I got it yesterday? I didn’t see it…) and charged me £75 for it, making a grand total of £105 for the day’s car rental. Bollocks. Bad times. Then, just as I arrive home, the garage calls and tells me my car’s ready – £666,69. I’m not sure if the number’s significant, but it’s certainly an evil amount of money. Still, they are a fantastic and trustworthy bunch of guys, and it was really nice to get back in our car. It’s the first time ever that the switch from rental car to own-car hasn’t been a disappointment. This is one lovely car, and even with the blown gasket, I’m still hugely grateful to the lovely G and J for selling it to us for a solo-bass-wages sized sum. So bad times on the cost, good times on getting it back.
Then I come home and finally start to tackle the monumental task of tidying my office. – scary times. The problem is, I’m halfway through and need to somehow make it so I can teach in it tomorrow! arrrrggghhh!
Good times, bad times, you know I had my share…
one mine, one not mine.
Thursday morning I get an email from Todd Reynolds – the amazing violinist who’s doing the RC gig next week – asking if I wanted to go and see him playing at the QEH with the Michael Gordon band that evening. Of course I did!
Got to the gig slightly late due to lack of parking spaces, but walked in to the lovely sound of Max De Wardener and his band. The fact that he was playing Cloud Chamber bowls (a Harry Partch-invented instrument) warmed me to the group anyway, but the music was sublime. Really gorgeous ambient, occasionally minimalist contemporary classical stuff, but with a kit drummer which gave it a post-rock feel at times. Magical stuff.
And Michael Gordon’s band similarly occupied a space between chamber music and post rock, but way more to the RAWK end. I was actually quite surprised as how conventional the assignment of the roles in the band was – bass playing low notes, drums playing typical kit rhythms, keyboards playing pads and ostinatos, guitar doing big guitar and twiddling and violin as the dominant solo voice… not much swapping around within that, but I guess those are the parameters that Michael has set himself to work within, and the music was fantastic. At times majestic, scary, subtle, gentle, bombastic and very clever. A most enjoyable gig. Definitely the kind of thing that would appeal just as much to fans of God Speed You Black Emperor or Sigur Ros as to those of Michael Nyman, Philip Glass etc.
Friday was the me-gig. Well, not just me – it was a duo gig with lovely saxophonist, Andy Williamson. The gig was at Merton College in Oxford, where Andy had studied some time in the late 17th century, and was part of their arts festival.
Merton College is a gorgeous place, though it definitely looks more like Hogwarts than a place to learn modern stuff. I was half expecting to see Prof. Sprout or someone wander out of one of the ancient doorways. The big strangeness was being around students again – the thought that they’re almost young enough to legally be my kids was very strange, particularly when Andy and I nipped into the bar (£2.10 for a G&T and an orange juice???? how do they make any money at all??)
Anyway, the gig went very well – we only had half an hour to play, and the set list was –
Grace And Gratitude (me solo)
Amo Amatis Amare – (andy joined in, doing a fab job on this)
Scott Peck – (a rather different version with extended sax ending with lots of loopage that faded out and left Andy to wander up the venue playing a GORGEOUS unaccompanied sax solo, using the natural ambience of the room to mesmeric effect.)
Lovely – (Andy learnt Theo’s sax line note for note, only played on tenor instead of soprano. Another great job.
and to finish, we did People Get Ready, which we’d played together at the Edinburgh Festival last year.
All in all a top gig – Andy acquitted himself admirably, played a blinder, and the audience seemed to enjoy it. Much fun, hopefully to be repeated fairly soon!
While large sections of the church are getting all het up over a popular work of fiction, we can always rely on the ever-wonderful Brian McLaren to talk sense. He’s interviewed in the latest Sojourners SoJoMail newsletter, and it’s great stuff. Here’s the first couple of Q and As –
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What do you think the popularity of The Da Vinci Code reveals about pop culture attitudes toward Christianity and the church?
Brian McLaren: I think a lot of people have read the book, not just as a popular page-turner but also as an experience in shared frustration with status-quo, male-dominated, power-oriented, cover-up-prone organized Christian religion. We need to ask ourselves why the vision of Jesus hinted at in Dan Brown’s book is more interesting, attractive, and intriguing to these people than the standard vision of Jesus they hear about in church. Why would so many people be disappointed to find that Brown’s version of Jesus has been largely discredited as fanciful and inaccurate, leaving only the church’s conventional version? Is it possible that, even though Brown’s fictional version misleads in many ways, it at least serves to open up the possibility that the church’s conventional version of Jesus may not do him justice?
So you think The Da Vinci Code taps into dissatisfaction with Jesus as we know him?
McLaren: For all the flaws of Brown’s book, I think what he’s doing is suggesting that the dominant religious institutions have created their own caricature of Jesus. And I think people have a sense that that’s true. It’s my honest feeling that anyone trying to share their faith in America today has to realize that the Religious Right has polluted the air. The name “Jesus” and the word “Christianity” are associated with something judgmental, hostile, hypocritical, angry, negative, defensive, anti-homosexual, etc. Many of our churches, even though they feel they represent the truth, actually are upholding something that’s distorted and false.
I also think that the whole issue of male domination is huge and that Brown’s suggestion that the real Jesus was not as misogynist or anti-woman as the Christian religion often has been is very attractive. Brown’s book is about exposing hypocrisy and cover-up in organized religion, and it is exposing organized religion’s grasping for power. Again, there’s something in that that people resonate with in the age of pedophilia scandals, televangelists, and religious political alliances. As a follower of Jesus I resonate with their concerns as well.
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Top stuff, and heartening to read in the midst of mad people trying to sue Dan Brown and The film-makers for blasphemy or some such nonsense. I still can’t be bothered to read the book – I none-too-bothered by messianic conspiracy theories, especially as he’s rehashing all that ‘Holy Blood, Holy Grail’ stuff from a few years back.