Albums of 2010

The Blood of Heroes - The Blood of Heroes

Justin Broadrick of Godflesh is the big name on this album. But it is a real collaboration of great music minds that has created one of this year’s best albums for me.Nothing new in metal to mix the electronic beats of techno take Fear Factory and Pichshifter in the past have done a great job.but this goes one step further in making a genuine sound scape that could be used as a million selling sound track for a film.Bill Laswell who has produced some iconic albums throws in some bass guitars that really make the album feel fantastic.The album was recorded in many locations and over time this has moulded an real unique sound that any individual interested in music should own.The beats and groves on the album driving into the metal/punk/industrial classic sound with a real twit in that it never gets boring.A great album for 'music' fans and one that I think I will still play in years to come.Each track has been worked on between people with such great music understanding that you never know what is coming up next. Find it hidden at the back shelf of many music shops as it is only a few who will ever know how go

 

Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier

15th studio album by heavy metal kings Iron Maiden is here. Big question. Is it any better than the last three albums? No. But we have been spoilt of late. Brave New World in 2000 was a great start for the band after the return of Bruce Dickinson and the follow up in 2003 Dance of Death was for me the best album they have done since Seventh Son... A Matter of Life and Death in 2006 was a continuation of the last album and again a great sounding album.Five years after that we have the new offering and it is a great album and again the band move in a slight prog direction for this one album. Not so much guitar prog but more of an attitude in the album. Five of the songs are over 8 minutes long and unlike prog it does not get too boring.The first track has shades of 1995s X Factor with a long space themed intro that then slices you with the guitars and it is time to rock. El Dorado follows and is the weakest song for me on the album. Mother of Mercy bring the band back to the galloping sound we love then a bit of a ballad follows (as ballad as Maiden get).The album does get better and better as it goes and unlike the last few albums does not have as big a riffs as before. Still more of a sound than an all-out riff fest.Nico's drums are far less punchy on this album from the last, that is a shame as he deserves to be heard. Isle of Avalon shows that the band can still do the long into build up like Fear of the Dark. Starblind does the same with a nice arpeggiated intro that gets filled up with a classic rocky sound into a wall of vocals by Bruce and then solo time for the three guitar players. As the album progresses you get a bit of a feel of "is this still maiden on the stereo" and that is a good thing as the songs continue you then hear what we all love. The album is a great addition to the maiden catalog and i feel a big risk sound wise. As so many people hated X Factor and then loved A Matter... even thou they both sound very similar. If fans like em they will like this. But give it a few plays and album 15 is a good un. Four albums from 2000 and all up there with the best metal bands around.

Jackdaw4 - The Eternal Struggle For Justice

Something of a hidden gem is Jackdaw 4. Previous two albums were lessons in how to make perfect chart music. 2005s 'Gramophone Logic' and 2008s 'Bipolar Diversions'. This is again a follow on from the other albums and song after song are chart hits and pop melodies with harmonics that catch you and make you turn it up on a sunny day. But the band have yet to really tour or even make a video so it will always be between us so keep it to yourself. Not a bad song on the album much like the other two, play it to friends and see em sing along after a few minutes. Great production and sound on the CD help to give this music a real wow factor. With a range of other instruments and big harmonies you would think you have went back to the 70's glam rock era at times. Go on risk a few quid on this and you will have one of your albums of the year. Easy!

Jason & the Scorchers - Halcyon Times

Album number seven for the cowpunk band, on the back of some touring in 2008 the band felt it was time for a new album and a shot at bettering the last 30 years. Time has been very kind on the band and a rip roaring rock and roll album is included with the fantastic country mix that the band are well known for. The album starts with Mr Hodges guitar in a riff that takes you back to 1981 and provides the first glimpse of how good this is going to be. The band even know this as in the middle of the song is a small sample from years ago. Again just to show that they are back. Much of the album is more a rock and roll album and old Status Quo does come to mind. But that is a good thing as one time they were able to put out great new albums. The band has two new members and it feels just as good as it was back then. You can tell the new guys make the album feel a bit different from others but that is in the long run a good thing as the band are happy to start a fresh. Great songs and great song writing by the band and guests, some big names in rock are asked for input and this has helped to keep every song on the album interesting, you try to find the songs that are written by who and see what one is better. Very good production and a great vocal performance help this to be one of the bands best. No fillers and all out rock n country to the end.

