The box had sat sealed under the shelf next to the DVD player since the day I had bought it many years before. I had waited for this moment and now finally that day had come. We had walked down the aisles of toy shops for what had seemed like forever and I was the one who always seemed to stop and stare at the array of toys in this particular section. He never showed the slightest flicker of interest, not once, but now that had changed.
I remember as a boy when I had been exceptionally good my Mum would return home from shopping with a treat for me. I would sit there anxiously waiting to see if she had bought the figure that I had requested, the one toy that would make me smile and rush off into another room, another world. I would carefully take the toy out of the plastic bubble, trying to preserve the cardboard backing as there was always a photo of the character on it from the film.
I would play for hours recreating the scenes that had been ingrained in my head from the most recent visit to the pictures. My kids find this funny when I tell them there wasnt any DVD players back then. To be honest we had only just got a video player!. If you wanted to see the latest films you queued at the cinema and went and watched them on the big screen.
Once again I was 8 years old and walking blinking into the light of the foyer. My head filled with more questions than answers and in a state of high excitement at what Id just seen. He was his father? Really? Wow! Wait until I got to school on Monday and told my friends all about it. As I held my Dads hand and chattered ten to the dozen, the sugar rush from popcorn and coke still rushing around inside of me, I saw it. It was and still is one of my greatest memories of being a child.
In the foyer lining one whole wall was a glass cabinet someone had brilliantly recreated a scene from the film, using exactly the same toys that I had at home. Someone had spent hours getting the detail exactly right, the figures placed in the exact right place as they had been on the screen. I stood there and pressed my face up against the glass, remerging myslef back into that world once again and taking in every detail so as I could try and recreate the exact same thing at home.
I can picture it now as clear as day, the colours off the backing paper used to line the glass, the position of the characters, the smell of popcorn wafting through the air. If I close my eyes and think hard enough I can even remember my Dad smiling and telling me it was time to go and me pleading for just one more moment. I close my eyes and I am eight years old once again.
As I ripped the cellophane from the DVD boxset my hands trembled slighty. This was a moment I had wanted to happen for years. There are certain things fathers wish to share with their sons, kicking a ball over a park, taking them to a football match or whatever sport they are into. More importsntly though is being able to share with their son a lifetimes enjoyment from something they enjoyed as a child and hoping that they get the same pleasure from it that you did.
I watched him and his brother, my sons, during the film more than the film itself. I didnt need to watch it closely I knew it word for word and could tell exactly what the next scene would be. Their faces didnt move the whole time, they sat there for two hours and didnt blink. Enthralled by it they asked to watch the next one straight away. I smiled knowing that what I had been waiting for all these years didnt disappoint me. It had been worth the wait. Myself and my sons now have something we can share for a lifetime as me and my Dad did before them.
Like it did for me as a child it all started "In a galaxy a long, long time ago......................................"
Showing posts with label Music Tv And Film. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music Tv And Film. Show all posts
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
The Albums That Hold Memories For Me
A couple of days ago I was asked what was my favourite album of all time. I have so many that I couldn't single one out, I first asked for a top three, then five and finally settled on ten. My music tastes are so far and varied I find it impossible too pigeon hole myself as a fan of one type of music or another. So I shall share by favourite albums of all time and why they mean so much too me.
An Innocent Man- Billy Joel
Simply because it was the first album I ever bought. I can remember watching Upton Town Girl on Top Of The Pops and signing it till I knew all the words. When my birthday came round I went and bought a copy of it and found other gems, An Innocent Man, The Longest Time and of course Tell Her About It. I can remember being 10 years old and signing The Longest Time on the way to school with my mates. It bonded us and took away our inhibitions, didn't care who saw or heard us. This album to me is a very special one, as they say you never forget your first time do you?
Thriller- Michael Jackson
The thumping beat of Billie Jean, the naughtiness (well I was 10) of Pretty Yong Thing, Vincent Price on Thriller, this has to be the most complete album of all time. Every record could have been released as a single and made number 1. If I remember correctly they nearly all were as well. Trying to do the moonwalk, this album started an oppesiosn with Michaal Jackson that would last through the 80's and would only end when all the negative publicity started, it just didn't sound the same anymore, although with his passing I've started listening to him again, but it just doesn't feel the same anymore.
In Pieces- Garth Brooks
Country music to me at the time was all about yeah hah, shagging your cousin, drinking beer with the good old boys, and frankly quite crap. That was until one night I was watching the Des O'Conner show and saw this huge Texan in a cowboy hat sit down at a piano and start playing the Red Stokes. That was it I was hooked and have been ever since. He doesn't record anymore but at one stage he was the biggest selling artist of all time, yes even more than Elvis and Michael Jackson.
It's A Kind Of Magic- Queen
My first Queen album and again bought with birthday money. The cover was animated drawings of the band and I remember watching Highlander and realising that most of the songs from the album were in this film so it immediately became one of my favourite films. I was never lucky enough to see Queen live, at their peak I was too young to go to concerts on my own, but I remember watching Live Aid and seeing this guy totally control the crowd like he was some sort of magician. Everyone was eating out of his hand and he walked around the stage with a crown on his head and a cloak. His my favourite front man of all time, my favourite singer and my number two favourite band behind the next act.
New Jersey- Bon Jovi
My all time favourite band. I was at school when Slippery When Wet came out and they have been there at different stages of my life ever since. They seem to release an album when some major event is happening in my life and I listen to their songs and I'm instantly back there, at that time and place. For example, It's My Life was number 1 when Laura was born, These Days was released whilst I was on honeymoon, Have a Nice Day came out the day I started a new job. New Jersey though means more to me than any other because it was their comeback album, there had been talk of them splitting up, of John
An Innocent Man- Billy Joel
Simply because it was the first album I ever bought. I can remember watching Upton Town Girl on Top Of The Pops and signing it till I knew all the words. When my birthday came round I went and bought a copy of it and found other gems, An Innocent Man, The Longest Time and of course Tell Her About It. I can remember being 10 years old and signing The Longest Time on the way to school with my mates. It bonded us and took away our inhibitions, didn't care who saw or heard us. This album to me is a very special one, as they say you never forget your first time do you?
Thriller- Michael Jackson
The thumping beat of Billie Jean, the naughtiness (well I was 10) of Pretty Yong Thing, Vincent Price on Thriller, this has to be the most complete album of all time. Every record could have been released as a single and made number 1. If I remember correctly they nearly all were as well. Trying to do the moonwalk, this album started an oppesiosn with Michaal Jackson that would last through the 80's and would only end when all the negative publicity started, it just didn't sound the same anymore, although with his passing I've started listening to him again, but it just doesn't feel the same anymore.
In Pieces- Garth Brooks
Country music to me at the time was all about yeah hah, shagging your cousin, drinking beer with the good old boys, and frankly quite crap. That was until one night I was watching the Des O'Conner show and saw this huge Texan in a cowboy hat sit down at a piano and start playing the Red Stokes. That was it I was hooked and have been ever since. He doesn't record anymore but at one stage he was the biggest selling artist of all time, yes even more than Elvis and Michael Jackson.
It's A Kind Of Magic- Queen
My first Queen album and again bought with birthday money. The cover was animated drawings of the band and I remember watching Highlander and realising that most of the songs from the album were in this film so it immediately became one of my favourite films. I was never lucky enough to see Queen live, at their peak I was too young to go to concerts on my own, but I remember watching Live Aid and seeing this guy totally control the crowd like he was some sort of magician. Everyone was eating out of his hand and he walked around the stage with a crown on his head and a cloak. His my favourite front man of all time, my favourite singer and my number two favourite band behind the next act.
New Jersey- Bon Jovi
My all time favourite band. I was at school when Slippery When Wet came out and they have been there at different stages of my life ever since. They seem to release an album when some major event is happening in my life and I listen to their songs and I'm instantly back there, at that time and place. For example, It's My Life was number 1 when Laura was born, These Days was released whilst I was on honeymoon, Have a Nice Day came out the day I started a new job. New Jersey though means more to me than any other because it was their comeback album, there had been talk of them splitting up, of John
Friday, 31 December 2010
Eastenders Has Gone Too Far This Time
I was a huge fan of Eastenders. I watched the very first episode and followed the Beale's, Fowler's, Watts, Carpenters, Osmond's and Cottons every week. I kept this up right up until February last year when it finally tipped me over the edge and now with the storyline that will play out tonight I have to say that I may never watch it again. A once proud soap is now being ruined by sensational story lines and unbelievable plot lines as well as some of the worst writing I have ever seen. Every soap goes through highs and lows but Eastenders at the moment is a disaster and it annoys the hell out of me.
Juts in case you aren't aware the storyline is that Ronnie has had a baby boy, as have Kat and Alfie. Ronnie's baby unfortunately dies of cot death and she then swaps her dead baby for Kat's who then goes through a funeral thinking her child is dead. I'm sorry but what planet are these idiots on that they think they can cheapen something that is so terrible for television ratings?. They quite frankly need to look in the mirror and see if they have any shame left in their souls. I am so angry about this I'm trying desperately not to swear as I can feel the anger burning inside of me as I write this. Too cheapen something so sad beggars belief.
This could have been done with huge compassion and tenderness. It could have been a way of bringing this terrible tragedy right to the front of peoples minds. Instead they have chased ratings once again. In choosing Ronnie as the character who does this as well they have cheapened the whole storyline. Remember I said at the start that I stopped watching it about 18 months ago? That was when hey killed of her daughter. Instead of giving people the ending they wanted they killed her off. Since then she has suffered a miscarriage as well and now this!. Do these scriptwriters get paid in peanuts? Can they not think of anyone better to carry this storyline?. Me? Personally I would have had it being Kat and Alfie, I take nothing away from Samantha Janus as an actress I think she is superb, but Jessie Wallace and Shane Ritchie dealing with this as a couple would have a far greater impact than portraying a grieving woman as a lunatic who will cover the death of her own child so as she gets what she wants.
I am lucky, I have four healthy beautiful children. I used to check them every hour when they were babies because although we did everything they told us to do, you always want to make sure they are okay don't you?. All of the hard work that charities have done over the years to reduce this awful experience for any new parents is going to be wiped away by stupid writers of a once great soap for the sake of television ratings. Until the ex-producer goes and they get new writer's I will not be watching it again. I feel that strongly about this.
You may find this next piece upsetting but I feel its relevant and I have the permission of a friend of mine who was touched by this to use this in this blog as he feels so strongly about it as well. It was he who prompted me to write this piece. We chatted about it in the week and he was distraught at what he saw as sensational television for ratings. I shall finish with his words as requested I shall not name him but thank him for allowing me to do this.
"She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. She had lots of dark hair and we were so proud Anthony we really were. She was three months old when it happened. No warning nothing. I thought she had slept through the night. I crept into her room and looked into her cot. She looked like she was asleep. I touched her face and she was cold. I stood there for a few moments, then I picked her up and ran out the house to my neighbours. We didn't have a phone, they did. The ambulance came but it was too late she had passed away. That was 35 years ago and I think of her every day. What Eastenders is doing is so, so wrong they will cause more harm than good. It needs to be stopped but we cant do that can we. Please tell my story in your blog. People need to know what its really like. People who lose children this way don't go and swap babies for other babies. They grieve their loss, if they are lucky they become closer as a couple and one day they have another child. Not what this stupid television programme is doing"
I can picture his face as he tells me this and it hasn't got any easier for him down the years. He has gone on and had two more daughters. Both healthy and happy both now married with children of their own. I met him by chance at a job I worked in many years ago. He was my mentor and one of the nicest, kindest people I have ever worked with. A traditional man who believes in marriage and family, a true gent. I still speak to him now and then but that story I have never forgotten. It stays with me as it does him. That's why Eastenders has gone to far this time.
