Thursday 17 September 2015

From the Vaults - Ava, Miss Gardner

This was originally posted on the Obsolete Blog That Is Obsolete on 12 July 2004...

I'd put money on nobody else giving a flying fuck about this, but it needs to be said

OK, so I'm off to see Grandad tomorrow to fit a new belt on his record player - it's so old the rubber perished and got loose so I bought him another one. I thought to myself that I should go to sleep nice and early. However, there was a Paul Newman film on TV: The Life & Times of Judge Roy Bean which I decided to tape. Set up the video and all... waited until it started just to be sure... and then found out that Ava Gardner was in it as Lily Langtry.

So I kept watching to see what it was about - I knew it was a sort of comedy western, and you know, John Huston is one of the best directors to ever pick up a viewfinder....

Sunday 13 September 2015

From the Vaults - Buying Rolling Stone for once

This post originally appeared on The Ancient Blog on 1 May 2004...


I don't like Marilyn Manson. I don't like his music and I think there are better ways of grabbing the world's attention than looking like a total twonk... but I have always had respect for him in a way I've never had for people like Robbie/Kylie/Justin/Britney/Phil Collins. I get that he's a clever guy who looks like he does and sounds like he does because he's making a personal statement that isn't ever going to be a really popular one. I also rather loved what he said to Michael Moore in Bowling for Columbine.

So yesterday when I bought Rolling Stone's 'The Immortals' issue (April 15 2004) and found he was the one writing the piece about the Doors (of course they're on the list, doubters!) I was caught between thinking 'God, I have the Doors in common with Marilyn Fucking Manson? and 'let's see what the dude has to say'.

Monday 7 September 2015

Women & Rock Music


I like to think we live in enlightened times. Times where Germaine Greer can muck about on reality TV because she no longer needs to spout feminist stuff. She doesn't need to because we're sorted, more or less. There's still an economic and professional glass ceiling, but it's getting weaker. Chauvinism has no place in Britain anymore, hurrah hurrah...

3rd July 2005 - On Morrison

This was originally posted at Ye Olde Blog on 3rd July 2005, when Live8 was on.

I was yet to return to beloved London at that point, and within only a few days, my beloved city would suffer through another terrorist attack. I was terribly sad about Jim Morrison, because the more things change, the more they stay the same.

3rd July 2005

I have nothing to say about Live 8 that hasn't already been said except that in my great need to avoid RobbiefuckingWilliams, who seemed to be under the impression people were there for him, I missed The Who...

I'm told Roger remains Dorian Gray-like in his ability to stay looking forever young. I'm fairly positive that Live 8 will change absolutely fuck all, because rock and roll cannot save the world. 


Rock and roll cannot even save itself. Which brings me so neatly to the point of this post.