Rotting Christ – AEALO

Now and again an album comes along that makes you ask what the fuck you are listening to. Most people deem this bad music as they are used to listening to the same style or artist. Nothing wrong with only liking a few bands but at the end of the day if you are like me and want to hear new music and mostly to hear albums that make you play it again right after it has finished then, start with this one. The band has been going for years and the name of the band is a big talking point, not anymore! The music is so good on this release that they may never follow it up. An amazing mix of extreme music that contains some great riffs and a rhythm section that twists and changes so much during the album you would think it is different people playing on each track. The vocals may for some be too much as the growl can put many non-metal fans off. But a few tracks in the melody is so well made within the band that the vocals are only another instrument. The album contains Greek nationalistic overtones and nods to ancient Hellenic culture but this helps the band to move on from the Black Metal past they have.  Melodic touches also come in with help from a Greek choir, staple that with clean female vocals the album has more to give than simply head banging.  Worth the money alone is Diamanda Galas guesting on the last track helping the band to cover her own song “Orders from the Dead.” I have said it many times but extreme metal has so much to offer and I feel it is the most progressive music in the world, I give you evidence in the form of this album.

Burzum – Belus

Yeah I know he is a murderer and a racist but he has made some great albums. Seriously if you like industrial/noise/electronic you should have a listen to ‘Dunkelheit’ and ‘Hvis Lyset Tar Oss’. Both are great albums and his latest follows up on that. Some great long drawn out riffs with the usual down tuned sound you expect. As he has improved as a guitar player the keyboards are now shoved aside and replaced with the six stringer. But the atmospheric feel of other albums is not quite present on this album. It does feel more of a rock album as the guitar includes some great riffs and true to the style keeps the repetitiveness that the keyboards had. Also at times it feels like a real band playing but it is almost entirely him playing everything. And two songs are from twenty years ago; this does show in the song writing and gives a classic best off feel.  Again this music is always given the Black Metal tag and at times yes it is but at the end of the day it is also as far removed as you can get from metal.

 

 

Triptykon - Eparistera Daimones

Thomas Gabriel Fischer, founding member of the pioneering heavy metal bands Hellhammer and Celtic Frost broke up Frost after the amazing Monotheist album and now his new project. Not a big difference in the music content but a great album again. Very heavy, dark and hate filled music is contained on the album. Much of the time Celtic Frost were a very melodic and at times pop in content as they were the reason many people got into metal, easily accessible and still considered metal. This doom riff filled album has been made to cross no boundaries and showers the listener in metal from start to finish.  Think of Electric Wizard crashing into GG Allen and you can get an idea of some of the sound and vocals that are here. The production is top notch and helps to portray the avant-garde metal that fans love so much. This will never make it on Radio 1 like Celtic Frost did.

JARBOE  - The Path

Another great solo album by Jarboe . Her ‘Men Album’ in 2005 was a great album that collaborated over 2CD with male guest musicians from around the world was a classic return to form and this new album takes her back to the Swans days.  This album is a soundtrack for a game called The Path and marks her first ever task in making music for a game. Dark and organic experimental music is her choice for this soundtrack as the game is basically about a child wandering about a dark wood trying to find grandma’s house (No really it is).  The game has been looked on as a real change in direction for computer games and that is pretty much Jarboe in a nutshell. Dark ambient music with at times vocals that are made to make you feel uneasy, helped by Kris Force the music is so addictive I feel I want to switch the CD player off but can’t.  You never can review an album like this as it is so hard to describe but you can single it out as being very good. I have for years said Jarboe is an amazing artist and this album shows this.