Juts in case you aren't aware the storyline is that Ronnie has had a baby boy, as have Kat and Alfie. Ronnie's baby unfortunately dies of cot death and she then swaps her dead baby for Kat's who then goes through a funeral thinking her child is dead. I'm sorry but what planet are these idiots on that they think they can cheapen something that is so terrible for television ratings?. They quite frankly need to look in the mirror and see if they have any shame left in their souls. I am so angry about this I'm trying desperately not to swear as I can feel the anger burning inside of me as I write this. Too cheapen something so sad beggars belief.
This could have been done with huge compassion and tenderness. It could have been a way of bringing this terrible tragedy right to the front of peoples minds. Instead they have chased ratings once again. In choosing Ronnie as the character who does this as well they have cheapened the whole storyline. Remember I said at the start that I stopped watching it about 18 months ago? That was when hey killed of her daughter. Instead of giving people the ending they wanted they killed her off. Since then she has suffered a miscarriage as well and now this!. Do these scriptwriters get paid in peanuts? Can they not think of anyone better to carry this storyline?. Me? Personally I would have had it being Kat and Alfie, I take nothing away from Samantha Janus as an actress I think she is superb, but Jessie Wallace and Shane Ritchie dealing with this as a couple would have a far greater impact than portraying a grieving woman as a lunatic who will cover the death of her own child so as she gets what she wants.
I am lucky, I have four healthy beautiful children. I used to check them every hour when they were babies because although we did everything they told us to do, you always want to make sure they are okay don't you?. All of the hard work that charities have done over the years to reduce this awful experience for any new parents is going to be wiped away by stupid writers of a once great soap for the sake of television ratings. Until the ex-producer goes and they get new writer's I will not be watching it again. I feel that strongly about this.
You may find this next piece upsetting but I feel its relevant and I have the permission of a friend of mine who was touched by this to use this in this blog as he feels so strongly about it as well. It was he who prompted me to write this piece. We chatted about it in the week and he was distraught at what he saw as sensational television for ratings. I shall finish with his words as requested I shall not name him but thank him for allowing me to do this.
"She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. She had lots of dark hair and we were so proud Anthony we really were. She was three months old when it happened. No warning nothing. I thought she had slept through the night. I crept into her room and looked into her cot. She looked like she was asleep. I touched her face and she was cold. I stood there for a few moments, then I picked her up and ran out the house to my neighbours. We didn't have a phone, they did. The ambulance came but it was too late she had passed away. That was 35 years ago and I think of her every day. What Eastenders is doing is so, so wrong they will cause more harm than good. It needs to be stopped but we cant do that can we. Please tell my story in your blog. People need to know what its really like. People who lose children this way don't go and swap babies for other babies. They grieve their loss, if they are lucky they become closer as a couple and one day they have another child. Not what this stupid television programme is doing"
I can picture his face as he tells me this and it hasn't got any easier for him down the years. He has gone on and had two more daughters. Both healthy and happy both now married with children of their own. I met him by chance at a job I worked in many years ago. He was my mentor and one of the nicest, kindest people I have ever worked with. A traditional man who believes in marriage and family, a true gent. I still speak to him now and then but that story I have never forgotten. It stays with me as it does him. That's why Eastenders has gone to far this time.
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
Political Correctness And Comedy
I was going to have Christmas off but the Daily Mail newspaper has annoyed me so much that I need to get this out of my system. They have started a campaign labelling the comedy by Matt Lucas and David Walliams as racist. Come Fly With Me was the docu spoof comedy that launched on Christmas Day with a selection of WHITE and ETHNIC characters. Its important too remember that there were white characters in this so as to get some form of perspective. Personally I found the programme very funny. The Daily Mail however found it racist. Not quite sure where they are coming from to be honest, and this isn't the first time they have done this recently is it. They attacked Frankie Boyle's new show as being racist as well.
There is no place nowadays for the likes of Jim Davidson and Bernard Manning which is correct as they were racist. However back in the day they were acceptable faces of television and appeared on many shows on a regular basis. Times change and peoples attitudes change as to what is acceptable and what is not. Its called evolution. However the way that the Daily Mail has branded Come Fly With Me racist is totally wrong. This is from the creators of Little Brittan. You know the one with Vicky Pollard, Andy the fake disabled wheelchair user oh and who can forget the lady that puked every time she realised that something had been done by someone who was forgien, or how about Marjory the weight watching nightmare. My point? It was funny!. Maybe not for everyone but it was well written, well acted and very funny.Peoples ideas of what is funny and what isn't will always differ, that's life, however take these as a few examples of how stupid the Daily Mail is being. Did all the Cockneys kick off at Del Boy?, Did all the Liverpudlians kick of at Bread? Did all the Asians kick off at Goodness Gracious Me? No of course they didn't. What do people want? Black people only laughing at Black comedians? White people only laughing at white comedians? Asian people only allowed to laugh at Asian comedians? Sound extreme? Not really read the Daily Mail article. They say people complained because 'Ethinic characters were portrayed by white people'. Utter idiots.
I shall be watching it again and laughing my head off, as for the Mighty Boosh and The League Of Gentleman, I'm sure they are very funny but just not for me I'm afraid and I shall be turning them over. Its easy when you think about it isnt it?
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Where Have All The Feel Good Films Gone?
Over the last few days Ive gone back and listened to some groups that I haven't listened too in years. Inspired by the ABBA programme at the weekend Ive listened to them, The Bee Gees and then the Grease soundtrack album. You know what? Ive thoroughly enjoyed them but it got me thinking as well and perhaps a little nostalgic, bare with me I'm getting old now. Where are all the excellent soundtrack albums to films these days?
Where are the Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Dirty Dancing, Footloose albums? When I was a kid the soundtrack to a film was the thing you remembered more than anything else. You would listen to the songs in the films and then go and buy the soundtrack and you could remember where in the film the music had played. It made the film more special for me as well. Also these albums spawned Number 1 records. Who knows the words to Greased Lightening? Your The One That I Want? Staying Alive? More Than A Woman? Footloose? Ive Had The Time Of My Life?I know I do. 
Listening to them these past few days I surprised myself how much I knew the words and I had a great time blasting them out and singing along too them. So were are these type of films today? Nowhere that's where. They just don't get made anymore and that's a real shame. These films were made for teenagers to enjoy and loose themselves in which we all did. Who wanted to be Maverick? or Ferris Buellers? Who wanted to be part of the Goonies and get one of their mates to do the truffle shuffle?. Memories that I hold very dear even now.
I guess what I'm saying is where are the feel good films that I remember as a kid? The films that got me into music and that I watched time and time again. They just aren't there anymore, they aren't getting made. There are great films being made now but they are all far too realistic. There aren't enough of those films that you could watch and come out of and smile about and talk about. The films that gave you a lift, that formed part of your childhood. Its all about realism now, or who can get the most blood and guts on the screen, or scare you the most. That's okay but it needs too have a balance.Let me share with you some of my favourite films from my early too late teens. I watch these time and time again because they cheer me up and make me smile.
Back To The Future 1-3 (Superb, well written and funny)
The Goonies (Purley for the truffle shuffle)
Ferris Buellers Day Off ( Come on who hasn't dreamed of a day off like this!)
Footloose ( Great feel good film)
Dirty Dancing (Hey no one puts baby in the corner)
Top Gun (The Ray Bans, the planes, need I say more?)
Saturday Night Fever ( The dancing still gets me if it is a little cheesy now)
Grease ( One of THE BEST FILMS Ive ever seen)
That's just a few so what are yours have I missed any? You have too agree they don't make films like this now do they? Or have I missed some modern day classics? Let me know and Ill compile a list of your top feel good films of all time. Lets see how many we agree on and how many I have forgotten. Add your favourites and Ill do a count down of them in a few weeks.Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Music And Me
Ive written a lot about my memories over the past few weeks and in doing so I have listened to a lot of old songs as well. Music plays a huge part in my life, always has always will do. I don't play an instrument, although Ive always fancied the guitar if I'm honest but never got round to it. I always saw myself up on stage doing some huge guitar solo, but hey guess it just wasn't meant to be. The closest Ill ever get is Guitar Hero.
I listen to music when I write these blogs, depending on what the subject is will depend on the music I listen to. I listen to music every chance I get if I'm honest. It influences my mood and my thoughts. I remember the first 7" I ever bought was "Oh Julie" by Shakin Stevens, I played that for hours and hours. I remember the first time I listened to The Beatles ( the red album 1962-1966) the first time I listened too ABBA. I remember the first concert I ever went to Michael Jackson Bad 1988. I can remember all of these things like they were yesterday.
The first time I listened too Elvis and was blown away by this guy in a white jump suit and the hold he had over his audience, the first time I heard Mr Bojangles by Sammy Davis Jnr that actually moved me to tears. The power of music is so underrated and it shouldn't be. Whatever it is it can move you when you least expect it. The Storm by Garth Brooks is another one that chokes me up or the video to Stay by Sugarland, its so simple but yet so powerful at the same time, click on the video bar opposite and watch the video for yourselves, youll see what I mean.
My favourite music recently has been Country Music my dream is to go to Nashville and hang about in the bars listening too at its a rawest. My favourite two singers at the moment are Keith Urban and Kenny Chesney. I was lucky to see Keith Urban a few years ago but would love to see Kenny Chesney tour here, so if you are reading this Kenny please come and tour here. Thanks.
Some people link events in their lives through experiences. Some like me link them through music. I can hear a song and be back in that time, that place, feeling the emotions I felt at the time instantly. If I hear Summertime I'm back in a car driving with the window down and I'm 18 all over again. If I hear Slideaway I'm back in Thresher's working the nights. If I hear Cuts Both Ways I'm back to my first summer romance. If I hear Hungry Like The Wolf by Duran Duran, I'm immediately transported back too being 10 again and the Christmas I got my first Walkman and Seven And The Ragged Tiger was the album I played for months on end, falling asleep with my headphones on of a night.Its amazing what an influence it has on me.
I play music to my kids as often as I can, I dance around with them in the kitchen singing as I go. I get on my knees for the boys as they are so young and we play air guitar to Bon Jovi or Queen.The girls will stand on my feet and well move slowly around the kitchen practising their wedding dance as we go. Those moments I treasure more than any other they are special to me. I can remember playing I Want Your Sex to my mum and her mate and wondering what all the fuss was about and why it was banned. I hear I'm Your Man and see my mate Jason standing in his living room singing it to the girl he fancied at the time hoping to impress her. Wonderful, wonderful memories.
Music has influenced my life in so many positive ways, be it that thumping Bon Jovi track before a job interview, to a slow song at my wedding, to buying all of the top ten the day my kids were born. Music is a wonderful experience whatever you listen to enjoy it. I do.
I listen to music when I write these blogs, depending on what the subject is will depend on the music I listen to. I listen to music every chance I get if I'm honest. It influences my mood and my thoughts. I remember the first 7" I ever bought was "Oh Julie" by Shakin Stevens, I played that for hours and hours. I remember the first time I listened to The Beatles ( the red album 1962-1966) the first time I listened too ABBA. I remember the first concert I ever went to Michael Jackson Bad 1988. I can remember all of these things like they were yesterday.
The first time I listened too Elvis and was blown away by this guy in a white jump suit and the hold he had over his audience, the first time I heard Mr Bojangles by Sammy Davis Jnr that actually moved me to tears. The power of music is so underrated and it shouldn't be. Whatever it is it can move you when you least expect it. The Storm by Garth Brooks is another one that chokes me up or the video to Stay by Sugarland, its so simple but yet so powerful at the same time, click on the video bar opposite and watch the video for yourselves, youll see what I mean.
My favourite music recently has been Country Music my dream is to go to Nashville and hang about in the bars listening too at its a rawest. My favourite two singers at the moment are Keith Urban and Kenny Chesney. I was lucky to see Keith Urban a few years ago but would love to see Kenny Chesney tour here, so if you are reading this Kenny please come and tour here. Thanks.
Some people link events in their lives through experiences. Some like me link them through music. I can hear a song and be back in that time, that place, feeling the emotions I felt at the time instantly. If I hear Summertime I'm back in a car driving with the window down and I'm 18 all over again. If I hear Slideaway I'm back in Thresher's working the nights. If I hear Cuts Both Ways I'm back to my first summer romance. If I hear Hungry Like The Wolf by Duran Duran, I'm immediately transported back too being 10 again and the Christmas I got my first Walkman and Seven And The Ragged Tiger was the album I played for months on end, falling asleep with my headphones on of a night.Its amazing what an influence it has on me.
I play music to my kids as often as I can, I dance around with them in the kitchen singing as I go. I get on my knees for the boys as they are so young and we play air guitar to Bon Jovi or Queen.The girls will stand on my feet and well move slowly around the kitchen practising their wedding dance as we go. Those moments I treasure more than any other they are special to me. I can remember playing I Want Your Sex to my mum and her mate and wondering what all the fuss was about and why it was banned. I hear I'm Your Man and see my mate Jason standing in his living room singing it to the girl he fancied at the time hoping to impress her. Wonderful, wonderful memories.
Music has influenced my life in so many positive ways, be it that thumping Bon Jovi track before a job interview, to a slow song at my wedding, to buying all of the top ten the day my kids were born. Music is a wonderful experience whatever you listen to enjoy it. I do.
Sunday, 12 September 2010
The Final One - The Stag Weekend
"Guys there's a tiger in the bathroom" I love that film its one of the best comedies ever. The Hangover is about a Stag do that goes horrifically wrong. Mine wasn't quite as bad but it came close.
Okay Ive reminisced quite a lot lately so I'm going to round it off with a blog about my Stag Weekend. The same crazy nutters Id grown up with and they make up the highlights of this blog. It was decided to do it over the weekend no idea who thought of this but it seemed like a good idea at the time if I'm honest. I didn't want all the stripper lark, not interested to be fair so it was agreed we would do a pub crawl around Ilford then head off to the West End on the Saturday.
It started of quietly, a few pubs a few drinks, then it started to go a bit wrong. I got absolutely bladdered so I'm relying on what happened next from other peoples memories and the wife to be plus the sister. Apparently I disappeared in one of the last pubs we went in. I was found after about an hour, yeah thanks guys you were that worried about me, sitting in the bog sweating and with my trousers round my ankles!. I have no idea how, why or what happened. I was truly mashed so cant remember a thing. Anyway I was duly re-dressed and carried outside of the club. This I also have no recollection of but here goes.
Apparently I was placed against a car where, well you know in those cartoons they slide down things really slowly? Yep I did but into the middle of the road. At this point my future brother-in-law Ian ( yes they was back on again) decided to call my wife to be and ask her if he could come and get the car and drive us home. He was more pissed than I was but better at hiding it. She said no so apparently we got a cab. Nope don't remember a thing. Anyway we got home and I was put to bed where the fun continued. My other brother-in-law Paul said he was going home, nope didn't want a cab and walked out the back door and then fell over and asleep in the garden where he was left. Ian was then having a ciggie in the front room with Nicky and Sarah when he lent forward and well I cant believe he did this, I did laugh when I found out but that didn't help, Sarah all concerned said to Ian "Do you want the ashtray" Ian nods, Sarah leans forward to give it to him and throws up all over her. Priceless, a quiet night in then we turn up.
The next night we met at the George in Gants Hill, yep theres that place again, there was me, Gary, Ian, Paul, Terry ( the father-in-law), Mark, Gary L and a few others. We had a few beers well hair of the dogs and headed up West. We had decided to get something to eat in a place called Break For The Border it ain't there now another victim of the recession unfortunately. We started of with a few buckets of beer and some shots and were slowly getting tanked again.
There was a Hen party in this place with a few ropey women which some of the guys beer goggles kicked in for and of they went. Me and Ian were standing by the dance floor when a fight started, Now this place had one bouncer that was it. It was a crap fight between two blokes, all slaps and handbags when another bloke started. It was then getting out of hand so me and Ian decided to break it up. We were big enough and could handle ourselves so decided to sort it. Id like to say we did but all hell then broke loose. This place was done out like a cowboy bar and it then looked like one of those cowboy films were you have a mass brawl.
The other numptys hadn't seen us try and stop it they thought we started it so joined in. I watched as my Father-In-Law was telling the bouncer to leave it as we would sort it. It was so surreal. I grabbed a bloke and went to hit him then realised it was my brother-in-law, one of our mates who fancied himself a bit ran in and ended up on the floor a quick kick to the nuts sorting that out. We managed to calm it all down and the hen party started to cheer. Gary L thought they were cheering for him as he was copping off with one of the old birds and raised his hands to take the applause, not realising that the whole place had been in chaos, so there he was expecting us all to congratulate him when all we did was laugh at him.
The owner came over and thanked us and said the bill and beer was free for the rest of the night. So we then carried on getting bladdered, along with the blokes we had just been fighting with. Well no hard feeling there then. We then got the night bus home as wed missed the train and went up to the top deck. Terry had heard a song on KISS FM he liked but couldn't remember it so he started singing about my pony, he ain't got the best of voices anyway but this was bad, Ian then sat opposite him nodding his head saying "Ive heard this Tel " and continued repeating the words all over again. This went on all the way home, much to the amusement of everyone else.
It was in the end the final chapter of my time with the Gants Hill Mob. I was the first to marry so I left it all behind. A few of them stayed single for a few more years but it we never kept in touch like we did. We had different priorities. It was like having one last hurrah before we all finally accepted we had to grow up and move on with our lives. But what a way to end it all. Great memories from great friends. I wouldn't change it for anything and I suppose for a lot of it you had to be there.
Okay Ive reminisced quite a lot lately so I'm going to round it off with a blog about my Stag Weekend. The same crazy nutters Id grown up with and they make up the highlights of this blog. It was decided to do it over the weekend no idea who thought of this but it seemed like a good idea at the time if I'm honest. I didn't want all the stripper lark, not interested to be fair so it was agreed we would do a pub crawl around Ilford then head off to the West End on the Saturday.
It started of quietly, a few pubs a few drinks, then it started to go a bit wrong. I got absolutely bladdered so I'm relying on what happened next from other peoples memories and the wife to be plus the sister. Apparently I disappeared in one of the last pubs we went in. I was found after about an hour, yeah thanks guys you were that worried about me, sitting in the bog sweating and with my trousers round my ankles!. I have no idea how, why or what happened. I was truly mashed so cant remember a thing. Anyway I was duly re-dressed and carried outside of the club. This I also have no recollection of but here goes.
Apparently I was placed against a car where, well you know in those cartoons they slide down things really slowly? Yep I did but into the middle of the road. At this point my future brother-in-law Ian ( yes they was back on again) decided to call my wife to be and ask her if he could come and get the car and drive us home. He was more pissed than I was but better at hiding it. She said no so apparently we got a cab. Nope don't remember a thing. Anyway we got home and I was put to bed where the fun continued. My other brother-in-law Paul said he was going home, nope didn't want a cab and walked out the back door and then fell over and asleep in the garden where he was left. Ian was then having a ciggie in the front room with Nicky and Sarah when he lent forward and well I cant believe he did this, I did laugh when I found out but that didn't help, Sarah all concerned said to Ian "Do you want the ashtray" Ian nods, Sarah leans forward to give it to him and throws up all over her. Priceless, a quiet night in then we turn up.
The next night we met at the George in Gants Hill, yep theres that place again, there was me, Gary, Ian, Paul, Terry ( the father-in-law), Mark, Gary L and a few others. We had a few beers well hair of the dogs and headed up West. We had decided to get something to eat in a place called Break For The Border it ain't there now another victim of the recession unfortunately. We started of with a few buckets of beer and some shots and were slowly getting tanked again.
There was a Hen party in this place with a few ropey women which some of the guys beer goggles kicked in for and of they went. Me and Ian were standing by the dance floor when a fight started, Now this place had one bouncer that was it. It was a crap fight between two blokes, all slaps and handbags when another bloke started. It was then getting out of hand so me and Ian decided to break it up. We were big enough and could handle ourselves so decided to sort it. Id like to say we did but all hell then broke loose. This place was done out like a cowboy bar and it then looked like one of those cowboy films were you have a mass brawl.
The other numptys hadn't seen us try and stop it they thought we started it so joined in. I watched as my Father-In-Law was telling the bouncer to leave it as we would sort it. It was so surreal. I grabbed a bloke and went to hit him then realised it was my brother-in-law, one of our mates who fancied himself a bit ran in and ended up on the floor a quick kick to the nuts sorting that out. We managed to calm it all down and the hen party started to cheer. Gary L thought they were cheering for him as he was copping off with one of the old birds and raised his hands to take the applause, not realising that the whole place had been in chaos, so there he was expecting us all to congratulate him when all we did was laugh at him.
The owner came over and thanked us and said the bill and beer was free for the rest of the night. So we then carried on getting bladdered, along with the blokes we had just been fighting with. Well no hard feeling there then. We then got the night bus home as wed missed the train and went up to the top deck. Terry had heard a song on KISS FM he liked but couldn't remember it so he started singing about my pony, he ain't got the best of voices anyway but this was bad, Ian then sat opposite him nodding his head saying "Ive heard this Tel " and continued repeating the words all over again. This went on all the way home, much to the amusement of everyone else.
It was in the end the final chapter of my time with the Gants Hill Mob. I was the first to marry so I left it all behind. A few of them stayed single for a few more years but it we never kept in touch like we did. We had different priorities. It was like having one last hurrah before we all finally accepted we had to grow up and move on with our lives. But what a way to end it all. Great memories from great friends. I wouldn't change it for anything and I suppose for a lot of it you had to be there.
Saturday, 28 August 2010
The 80's
The 80's was the decade when I first discovered music. It has influenced my choices through the years and it has also set the trends for a lot of what we listen to now. The 60's and 70's had their moments but for me the 80's was the decade that set it all up, and to be honest is still a lot of the music I listen too today almost 20 years later.The 80's was a decade of huge change. Thatcher came too power and changed many peoples lives, some good some bad. We had the boom and bust, England weren't that crap at football, hooliganism was at its peak, and the miners strike took place. A lot got packed into those 10 years. However for me I remember it for the music more than anything else.