The Fall - Our Future Your Clutter

A band I have liked from a far for many years but due to the band being run like a shambles I have never seen them live. I hoped for a classic performance and that is what I got. Mark E Smith lasted 35 minutes before walking off. The album again is in the post punk/Alt Rock category but the band does play very well making it a highlight of the year for me but not one of the best gigs I have been to mind you.. Much of the album the rhythm section is used very well and it really gives the album a positive feel. With the album being co-produced by a drummer I am not surprised it sounds like this. Mark has a very distinct vocal range that seems to bellow over anything that is on the album but he is the co-producer.   Also his wife handles the keyboards on the LP and again the sound comes over so striking that it should not work but somehow they have pulled it off.  Mark just does not want to stay in the past and that is something I like as well. The riffs and lyrics contained here at times make to giggle and also ask how they get away with it. The album just gives of such character and a want to be listened to by the young to show that an old dog can learn new tricks. He is on the same label as the Arctic Monkeys and music wise he could bury them.

Nachtmystium - Addicts: Black Meddle, Pt. II

This band a few years ago turned the metal world on its head with the 'Assassins: Black Meddle Pt. 1' album. And again they have done a great album that has made the listener really think if the like it or not. A fool would hate this kind of music with some great drum work and amazing production the album shines with ideas. A big thing that Nachtmystium do in the studio is to involve many session musicians in the recording of an album. With this element the album has a really mixed sound that incorporates other styles. Welcome to this album the sound of gothic and industrial music tangled up with the Black Metal thorns of the bands past. Many metal bands have never tried to mix and match an album like this as they would scare the fans away. Metal is full of fans that only like one style or band. I know many Metallica fans that don’t like thrash metal but this is not so with Black Metal. The music has evolved by band so much that a change is welcomed with open ears and when it works it can be amazing. Nothing new on this album but the guts to mix styles and play with real passion. Some great guitar riffs and solos give the music the stereotypical patches but it never once gets boring.

Darkthrone – Circle the Wagons

Real odd one this band were one of the pioneers of Black Metal and I mean way back in the day when it was really just noise. They have done some great albums like Hate Them in 2003. The band then decided to change the style the write and play and this album is the 3^rd album into the new era. What I like is how the album catches you with the guitar hooks. Simple punk riffs flowing one after another. Fairly clear vocals are trying to entice some sort of sing along tune in your head. The band has been reported to have switched to a punk style but overall if you look at the world of guitar music it is all just rock music. Drums, Bass, Guitar and vocals are what make Punk, Metal, Rock and even many pop bands. If you like rock music you may well love

SFA Vs. SRU

SFA Vs. SRU

 

Many people know me as a fan of Rugby and to a slightly lesser extent Football. As a kid I loved football and followed it with passion, as I got older and into my early 20s I felt that I was more of a Rugby fan then a Football fan. A big reason was not so much in the games but how each sport was run.

I have never been a "Die Hard" team follower and could not care less if a team wins or not. It is fun and as long as it is entertaining I am happy. So as a kid I never really supported a football or rugby team. I more supported the national sides. Something I still do today and will pretty much always do. But my interest has moved as I get older due to how both organisations are run.

Scottish Football Association

The SFA are the big boys in Scottish Football. They run the national team and also the FA Cup. The money that comes into the SFA is from all areas of the international team And SFA Cup. All sponsorship and ticket sales is done buy them.

When the SFA makes all this money they are expected to spend this on areas that need attention in the sport. Mainly youth football and the training youngsters for the future. But the SFA spend practically nothing on this area at all. Some small junior tournaments and a chosen few get to be trained for a few weeks via professionals.