I dressed like Adam Ant, I wanted to be in Duran Duran and I also listened to Rap and Soul music for the first time. Rap is rap I ain't calling it Hip, Hop bah no not me and as for calling soul music R and B yeah right go away. I listed to my first Rap album in the mid 80's called No Sleep Till Brooklyn by the Beastie Boys, I played it again recently and it still sounds good if I'm honest. I also liked Run DMC and the way they never tied their trainers up. Tried that once and fell over. I never did like NWA to be honest too hardcore for me. These guys influenced Enimen and others. The track where Run DMC teamed up with Aeorsmith for Walk This Way was a classic ( until Girls Aloud destroyed it).
How many decades can name bands such as these, Ultravox, Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran, Wham, Beatsie Boys, Run DMC, Culture Club, Heaven 17, ABC, T'Pau, Bananarama, A-Ha, Huey Lewis And The News, or solo artists like Michael Jackson, Paul Young, Allison Moyet, Phil Collins, Luther Vandross, Alexander Oneal, Bobby Brown, Belinda Carlise, Prince, Madonna and Billy Idol. Bands and artists with real character and personality who wrote their own music and not manufactured. They earned their right to a number one by having to sell on average a million records not like now where 20,000 gets you a number one. You had to have real talent back then.
Soul music was another major influence for me. Luther Vandross was a legend and is sadly missed, he wrote and performed some of my favourite tracks ever, A House Is Not A Home, Here and Now, Dance With My Father Again, the list is endless. Alexander Oneal and that huge bed as well as Fake, Hearsay and others still stand the test of time. We wouldn't have major artists like we do now without these guys. They influenced so many.
At the start of the decade we had punk and at the end we had the start of dance music. No other decade has changed the face of music as much as the 80's. It wasn't all great mind we had some shockers in there, Captain Sensible being one of them and Renee and Renata being another. It had the first ever charity record in Band Aid and also the first ever major charity concert in Live Aid. There hadn't been anything done before these and they have only been copied not bettered since.
It also produced my favourite album ever. Its A Kind Of Magic. There hasn't been in my opinion a more complete album since. Every track could have been a number one record. The music was used for the film Highlander and really put Queen on the map. This was their decade and they owned it. From the performance at Live Aid to the sad demise of Freddie Mercury a few years into the start of the 90's Queen were quite simply the best band on the planet for 10 years.
So yeah the fashion may have been a bit naff ( puffball skirts anyone? leg warmers? luminous socks?) The country may have gone through the wringer ( miners strike?, the boom and bust? the Falklands War?) but the music was first class and set the trend for what has become the most influential decade of music ever created, a legacy that has lasted a lifetime, far more than any other decade before or since. The 80's simply rocked end of story.
Saturday, 7 August 2010
Twilight Film Versus Book
Okay confession time I am a 37 year old male married father of 4 and I like Twilight. There you go Ive said it. I am a huge fan of the books. They are what I call an eye closer. What I mean by this is I read them until I cant read them anymore. I have read three of them in 3 weeks and I cant get enough of them. I haven't read books like this since Harry Potter.
They are very well written, they drag you in and the stories are superb. They allow you to use your own imagination. They are simply fantastic and I highly recommend them. The astonishing thing as well is that they have been written in the past 5 years. An amazing piece of writing and full credit to Stephenie Meyer for her work.
However I have a slight issue with Twilight and its not the authors fault by any stretch of the imagination. Its Hollywood and the way the films of the books have been made. To be fair they do absolutely no justice to the books at all. It appeared rushed to me if I'm honest. The main characters Edward and Bella were spot on just as Id imagined them to be, as were all of the Cullen's and Billy and Jacob. Victoria was as well. But James and Lauren weren't neither was Charlie or her school friends.
That wasn't the only problem I had with it either. The storyliue was missing the tension, the conflict that Bella goes through as well as the campfire on the beach, the upturned tree and the fight at the end. It appeared they were rushing through it in a series of tick box exercises on a shoe string budget.
When you look at the Harry Potter films and the money and how closely they follow the script it was a major disappointment. If I'm honest if I hadn't read the books first I wouldn't have read them at all after watching the films. What a wasted opportunity. How much I would have missed out on from the books. I understand that a film cannot follow a book its a different medium but surely if you are going to do something that means so much to so many people, take the time, spend the money and do it properly surely.
It happens time and time again that really good books are given the Hollywood treatment and are rubbish. The only exceptions to this that I can think of are The Shawshank Redemption, which was a Steven King short story and is my second favourite film of all time, the first will be another blog, and The Green Mile. If Ive missed any let me know in the comments below.
So I'm a massive fan off the books just not the films. I guess Ill have to wait 20 years until someone remakes them to be the films they should have been the first time around, A huge shame and a massive missed oppurtunity that I hope they are regretting massively becasue I feel they wont stand the test of time like Harry Potter will.
They are very well written, they drag you in and the stories are superb. They allow you to use your own imagination. They are simply fantastic and I highly recommend them. The astonishing thing as well is that they have been written in the past 5 years. An amazing piece of writing and full credit to Stephenie Meyer for her work.
However I have a slight issue with Twilight and its not the authors fault by any stretch of the imagination. Its Hollywood and the way the films of the books have been made. To be fair they do absolutely no justice to the books at all. It appeared rushed to me if I'm honest. The main characters Edward and Bella were spot on just as Id imagined them to be, as were all of the Cullen's and Billy and Jacob. Victoria was as well. But James and Lauren weren't neither was Charlie or her school friends.
That wasn't the only problem I had with it either. The storyliue was missing the tension, the conflict that Bella goes through as well as the campfire on the beach, the upturned tree and the fight at the end. It appeared they were rushing through it in a series of tick box exercises on a shoe string budget.
When you look at the Harry Potter films and the money and how closely they follow the script it was a major disappointment. If I'm honest if I hadn't read the books first I wouldn't have read them at all after watching the films. What a wasted opportunity. How much I would have missed out on from the books. I understand that a film cannot follow a book its a different medium but surely if you are going to do something that means so much to so many people, take the time, spend the money and do it properly surely.
It happens time and time again that really good books are given the Hollywood treatment and are rubbish. The only exceptions to this that I can think of are The Shawshank Redemption, which was a Steven King short story and is my second favourite film of all time, the first will be another blog, and The Green Mile. If Ive missed any let me know in the comments below.
So I'm a massive fan off the books just not the films. I guess Ill have to wait 20 years until someone remakes them to be the films they should have been the first time around, A huge shame and a massive missed oppurtunity that I hope they are regretting massively becasue I feel they wont stand the test of time like Harry Potter will.
Monday, 26 July 2010
Toy Story 3 And My Imagination
I went to see Toy Story 3 at the weekend. I took my 4 year old as it was his birthday and it was the first time he had ever been. He loved it and so did I, its a great film. It got me thinking though as there is a clear underlying theme that only adults will see which I think is the point.
To me its about letting go of our childhood and moving onto adulthood and the memories we leave behind when we do this. I admit I got teary at the end. It struck a cord with me. I remembered back to my childhood and the toys I played with.
Action Man, Subbuteo, Evil Kenival, Rubik's Cube, Tonka toys, the list is endless. I played with all those toys for hours and hours and they gave me many happy memories. That also got me thinking about now as well.
Technology has come so far, that's great it has made our lives easier, but has it taken away memories from our kids? What will they remember about their childhoods? Playing with their PS3 or Wii. Probably yes, but will they remember the games they played? Doubt it. They will merge into one another and they will lose the most important thing of all.
They will lose their imagination. The one thing that helps them to dream, the one thing that will allow them to think and see things differently. Playing with my Action Man as a kid I dreamt up all kinds of scenarios and battles for them which has fuelled my imagination for the book I'm writing now. Did I get that from a computer game? No. I got it from playing with my toys as a kid.
I didn't follow a script that someone had written for me I made my own story. This is what worries me the most now about my kids. I restrict their use of computer games to very little and I encourage them to play with their toys. To see my kids being teachers with Teddy's and playing space adventures with their buzz light year toys is fun to see.
They are using their imagination and perhaps dreaming up things that they could do when they are older. We should as parents encourage this amongst our kids and encourage them to be what ever they want to be. I know its only a film but Toy Story touched me more than I expected. It also brought back some great memories for me as well.
That's the power of good story telling, it makes you think and touches you deep inside, it moves you when you least expect it. So lets encourage our kids to play with their toys and use their imaginations to harness what may be lying deep inside of them.
After all the next, Branson, JK Rowling, or Spielberg may be asleep in your house as you read this. They may be eating their breakfast or playing with their toys around you. The beauty of kids is that they never cease to amaze me. So lets take the time to help them.
One day they will make you very proud................if you let them.
To me its about letting go of our childhood and moving onto adulthood and the memories we leave behind when we do this. I admit I got teary at the end. It struck a cord with me. I remembered back to my childhood and the toys I played with.
Action Man, Subbuteo, Evil Kenival, Rubik's Cube, Tonka toys, the list is endless. I played with all those toys for hours and hours and they gave me many happy memories. That also got me thinking about now as well.
Technology has come so far, that's great it has made our lives easier, but has it taken away memories from our kids? What will they remember about their childhoods? Playing with their PS3 or Wii. Probably yes, but will they remember the games they played? Doubt it. They will merge into one another and they will lose the most important thing of all.
They will lose their imagination. The one thing that helps them to dream, the one thing that will allow them to think and see things differently. Playing with my Action Man as a kid I dreamt up all kinds of scenarios and battles for them which has fuelled my imagination for the book I'm writing now. Did I get that from a computer game? No. I got it from playing with my toys as a kid.
I didn't follow a script that someone had written for me I made my own story. This is what worries me the most now about my kids. I restrict their use of computer games to very little and I encourage them to play with their toys. To see my kids being teachers with Teddy's and playing space adventures with their buzz light year toys is fun to see.
They are using their imagination and perhaps dreaming up things that they could do when they are older. We should as parents encourage this amongst our kids and encourage them to be what ever they want to be. I know its only a film but Toy Story touched me more than I expected. It also brought back some great memories for me as well.
That's the power of good story telling, it makes you think and touches you deep inside, it moves you when you least expect it. So lets encourage our kids to play with their toys and use their imaginations to harness what may be lying deep inside of them.
After all the next, Branson, JK Rowling, or Spielberg may be asleep in your house as you read this. They may be eating their breakfast or playing with their toys around you. The beauty of kids is that they never cease to amaze me. So lets take the time to help them.
One day they will make you very proud................if you let them.
Sunday, 25 July 2010
Beckham And Me
Today was a special day anyway due to the fact that it was my mum and dads 40th wedding anniversary. We had arranged to take them to a restaurant called Smiths in Ongor, which to be fair to us and our budget, was like eating at the Ritz. We are not poor people just more Pizza Hut and Beefeater than Ritz and Ramsay's.
We all arrived at their house, me and my wife, my sister and her husband, as we had arranged a Limo as a surprise as neither of my parents had ever been in one. There were a few tears from mum when she saw it ,and we all piled in after having our photos taken outside of it and off we went.
There was lots of laughing and joking on the way and they both felt very special when the Limo arrived at the restaurant and the driver opened the door for them. So job done we thought. Not quite actually the day took on another special and quite bizarre twist to it.
As we were sat down I noticed a tall man with a beard walking towards me with three boys. I didn't take much notice at first and then I looked again and froze.
Sitting down at the table next to me so close I could touch him was David Beckham. Not only him though Victoria Beckham as well and their three boys.
The shock must have shown on my face as he smiled and said hello. I lent over to my wife and the conversation went like this.
"Beckham has just sat at the table next to us"
"No he hasn't don't be silly"
"Yes he has look"
"Oh my god its Beckham" she then turned to my sister and said "Its Beckham look"
My sister then started to hyperventilate bless her went blood red and started to sweat. As we were trying to calm her down I then heard.
"David, David I just want to shake your hand mate"
To my utter embarrassment my Dad was leaning towards him with his hand thrust out saying Hi. I nearly died with shock and embarrassment. To put this into perspective my Dad has never been star struck. Ever. When I met the players at Dagenham this year and got my photo taken with my hero Tony Roberts the goalkeeper he took the mick out of me for days. Yet here he was calling at David Beckham.
To his eternal credit Beckham came over and shook his hand and said hello. When he went my Dad was beaming from ear to ear and then what he had done struck him and he became very apologetic to all of us which made us laugh even more.
We watched as his family arrived and they all sat around the table. The matrade came over to take our order and we asked if he would ask them if they would be kind enough to have a photo with us. He explained probably not as it was his nan's 80th birthday. We respected that and said no more.
We ate our meal taking sly looks at them as we ate, you know as you do, then we all raised our glasses to wish my mum and dad a happy anniversary. At this stage we were getting ready to leave when, yep you've guessed it, Beckham came over and said he had heard what he had said about the anniversary and just wanted to congratulate them both.
My sister started to hyperventilate again, my wife had a hot flush, me and the brother-in-law sat there grinning like idiot's whilst my mum and dad talked to him. It was so surreal.
David Beckham and especially Victoria get a lot of stick from jealous people. Watching them today with their family and their kids they have got it all. The kids were so well behaved and they are both so tactile with them all. They all sang Happy Birthday to their nan as well. It was a pleasure to watch. It broke down the myth and you could see the people they truly are. No fakeness, no don't you know who I am, no please don't talk to me. Top class people. David also explained that the reason he didn't want to have a photo was because he had promised his boys today was for them.
For all the time he gets bugged when hes out by people like me and my family to see him then put his family first, (Jordan you old slapper, Kerry Katona as well take note your kids are not there to make money off), made me realise that he has it all and I don't begrudge him any of it.
He made my day today as well as my families. He took 5 minutes out of his day to say Hi as did Victoria as well. I am just another face in the crowd to them, but to me they are truly special and a role model I would be proud for all of my kids to look up to. They wont remember us, that's fine, but watching them today I will never ever forget them, the way there were with their kids, with their family and remember always the day I met David and Victoria Beckham.
Truly special people who have worked hard to get what they have and I for one don't begrudge them any of it.
Thanks for the memories and making my Dad's day.
We all arrived at their house, me and my wife, my sister and her husband, as we had arranged a Limo as a surprise as neither of my parents had ever been in one. There were a few tears from mum when she saw it ,and we all piled in after having our photos taken outside of it and off we went.
There was lots of laughing and joking on the way and they both felt very special when the Limo arrived at the restaurant and the driver opened the door for them. So job done we thought. Not quite actually the day took on another special and quite bizarre twist to it.
As we were sat down I noticed a tall man with a beard walking towards me with three boys. I didn't take much notice at first and then I looked again and froze.
Sitting down at the table next to me so close I could touch him was David Beckham. Not only him though Victoria Beckham as well and their three boys.
The shock must have shown on my face as he smiled and said hello. I lent over to my wife and the conversation went like this.
"Beckham has just sat at the table next to us"
"No he hasn't don't be silly"
"Yes he has look"
"Oh my god its Beckham" she then turned to my sister and said "Its Beckham look"
My sister then started to hyperventilate bless her went blood red and started to sweat. As we were trying to calm her down I then heard.
"David, David I just want to shake your hand mate"
To my utter embarrassment my Dad was leaning towards him with his hand thrust out saying Hi. I nearly died with shock and embarrassment. To put this into perspective my Dad has never been star struck. Ever. When I met the players at Dagenham this year and got my photo taken with my hero Tony Roberts the goalkeeper he took the mick out of me for days. Yet here he was calling at David Beckham.
To his eternal credit Beckham came over and shook his hand and said hello. When he went my Dad was beaming from ear to ear and then what he had done struck him and he became very apologetic to all of us which made us laugh even more.
We watched as his family arrived and they all sat around the table. The matrade came over to take our order and we asked if he would ask them if they would be kind enough to have a photo with us. He explained probably not as it was his nan's 80th birthday. We respected that and said no more.
We ate our meal taking sly looks at them as we ate, you know as you do, then we all raised our glasses to wish my mum and dad a happy anniversary. At this stage we were getting ready to leave when, yep you've guessed it, Beckham came over and said he had heard what he had said about the anniversary and just wanted to congratulate them both.
My sister started to hyperventilate again, my wife had a hot flush, me and the brother-in-law sat there grinning like idiot's whilst my mum and dad talked to him. It was so surreal.
David Beckham and especially Victoria get a lot of stick from jealous people. Watching them today with their family and their kids they have got it all. The kids were so well behaved and they are both so tactile with them all. They all sang Happy Birthday to their nan as well. It was a pleasure to watch. It broke down the myth and you could see the people they truly are. No fakeness, no don't you know who I am, no please don't talk to me. Top class people. David also explained that the reason he didn't want to have a photo was because he had promised his boys today was for them.
For all the time he gets bugged when hes out by people like me and my family to see him then put his family first, (Jordan you old slapper, Kerry Katona as well take note your kids are not there to make money off), made me realise that he has it all and I don't begrudge him any of it.
He made my day today as well as my families. He took 5 minutes out of his day to say Hi as did Victoria as well. I am just another face in the crowd to them, but to me they are truly special and a role model I would be proud for all of my kids to look up to. They wont remember us, that's fine, but watching them today I will never ever forget them, the way there were with their kids, with their family and remember always the day I met David and Victoria Beckham.
Truly special people who have worked hard to get what they have and I for one don't begrudge them any of it.
Thanks for the memories and making my Dad's day.
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
It Was 25 Years Ago Today......
Where were you on the 13th July 1985? Do you even remember?. I know exactly where I was and what I was doing. I was at home in front of the telly watching a concert that would change the world forever. That concert was called Live Aid.
It had never been done before. All of the greatest artists of the time were to perform at Wembley Stadium in one afternoon. There was also to be another concert the same day on the other side of the world in America. It was also going to be shown live on TV. All of it. It was unprecedented. All these huge artists in one place, playing for free, to an audience that ran into the billions. The reason for this concert? The starving people of Ethiopia.
The previous summer the BBC had sent a reporter called Michale Burke to Ethiopia to report on the famine that had ravaged the country. People were dying and no-one knew. This was before 24hr news channels, the Internet was a dream and there were no mobile phones. I was a child of 12 years of age but it shocked me what I saw. I grew up clothed and fed. These children were dying from the lack of food. I asked so many questions of my parents, how? why? didn't anyone care?. They were as shocked as I was no-one had seen this before.
I watched children with bloated stomachs staring blankly at the screen, I saw babies so hungry their bones protruded through their skin. I watched mothers and fathers too weak to even stand. It shocked everyone who saw it and it made a lasting impression on me. Someone else who saw the news that night decided to do something about it. That man was Bob Geldof.
Bob Geldofs fame had taken a down turn over the preceding years he had tasted success with the Boomtown Rats but they had been over taken by the younger more trendier bands of the day, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Wham, Cultre Club to name a few. He watched the news and decided to do something about it. But what?
He got in touch with the lead singer of Ultravox, Midge Ure to see if they could work on something together, they decided the quickest way to raise money would be a single and Band Aid was born. This was another first, no-one had ever released a single with so many different artists before. It was a huge task to get it recorded and released for the coveted Christmas Number 1 but they did.
The press camped outside the studios in London as star after star arrived to record their lines for the song. Bono, Paul Young, Boy George, Duran Duran, Staus Quo they came from far and wide. They gave their time and expertise for free to help the starving people of Ethiopia. The song was recorded and released within 5 days. Another first. It shot straight to Number 1 and stayed there for weeks. It sold millions and you couldn't go into a shop or turn on the radio without hearing it. It was everywhere.
The money raised from the single bought much needed food and medicine for the people that were starving. It started to make a difference. However Bob Geldof wasn't satisfied so he set about trying to do the impossible. He wanted to stage the biggest concert the world had ever seen. Not just in the UK though, that would be hard enough, no he also helped organise the one in America as well. He then wanted people to phone in whilst watching this concert and donate money. This broke so many firsts. He was told he couldn't do it. He didn't care he set about proving people wrong.
I remember sitting there on that day 25 years ago not quite sure what to expect. To be honest I dont think anyone watching it or who was there did either. Then Richard Skinner announced "Its Tweleve noon in London, its 7AM in Philledelphia, and around the world its time for Live Aid" and then Status Quo appeared to open the concert with Rockin All Over The World. The crowd went mad. I watched it all day and night. U2, David Bowie, Elton John, Paul McCartney, you name it if they were a star of the time they appeared.
My two biggest memories of the day were watching the video that they played of the news footage with the Cars song Who's Going To Drive You Home? playing. It moved me to tears. I wasn't the only one my mum did as well as did most of the crowd. It was an incredibly moving moment that I even remember to this day.
As the night wore on and darkness fell a group took to the stage that would steal the show. No-one was supposed to be the star act. No-one told Queen that or rather Freddie Mercury. He had the crowd eating out of his hand. He owned that stage and he knew it. It was the best performance from an artist I had ever seen. I cant remember who came after him, but Im sure they didnt mind. He strode across the stage in a crown and a big cloak and owned Wembley. It was simply electric.
Live Aid was the first and the best of its kind. There have been many causes since then, Comic Relief, Sport Relief and Children In Need. They all do an amazing job of making peoples lives better that cant help themselves either through famine or civil war. For me I will never forget that day as long as I live. It opened my eyes to a world that I hadn't seen before. I'm sure I wasn't the only one either.
Live Aid hoped to raise £1 million pound it didnt do that, not even close. Estimates state the amount at north of £150 MIILION POUND. This was 1985 after all. The Thatcher goverment was in full swing. These were not affulent times for many people but they still gave what they could.
The one thing I learnt more than any other though was this. One man can make a difference if he puts his mind to it and doesn't take no for an answer. For all the ridicule he may he get now, Bob Geldof took his beliefs and decided to do something about it.
It was an amazing day I cant believe it was 25 years ago. One day. One vision. One man. A million lives saved. Well done Sir Bob Geldof.
It had never been done before. All of the greatest artists of the time were to perform at Wembley Stadium in one afternoon. There was also to be another concert the same day on the other side of the world in America. It was also going to be shown live on TV. All of it. It was unprecedented. All these huge artists in one place, playing for free, to an audience that ran into the billions. The reason for this concert? The starving people of Ethiopia.
The previous summer the BBC had sent a reporter called Michale Burke to Ethiopia to report on the famine that had ravaged the country. People were dying and no-one knew. This was before 24hr news channels, the Internet was a dream and there were no mobile phones. I was a child of 12 years of age but it shocked me what I saw. I grew up clothed and fed. These children were dying from the lack of food. I asked so many questions of my parents, how? why? didn't anyone care?. They were as shocked as I was no-one had seen this before.