The SFA are also the employer of all referees in Scotland. And assign them to the designated games and leagues. Anyone who has seen a game here will know most of the refs are useless. Again the SFA don't spend any money on this area. And in fact it was not long ago the referees were going to go on strike due to payments being very low.

Gordon Smith was appointed Chief executive in 2007 and instantly wanted to make changes. As he was an experienced player, spectator, manager, agent and also a TV pundit, many regarded his experience to be what was needed for the job. But three years later he left, he blamed the SFA for not letting him change anything and accused them of being too stubborn. He is right the SFA has done nothing to change the shape of Scottish football in years and is still just sitting back making money.

The money machine generates 30 million pounds a year and after wages where is the money going? The new chief executive Stewart Regan was employed after Smith. His background is in business and that is why he was taken on. Where he gains knowledge in sport is by running Yorkshire County Cricket Club. A club who have lost millions due to poor ticket sales. But he did help the English Championship "re brand" to what you have today. The same league with a new sponsor is not a success. 

SFA are to promote football to people and the best way to do this is to have a good TV deal. They did have a good deal with a PPV company in SKY TV and Setanta Sports. If you can't get the channels like me or if you just don't want to spend nearly £500 a year extra to watch a few games then you lose out. Also a great way to show the game is to get it to more people say the BBC or ITV. SFA took the extra money over the promotion of the game. Where is the money going to?

Scottish Rugby Union

Both sports have a similar background but in Scotland are run totally different. The SRU unlike SFA do promote and back the playing of rugby very well. Youth teams and leagues are paid for by them and professional coaches are used to get the best from the kids. Teaching in schools is regular as is free tickets and days out playing touch rugby (Kids version of the game).

The four leagues in Scotland are run by the SRU as is the international teams. The money that the SRU makes is more than the SFA but the SRU makes sure it never makes a profit and puts the money right back into the sport.

The SRU runs the Scotland international team and the other Scotland teams like Scotland A, U21 and U18. They also own and run the two professional teams in Scotland. This is a big plus for sport as the governing body running a professional club is a great set up as the money can then be dispensed fairly.

The sort of set up that they have is unique to the sport. The pro players in Scotland are assigned to a armature team as well. They are expected to play for the club team whenever they can or give coaching and advise when free. Another thing that helps to keep the game genuine is the introduction of a wage cap on the players. No more than £120,000 a year. And even that amount has only been paid out a few times. The wage cap is something that has come into French Rugby this season and soon you will see a big change in the game in France.

Ticket prices and TV deals are very important to the teams in Scotland. The TV for the Six Nations is via the BBC. This means all 5.5 million homes in Scotland can see the games. The SRU make money and get a great advertisement for the sport for 8 weeks a year. Ticket prices are kept as low as can be. The lowest in the sport, £15 to see Edinburgh or Glasgow compared to when I was in Dublin it was 70 Euros!

Any Spare Change?

The two companies are set up to do the same thing but one is far smaller in peoples eyes than the other. Rugby is a dieing sport in Scotland due to the game turning Pro in 1995 many people turned there backs on it. But now the game has evolved into a much better sport and can draw the crowds Internationally. Football has always been the dominant sport in Scotland and deservedly so. 

But where are the SFA spending all the money? They have only to pay the players and keep a few projects going. It was not that long ago the footballers played for free on international duty. I just can't help but feel ripped off when paying money for a ticket for the footie.

Some of My Favorite Stand-ups

"There was once this woman..."

Rich Hall  

By far my favorite stand up, he has been going for so long I can't even imagine stand-up comedy without him. I just love how he can improvise so much of a show and still be very funny even when he messes it up. On top of being an improvised legend he is also one of the best at topical as well. No hold barred on America as well has given him a great career in the UK. He recently done the Stand Up For the Week on channel Four and was by far the best on many of the shows. His routines make you think and also second guess his topics. He has also done stand up as a musician in the role of Otis Lee Crenshaw. With that character he won the Perrier Award and went on a hugely successful tour. The Otis character builds on his skills of improvisation and mixed with the music really makes him a great all round stand up. 