I watched children with bloated stomachs staring blankly at the screen, I saw babies so hungry their bones protruded through their skin. I watched mothers and fathers too weak to even stand. It shocked everyone who saw it and it made a lasting impression on me. Someone else who saw the news that night decided to do something about it. That man was Bob Geldof.
Bob Geldofs fame had taken a down turn over the preceding years he had tasted success with the Boomtown Rats but they had been over taken by the younger more trendier bands of the day, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Wham, Cultre Club to name a few. He watched the news and decided to do something about it. But what?
He got in touch with the lead singer of Ultravox, Midge Ure to see if they could work on something together, they decided the quickest way to raise money would be a single and Band Aid was born. This was another first, no-one had ever released a single with so many different artists before. It was a huge task to get it recorded and released for the coveted Christmas Number 1 but they did.
The press camped outside the studios in London as star after star arrived to record their lines for the song. Bono, Paul Young, Boy George, Duran Duran, Staus Quo they came from far and wide. They gave their time and expertise for free to help the starving people of Ethiopia. The song was recorded and released within 5 days. Another first. It shot straight to Number 1 and stayed there for weeks. It sold millions and you couldn't go into a shop or turn on the radio without hearing it. It was everywhere.
The money raised from the single bought much needed food and medicine for the people that were starving. It started to make a difference. However Bob Geldof wasn't satisfied so he set about trying to do the impossible. He wanted to stage the biggest concert the world had ever seen. Not just in the UK though, that would be hard enough, no he also helped organise the one in America as well. He then wanted people to phone in whilst watching this concert and donate money. This broke so many firsts. He was told he couldn't do it. He didn't care he set about proving people wrong.
I remember sitting there on that day 25 years ago not quite sure what to expect. To be honest I dont think anyone watching it or who was there did either. Then Richard Skinner announced "Its Tweleve noon in London, its 7AM in Philledelphia, and around the world its time for Live Aid" and then Status Quo appeared to open the concert with Rockin All Over The World. The crowd went mad. I watched it all day and night. U2, David Bowie, Elton John, Paul McCartney, you name it if they were a star of the time they appeared.
My two biggest memories of the day were watching the video that they played of the news footage with the Cars song Who's Going To Drive You Home? playing. It moved me to tears. I wasn't the only one my mum did as well as did most of the crowd. It was an incredibly moving moment that I even remember to this day.
As the night wore on and darkness fell a group took to the stage that would steal the show. No-one was supposed to be the star act. No-one told Queen that or rather Freddie Mercury. He had the crowd eating out of his hand. He owned that stage and he knew it. It was the best performance from an artist I had ever seen. I cant remember who came after him, but Im sure they didnt mind. He strode across the stage in a crown and a big cloak and owned Wembley. It was simply electric.
Live Aid was the first and the best of its kind. There have been many causes since then, Comic Relief, Sport Relief and Children In Need. They all do an amazing job of making peoples lives better that cant help themselves either through famine or civil war. For me I will never forget that day as long as I live. It opened my eyes to a world that I hadn't seen before. I'm sure I wasn't the only one either.
Live Aid hoped to raise £1 million pound it didnt do that, not even close. Estimates state the amount at north of £150 MIILION POUND. This was 1985 after all. The Thatcher goverment was in full swing. These were not affulent times for many people but they still gave what they could.
The one thing I learnt more than any other though was this. One man can make a difference if he puts his mind to it and doesn't take no for an answer. For all the ridicule he may he get now, Bob Geldof took his beliefs and decided to do something about it.
It was an amazing day I cant believe it was 25 years ago. One day. One vision. One man. A million lives saved. Well done Sir Bob Geldof.
Saturday, 10 July 2010
A Guilty Secret
I am quite a sentimental person by nature. Its something that I keep hidden from people that I don't know that well. Its like I'm afraid to let others know what really makes me tick. My wife knows of course and so do most of my friends and family but to the outside world, no they don't, not yet anyway. So perhaps its time to share a guilty secret. Are you ready? Its a biggie!
Music makes me very sentimental. I like listening to songs with meaning. Country music is a big favourite of mine due to its story telling aspects. No not the bloke singing about his tractor or the key lime pie hes just eaten. I'm talking about songs with meaning. The ones that draw you in and make you think and feel something when you hear them. Songs that move me. Some may laugh, but do you know what if Ive learnt anything from writing this blog its that I'm putting myself out there to be shot at, I don't care anymore. That's a huge bridge for me to cross personally as Ive always worried about what people think of me. These are my thoughts and passions and if you want to read them cool if not read the next one. I'm not having a go and saying I'm right, but this has turned into an amazing outlet for me to share my opinion with the select few I allow to read them. I'm grateful for that as well. Grateful that people read my inane drivel as well as take the time to comment. So thank you it is appreciated. Why am I getting defensive all of a sudden? I'm not sure I suppose that whenever in the past Ive shared this Ive been laughed at by people that haven't tried it. You don't know what you are missing.
As I write this Ive got Keith Urban playing on the ipod. Don't know him? Well how about Mr Nicole Kidman? Oh that bloke! Yes him. He is a huge favourite of mine as he writes songs that I can relate to. If I'm in a mood where I want to chill out I listen to him. Like now as I write this. Nobody Drinks Alone, Raining On Sunday, Stupid Boy, Tonight I Wanna Cry, Til Summer Comes Around to name a few. Songs of lost love and hope for the future. Songs you can lose yourself in and make you realise how lucky you are. Emotive songs, happy songs, sad songs, songs that will last a lifetime.
I got into Country Music many years ago when I saw a man called Garth Brooks appear on The Des O'Connor Tonight Show. There was this Texan in a great big stetson and red checked shirt, cowboy boots and jeans and I laughed at him, the stereo typical country singer. Then he got behind a piano and sang. I was hooked the song was called The Red Strokes.It struck a cord with me that I have never forgotten. I went and bought the album the next day and listened to it for months on end. The album was filled with classics's and I finally found what I had been looking for years. Songs I could relate to. Songs that meant something to me.
I got laughed at a lot when I mentioned this, after all this was the time of Brit Pop and Oasis vs Blur. I liked them both but I couldn't relate to them the way I did with Garth Brooks. Not many people know this fact fans but he is the biggest selling artist of all time. Yes bigger than Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley. Don't believe me look it up its there in black and white. I then searched HMV and over the coming months bought all of his albums. I found new gems like, That Old Wind, The Storm, The Dance, Red Strokes, That Summer, If Tomorrow Never Comes ( No not the Ronan Keating rubbish) and Shameless. I must confess my wife doesn't share my love of this type of music she says its depressing, I say she's missing out.
Garth Brooks retired from music at the end of the nineties and I was heart broken. No more songs for me. So I looked again at a genre I had never shown any interest in before and found three others to fill the void. One Ive already mentioned but the other two were just as good. Kenny Chesney, not heard of him? Renne Zelwigger ring a bell? Yep he was married to her. Id found another artist I could relate to. More songs came my way, This Old Chair, Dancing For The Groceries, Who You'd Be Today, Don't Blink, Wife and Kids, songs once again I could relate to. I again listened to them for hours, still do as well. I also discovered a group called Sugarland, a duo who have made my favourite song of all time Stay. The video is so simple and pure look it up on YouTube and then tell me you weren't moved by it.
Country music has moved on so much since the Dolly Partons and Kenny Rogers days. Its matured and is now written by some very talented artist's that are now crossing over into the main stream. Billy Ray Cyrus, yes him of Achy Breaky Heart fame, is one of the most accomplished artists out there at the moment. If you have a daughter I dare you to listen to Get Ready, Don't Go the duet with him and Miley Cyrus and not be moved by it. Or listen to He's Mine if you have a son and not be moved by that. They touch a part of me that music hasn't done since the soul of the 80's ( I refuse to call it R&B) which I will cover at a future date.
Its songs for every occasion, songs that move me, make me smile and make me reflect. Bring back memories of first loves and also of future happiness. Its a huge market of music out there and Ive only scrapped the surface by listening to these four. Id love to go to Tennessee and spend a fortnight there going around the bars, in my stetson and cowboy boots of course and discovering more of this music. You never know I may even get the wife to come. If not Ill take Laura who at 10 dances around the kitchen with me when I put this music on. We slow dance, she says practising for her wedding dance, me just cherishing memories I can hold for ever, then I get on my knees and dance with Grace who loves to dance with her dad. Those times money cant buy and after when I listen to those songs on my own, those are the memories I have.
My name is Anthony Hodgson and I love the sentimentality of Country Music and I'm not ashamed.
Go on give it a go its better than you think. Oh alright then if you ask nicely I might even let you borrow a few Cd's and I promise not to tell anyone :-)
Music makes me very sentimental. I like listening to songs with meaning. Country music is a big favourite of mine due to its story telling aspects. No not the bloke singing about his tractor or the key lime pie hes just eaten. I'm talking about songs with meaning. The ones that draw you in and make you think and feel something when you hear them. Songs that move me. Some may laugh, but do you know what if Ive learnt anything from writing this blog its that I'm putting myself out there to be shot at, I don't care anymore. That's a huge bridge for me to cross personally as Ive always worried about what people think of me. These are my thoughts and passions and if you want to read them cool if not read the next one. I'm not having a go and saying I'm right, but this has turned into an amazing outlet for me to share my opinion with the select few I allow to read them. I'm grateful for that as well. Grateful that people read my inane drivel as well as take the time to comment. So thank you it is appreciated. Why am I getting defensive all of a sudden? I'm not sure I suppose that whenever in the past Ive shared this Ive been laughed at by people that haven't tried it. You don't know what you are missing.
As I write this Ive got Keith Urban playing on the ipod. Don't know him? Well how about Mr Nicole Kidman? Oh that bloke! Yes him. He is a huge favourite of mine as he writes songs that I can relate to. If I'm in a mood where I want to chill out I listen to him. Like now as I write this. Nobody Drinks Alone, Raining On Sunday, Stupid Boy, Tonight I Wanna Cry, Til Summer Comes Around to name a few. Songs of lost love and hope for the future. Songs you can lose yourself in and make you realise how lucky you are. Emotive songs, happy songs, sad songs, songs that will last a lifetime.
I got into Country Music many years ago when I saw a man called Garth Brooks appear on The Des O'Connor Tonight Show. There was this Texan in a great big stetson and red checked shirt, cowboy boots and jeans and I laughed at him, the stereo typical country singer. Then he got behind a piano and sang. I was hooked the song was called The Red Strokes.It struck a cord with me that I have never forgotten. I went and bought the album the next day and listened to it for months on end. The album was filled with classics's and I finally found what I had been looking for years. Songs I could relate to. Songs that meant something to me.
I got laughed at a lot when I mentioned this, after all this was the time of Brit Pop and Oasis vs Blur. I liked them both but I couldn't relate to them the way I did with Garth Brooks. Not many people know this fact fans but he is the biggest selling artist of all time. Yes bigger than Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley. Don't believe me look it up its there in black and white. I then searched HMV and over the coming months bought all of his albums. I found new gems like, That Old Wind, The Storm, The Dance, Red Strokes, That Summer, If Tomorrow Never Comes ( No not the Ronan Keating rubbish) and Shameless. I must confess my wife doesn't share my love of this type of music she says its depressing, I say she's missing out.
Garth Brooks retired from music at the end of the nineties and I was heart broken. No more songs for me. So I looked again at a genre I had never shown any interest in before and found three others to fill the void. One Ive already mentioned but the other two were just as good. Kenny Chesney, not heard of him? Renne Zelwigger ring a bell? Yep he was married to her. Id found another artist I could relate to. More songs came my way, This Old Chair, Dancing For The Groceries, Who You'd Be Today, Don't Blink, Wife and Kids, songs once again I could relate to. I again listened to them for hours, still do as well. I also discovered a group called Sugarland, a duo who have made my favourite song of all time Stay. The video is so simple and pure look it up on YouTube and then tell me you weren't moved by it.
Country music has moved on so much since the Dolly Partons and Kenny Rogers days. Its matured and is now written by some very talented artist's that are now crossing over into the main stream. Billy Ray Cyrus, yes him of Achy Breaky Heart fame, is one of the most accomplished artists out there at the moment. If you have a daughter I dare you to listen to Get Ready, Don't Go the duet with him and Miley Cyrus and not be moved by it. Or listen to He's Mine if you have a son and not be moved by that. They touch a part of me that music hasn't done since the soul of the 80's ( I refuse to call it R&B) which I will cover at a future date.
Its songs for every occasion, songs that move me, make me smile and make me reflect. Bring back memories of first loves and also of future happiness. Its a huge market of music out there and Ive only scrapped the surface by listening to these four. Id love to go to Tennessee and spend a fortnight there going around the bars, in my stetson and cowboy boots of course and discovering more of this music. You never know I may even get the wife to come. If not Ill take Laura who at 10 dances around the kitchen with me when I put this music on. We slow dance, she says practising for her wedding dance, me just cherishing memories I can hold for ever, then I get on my knees and dance with Grace who loves to dance with her dad. Those times money cant buy and after when I listen to those songs on my own, those are the memories I have.
My name is Anthony Hodgson and I love the sentimentality of Country Music and I'm not ashamed.
Go on give it a go its better than you think. Oh alright then if you ask nicely I might even let you borrow a few Cd's and I promise not to tell anyone :-)
Sunday, 13 June 2010
Michael Jackson
On the 25th June this year it will have been 1 year since the death of Michael Jackson. Whatever the reasons behind his untimely death the world lost a true entertainer and musical genius. Like most things in his life, his death has caused enormous controversy and there have been millions of words written about it, all differing in opinion. I have decided too concentrate on what he meant to me as an artist, performer and icon, as personally I would rather remember him that way. 
There had been reports in the press that Michael Jackson had made the first £1 million video. An unprecedented amount of money back in the 80's. As I watched Top Of The Pops, I sat there with the video on pause, I was going to tape this and didn't want to miss a thing. The presenter then said that they would be showing the full video, another first as it was over 10 minutes long. I unpaused the video and sat there staring at the screen.
We all know how it plays, but for me as a 12 year old child it was like someone had taken me into another world. I had never seen anything like it. The make-up, the dance moves, the laugh at the end of the video, it was pure magic and so started a life long obsession with anything Michael Jackson.
I pestered my parents for weeks to buy me the album but was told I had to wait for my birthday, so one of my cousins taped it for me onto a cassette which I still have now. I listened to that album everyday, learnt every word, knew every beat, it is in my opinion the most complete album ever made.
A few years later the rumours started about a new album (Bad) and a possible tour of Europe. In 1987 my dream came true, Michael Jackson was coming to London for 5 nights the following summer. My parents tried desperately to get me a ticket but couldn't get through the lines were constantly jammed. I was upset for days at the thought of missing my idol.
As time passed I became more jealous of people I didn't know who had been lucky enough to get a ticket. The album Bad came and went and the summer grew ever closer. The dates arrived and still I had no ticket, there were photos in the press, and I savoured every detail, disappointed I wouldn't be there to see it.
A friend of my mum had a son who like me was a huge Michael Jackson fan and we hatched a plan. We would go too Wembley and see if we could buy a ticket on the day. We set of at 7.30am and got there at 9am. The doors didn't open until 4pm so we sat on the steps outside the turnstile and waited. As the day progressed more and more people arrived, some with stereos playing Michael Jackson music, others dressed like him, but all there for the same reason, to see the King of Pop.
As time grew closer to the 4pm deadline, we still hadn't bought our tickets yet, we hatched another plan to get in, we would offer money to the bloke on the gate and see if that worked. Believe it or not it did and we were in.
We raced across the pitch and got 3 rows from the front. Now we only had 4 hours to wait until he came on stage. It was worth every minute, Thriller with the mask on and a crane that lifted him across the audience where he hung on with the tips of his fingers and toes, Billie Jean where he did the moonwalk and threw his hat into the audience, Man In The Mirror him on his own with a spotlight and nothing else, Smooth Criminal where he lent forward defying gravity, The Jackson 5 Melody. Memories I will never forget, it cemented him as the King of Pop, no-one could touch him.
At the end of the European leg of the tour the story broke about him and Jordy Chandler. Did I believe it? Honestly no, I like most Jackson fans thought it was lies and with no solid evidence I gave him the benefit of the doubt. There were further allegations down the years and another court case. The tabloids went after him, how much plastic surgery had he had, did he want to be white, he slept in an oxygen tank, he wanted to marry Elizabeth Taylor. Endless ridiculous rumours, he never denied them and that seemed to add more fuel to the fire. To me even though he had been found innocent from the court case, there was, in my eyes, no smoke without fire.
I had long ago removed my Jackson posters and my music tastes were beginning to change, I still bought the albums but after the second trial I stopped listening to them. They didn't hold the same feel anymore and felt tainted somehow. Before his death he had agreed to do 50 dates at the o2 arena. He was never going to be well enough to complete these dates as rumours had started about his drug abuse and ill health. I was offered the chance of getting tickets but declined them as I didn't want to be disappointed.
I awoke on the morning of the 26th June to hear he had passed away, I was stunned by this, Michael Jackson dead it took a few hours to sink in. I watched the news and read the papers taking it all in. It was true Michael Jackson my idol through my teen years was dead.
A few weeks later I was clearing out some cupboards and found that old Thriller cassette. I put it on and listened to it for the first time in years. It brought back so many memories, happy memories of a time long ago. I found my Dangerous programme and the scarf I had bought, my Bad programme, I dug through my Cd's and started to listen to them again. My daughter asked who it was and I told her, not bad she said and I listened to them with her. I did what all parents should do, I passed on my knowledge of a great music artist, like my dad had with me with the Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
Can England Win The World Cup?
I am an England fan, I am an England supporter, If England are in it, I support them even if I don't know a lot about the sport, but there is an event starting this month which I can't get excited about from an England supporting point of view. What is it? The World Cup and we've got no chance!
Truth hurts people but lets be realistic for once. Why should we expect to win a tournament, which we have only ever won once, and that was played at home wasn't it!. I hope we do, but I have had my heart broke too many times down the years to get excited any more about England and major football tournaments. I'm not unpatriotic, watching my country win things makes me proud to be English, but lets be honest for once, lower the expectations and then we might just ENJOY IT!. So here are my 10 reasons why we wont win it.
Reason 1: Expectations
We heap so much pressure on these players to deliver don't we? We are all guilty of it, putting them on pedestals and then waiting to knock them down. Don't get me wrong some of them ask for it aka John Terry, Ashley Cole ( my god man what were you thinking!) but what about David Beckham or Wayne Rooney. Yes they are excellent footballers but why should Rooney be expected to win the world cup on his own? Beckham had the same thing in the past 2 world cups! Last time I looked football was an eleven-a-side game, so why should one man be expected to win it on his own? We then slaughter them when they make mistakes, both of them having been sent off in previous World Cups because the expectations and pressure gets to much for them. They aren't expected to do it for their club teams so why expect them to do it for England. Until we learn to lower our expectations we will never succeed, Christ we aren't Brazil are we?
Reason 2: Penalty Shoot-outs
We will at some stage have to win a penalty shoot-out. Don't hold your breath our record is awful. We have had to face a penalty shoot-out 5 times since 1990 and how many have we won? One, yes that's right one, a great big fat one, and that was at Wembley as well, against a tea who were worse than us that day, Spain. We have the worst record of any top 10 team in the world at winning penalty shoot-outs. I'm not for one moment saying they are easy, the pressure must be enormous but until we accept we have an issue with them and the players are willing to accept help in over coming the mental barrier we have no chance!.
Reason 3: Goalkeeper
This one annoys me a little. We are pinning our hopes on a 40 year old keeper who has the nickname calamity...yeah right! We used to have a rich vain of keepers in this country going back to 1966 we had the great Gordon Banks, 1970 was Gordon Banks, 1982 was Ray Clements and Peter Shilton, so good they used to alternate between them who played!, 1986 was Peter Shilton, 1990 was Peter Shilton, yes he was 40 but we had Chris Woods backing him up. 1998 was David Seaman, 2002 was David Seaman and 2006 was David James which now brings me to my point. So here is a major problem, no team has ever won a major trophy without having a World Class keeper, and we don't have one. David James was playing for relegated Portsmouth, Robert Green was playing for nearly relegated West Ham and Joe Hart wasn't good enough for Man City so they sent him on loan. Doesn't fill you with confidence does it? Until the top teams in the Premier League start playing English Keepers and giving them a chance of playing the top sides in Europe we will in nothing!.
Reason 4: The Premier League
What a league we have, the best players come here and ply their trade, sounds great doesn't it. Well dig a little deeper. How many of them are actually English? How many of our top 4 teams in the past 5 years have had more than 5 English players playing every week? How many then? None. Yes that's right none of them. They have the odd few English players but there aren't enough of them. We do not develop young English talent in this country, we don't give it a chance too achieve what it could. The pressure from the fans and the board for instant results doesn't allow for that to happen. When France failed to qualify for the 1990 and 1994 World Cups they restarted their whole infrastructure from the beginning. They set up academy's and made their national leagues take a more long term view with their football. The had to have a certain amount of French players in their teams. The result, they won the World Cup and the European Championships one after the other. They produced Petit, Viera, Zidane, Barthez, Anelka, Lebouf to name a few. Us what did we do? We spent all our money on cheerleaders, fire works and foreign players and sat back and counted the money, slapping our backs on a great product which has now become soulless. A product that doesn't have young fans walking around with English players names on their shirts but players such as Torres, Berbatov, Anelka, Drogba, all superb players, but wouldn't we prefer English players of this caliber?
Reason 5: No Truly World Class Players.
So who do you think would get into the teams of Brazil, Italy, Argentina or Spain? Honestly, Wayne Rooney and Ashley Cole that's it. Why would Brazil or Argentine swap Kaka and Messi for Gerard or Lampard. I know I wouldn't and I doubt they
would either. Spain wouldn't want Terry or Johnson instead of Pique or Puyol and they wouldn't swap Xavi or Iniesta either. So there lays another issue we do not have truly world class players in areas of the pitch apart from two. Wayne Rooney up front, Ashley Cole at left-back. We do not have truly great players, good yes, but players that with a bit of magic can turn a game no we don't. Why? because of reason 4 we don't invest in talent in this country we are after the quick buck, the finished article from abroad and until the Premier League see this and change it we may even struggle to qualify let alone compete on the world stage for future generations.
Reason 6: No Decent World Cup Song
We have had some crackers down the years haven't we? Back Home 1970, Ron's 22 1982, World In Motion 1990, Three Lions 1996, okay the last one wasn't a World Cup song but it was a belter wasn't it. This year nothing, not a decent song out there. When I was kid we used to have to sing Ron's 22 at school. I used to get the pub rocking in 1990 by doing the John Barnes rap ( I still know most of it now) and yet there isn't a good song amongst them. Nothing to bring the nation together before a game, or hear on the radio to sing along too as we wait for the next game to arrive. Until we get one this is going to be a poor World Cup.
Reason 7: No Play maker in Midfield
Where is our Messi, Kaka or Ronaldo? We don't have that player that can light up a game, who can take on 4 or 5 players and beat them all. We don't have a player who can change a game with one flash of brilliance. What we do have however, are two players who can't play with each other in Lampard and Gerard. Both talismans for their clubs but can't produce that form for their country. Where is our Gascoigne, Hoddle or even our Le Tisser, who lets be honest, would walk into this current England Team. There is no creativity in this team, functional yes, hard working yes, but able to create and unlock the stubborn defence in front of us in the 89th minute of a game thus saving us from heartbreak on penalties once again? Nope there isn't one, and hasn't been for many years.
Reason 8: No-one To Score Goals
So say the worst happens and Rooney gets injured who do we have to score goals for us? Heskey, Crouch, Defoe? No sorry ain't going to happen. Heskey is not an out and out goalscorer, Defoe is unproven at this level and Crouch, yes he has an impressive goals to games ratio but look who he has scored against, they aren't exactly worlds class are they. So lets go to the midfield then, Lampard scores load of goals for Chelsea but not England, Gerrad the same why is that? Because they play in completely different roles for club
Reason 9: History
No European team has ever won the World Cup outside of their own continent. Surprised? Well its a fact. Lets look at the recent history starting from 1970. South America (Mexico) 1970 winners Brazil, South America (Argentina ) 1978 winners Argentina, South America (Mexico) 1986 winners Argentina, 1994 North America (USA) winners Brazil, 2002 Asia (South Korea/Japan) winners Brazil. This years tournament Africa (South Africa) winners ????. So history is against us and all other teams from Europe, to break this hoodoo. Personally I think we will struggle to cope with the heat and humidity of the region we are playing in. I don't think we will be the only country to have this issue but hey we have a ready made excuse for our failure don't we.
Reason 10: Desire
I personally don't think the players are that motivated by playing for their country's anymore. They are so well paid no with endorsements and wages that it has taken the edge of off their performance. They have very little competition for places and the shambles of the past few England managers, and the way that the players led the whole thing and the circus that surrounds it doesn't make me see it any differently. They lack passion and commitment and care more about playing for their clubs rather than their country. Players would bust a gut to play for England in years gone by, it was seen as the pinnacle of their careers. Now its seen as an inconvince that gets in the way of their club careers. Why else would players like Scholes and Carrigher opt out of playing for their country. This needs to change and it wont until we sort out the old guard who play for this country and make an example of them. It should mean everything to go to a mayor tournament and represent your country, not to be seen as a jolly boys outing as some of them do or did.
Having now listed my ten reasons why I don think we will win the World Cup I will still be there on the 11th June, beer in hand, England shirt on, face painted and hoping against hope that we win it. I've had 37 years of hurt and its about time this England team payed me back for my loyal support and won the damn thing before I die!.
So if you agree say so if not say so its now over to you. Am I right or am I wrong?
Truth hurts people but lets be realistic for once. Why should we expect to win a tournament, which we have only ever won once, and that was played at home wasn't it!. I hope we do, but I have had my heart broke too many times down the years to get excited any more about England and major football tournaments. I'm not unpatriotic, watching my country win things makes me proud to be English, but lets be honest for once, lower the expectations and then we might just ENJOY IT!. So here are my 10 reasons why we wont win it.
Reason 1: Expectations
We heap so much pressure on these players to deliver don't we? We are all guilty of it, putting them on pedestals and then waiting to knock them down. Don't get me wrong some of them ask for it aka John Terry, Ashley Cole ( my god man what were you thinking!) but what about David Beckham or Wayne Rooney. Yes they are excellent footballers but why should Rooney be expected to win the world cup on his own? Beckham had the same thing in the past 2 world cups! Last time I looked football was an eleven-a-side game, so why should one man be expected to win it on his own? We then slaughter them when they make mistakes, both of them having been sent off in previous World Cups because the expectations and pressure gets to much for them. They aren't expected to do it for their club teams so why expect them to do it for England. Until we learn to lower our expectations we will never succeed, Christ we aren't Brazil are we?Reason 2: Penalty Shoot-outs
We will at some stage have to win a penalty shoot-out. Don't hold your breath our record is awful. We have had to face a penalty shoot-out 5 times since 1990 and how many have we won? One, yes that's right one, a great big fat one, and that was at Wembley as well, against a tea who were worse than us that day, Spain. We have the worst record of any top 10 team in the world at winning penalty shoot-outs. I'm not for one moment saying they are easy, the pressure must be enormous but until we accept we have an issue with them and the players are willing to accept help in over coming the mental barrier we have no chance!. Reason 3: Goalkeeper
This one annoys me a little. We are pinning our hopes on a 40 year old keeper who has the nickname calamity...yeah right! We used to have a rich vain of keepers in this country going back to 1966 we had the great Gordon Banks, 1970 was Gordon Banks, 1982 was Ray Clements and Peter Shilton, so good they used to alternate between them who played!, 1986 was Peter Shilton, 1990 was Peter Shilton, yes he was 40 but we had Chris Woods backing him up. 1998 was David Seaman, 2002 was David Seaman and 2006 was David James which now brings me to my point. So here is a major problem, no team has ever won a major trophy without having a World Class keeper, and we don't have one. David James was playing for relegated Portsmouth, Robert Green was playing for nearly relegated West Ham and Joe Hart wasn't good enough for Man City so they sent him on loan. Doesn't fill you with confidence does it? Until the top teams in the Premier League start playing English Keepers and giving them a chance of playing the top sides in Europe we will in nothing!.Reason 4: The Premier League
What a league we have, the best players come here and ply their trade, sounds great doesn't it. Well dig a little deeper. How many of them are actually English? How many of our top 4 teams in the past 5 years have had more than 5 English players playing every week? How many then? None. Yes that's right none of them. They have the odd few English players but there aren't enough of them. We do not develop young English talent in this country, we don't give it a chance too achieve what it could. The pressure from the fans and the board for instant results doesn't allow for that to happen. When France failed to qualify for the 1990 and 1994 World Cups they restarted their whole infrastructure from the beginning. They set up academy's and made their national leagues take a more long term view with their football. The had to have a certain amount of French players in their teams. The result, they won the World Cup and the European Championships one after the other. They produced Petit, Viera, Zidane, Barthez, Anelka, Lebouf to name a few. Us what did we do? We spent all our money on cheerleaders, fire works and foreign players and sat back and counted the money, slapping our backs on a great product which has now become soulless. A product that doesn't have young fans walking around with English players names on their shirts but players such as Torres, Berbatov, Anelka, Drogba, all superb players, but wouldn't we prefer English players of this caliber?Reason 5: No Truly World Class Players.
would either. Spain wouldn't want Terry or Johnson instead of Pique or Puyol and they wouldn't swap Xavi or Iniesta either. So there lays another issue we do not have truly world class players in areas of the pitch apart from two. Wayne Rooney up front, Ashley Cole at left-back. We do not have truly great players, good yes, but players that with a bit of magic can turn a game no we don't. Why? because of reason 4 we don't invest in talent in this country we are after the quick buck, the finished article from abroad and until the Premier League see this and change it we may even struggle to qualify let alone compete on the world stage for future generations.
Reason 6: No Decent World Cup Song
We have had some crackers down the years haven't we? Back Home 1970, Ron's 22 1982, World In Motion 1990, Three Lions 1996, okay the last one wasn't a World Cup song but it was a belter wasn't it. This year nothing, not a decent song out there. When I was kid we used to have to sing Ron's 22 at school. I used to get the pub rocking in 1990 by doing the John Barnes rap ( I still know most of it now) and yet there isn't a good song amongst them. Nothing to bring the nation together before a game, or hear on the radio to sing along too as we wait for the next game to arrive. Until we get one this is going to be a poor World Cup.
Reason 7: No Play maker in Midfield
Where is our Messi, Kaka or Ronaldo? We don't have that player that can light up a game, who can take on 4 or 5 players and beat them all. We don't have a player who can change a game with one flash of brilliance. What we do have however, are two players who can't play with each other in Lampard and Gerard. Both talismans for their clubs but can't produce that form for their country. Where is our Gascoigne, Hoddle or even our Le Tisser, who lets be honest, would walk into this current England Team. There is no creativity in this team, functional yes, hard working yes, but able to create and unlock the stubborn defence in front of us in the 89th minute of a game thus saving us from heartbreak on penalties once again? Nope there isn't one, and hasn't been for many years.Reason 8: No-one To Score Goals
So say the worst happens and Rooney gets injured who do we have to score goals for us? Heskey, Crouch, Defoe? No sorry ain't going to happen. Heskey is not an out and out goalscorer, Defoe is unproven at this level and Crouch, yes he has an impressive goals to games ratio but look who he has scored against, they aren't exactly worlds class are they. So lets go to the midfield then, Lampard scores load of goals for Chelsea but not England, Gerrad the same why is that? Because they play in completely different roles for club rather than country and they have other players to score at their clubs rather than themselves. Thus if thy do score a few its seen as a bonus. If Rooney gets injured in our first game we will be home by the end of the group stages as there is no-one else.
Reason 9: History
No European team has ever won the World Cup outside of their own continent. Surprised? Well its a fact. Lets look at the recent history starting from 1970. South America (Mexico) 1970 winners Brazil, South America (Argentina ) 1978 winners Argentina, South America (Mexico) 1986 winners Argentina, 1994 North America (USA) winners Brazil, 2002 Asia (South Korea/Japan) winners Brazil. This years tournament Africa (South Africa) winners ????. So history is against us and all other teams from Europe, to break this hoodoo. Personally I think we will struggle to cope with the heat and humidity of the region we are playing in. I don't think we will be the only country to have this issue but hey we have a ready made excuse for our failure don't we.
Reason 10: Desire
I personally don't think the players are that motivated by playing for their country's anymore. They are so well paid no with endorsements and wages that it has taken the edge of off their performance. They have very little competition for places and the shambles of the past few England managers, and the way that the players led the whole thing and the circus that surrounds it doesn't make me see it any differently. They lack passion and commitment and care more about playing for their clubs rather than their country. Players would bust a gut to play for England in years gone by, it was seen as the pinnacle of their careers. Now its seen as an inconvince that gets in the way of their club careers. Why else would players like Scholes and Carrigher opt out of playing for their country. This needs to change and it wont until we sort out the old guard who play for this country and make an example of them. It should mean everything to go to a mayor tournament and represent your country, not to be seen as a jolly boys outing as some of them do or did.Having now listed my ten reasons why I don think we will win the World Cup I will still be there on the 11th June, beer in hand, England shirt on, face painted and hoping against hope that we win it. I've had 37 years of hurt and its about time this England team payed me back for my loyal support and won the damn thing before I die!.
So if you agree say so if not say so its now over to you. Am I right or am I wrong?
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