Ricky Grover

Many people may not know him as his stint on the comedy circuit was never too large but he was very good when out in the clubs. He takes on the role of a rather overweight and scared person who seems to have the mind of a bullied child. Backed up with some great lines and a great persona he has the audience in his hands within minutes. He also done another character who was a bouncer, this one was again on the circuit and done well due to his experience before.

Lee Evans

So many people love him and know him as he is a star of TV now. Before Lee worked the men's clubs for years. His stage show for many is an act and they think he is playing the role of a childlike adult. But he is not, Lee Evans is pretty much as real as it gets. With some TV time in stand-up he went on to do some TV roles and after a few false starts made it big. He also done some films as well, acting in Hollywood but his comedy is the place he shines and in his TV roles he still plays the kid like adult but at times he does do well. His stage show is like no other. He can be topical, slapstick, musical and role playing all in one night. Not only that but he is one of very few who don't repeat old material. He writes a brand new two hour show every year. And I feel he deserves his success on stage as he was the first stand up to play Wembley arena.

Stuart Lee

The 41^st best stand up in the world, we all know he should be higher but so many people just will not get him as his comedy is for a select few. He was on TV for years performing in sketch shows but after a break he has went back to the format he is best at. One of the few comics that know the physiology of playing in front of a room of people that well they can have the show include spots of solitude as comedy. He did a show for BBC 2 that was stunning and really gave his comedy a new stage to show the country. He for years survived on tours and self-funded DVD releases but I think his art is now ready for the nation.

Jack Dee

Jack for many people is a kind of old school stand up, he has been in the business as long as I can remember. Remarkably he was going to quit as his show did not go down well. Before his stage presence now he was far more positive on stage. He took advice from someone to go on stage and be himself and his stand-up act flourished. His demeanor on stage is so dour and provides for us the moaner old man of comedy. For over 20 years on stage and on TV he still is on the box even now doing stand-up. Many see him as only a deadpan comic but his jokes and stories are easily identified by anyone who has had a bad day. He co-wrote the Lead Balloon TV show that is just a bit close to his own self to call.

Jo Brand

The UK stand up gigs across the country consists of mainly working men's clubs (Or it did in the 80s). Jo Brand was billed as an overweight lesbian would play the clubs as the name The Sea Monster. To do this you must be mad or very good. She has been on many TV shows over the years and will always stand out due to her comic talent. After coming through the alt comedy of the 80s she has had great success in keeping her show fresh and fun. A woman who said in a British Legion "men are fantastic – as a concept" has the guts to not take any crap from anyone. One of the best at putting down her hecklers and can use that as part of the show if she wants.

Bill Hicks

Most people know Hicks and I find he is a love or hate comedian. I think he was great at what he does and also I feel he was capable of far more. Bill started as a teenager and never really changed his act at all over the years. It may have got angrier in later years but it was always compelling to listen to his shows on CD. You do get many people who are fan boys of him and ok he was good, great even but he was not the best ever. I think his alcohol problem really messed up his career as he for years drank heavily and never achieved much success in those years. Move to the UK and he was a big name and rightfully so.

Ross Noble

I love a comic that can go out and do proper stand-up. As in improvising a good bit of a show. This man only improvises his set as it seems. He is a great stand-up and one that many people will never really get. Due to the topics and the way he provides the laughs he is seen by many as very unfunny. But that is alt comedy for you and he is right up there with the best. I have seen him live and it is remarkable how he can stay on stage for 3 hours or more. One of is live DVD shows the audience start to leave due to the buses stopping at 11.

Billy Connolly

You have to have him on a list as he at some point was the best in the world. Five years before alternative comedy was started he was doing alt stand up in Glasgow. No mother in-law jokes or one liners his show was made up of original story telling with a knowledge of his audience would get what he says due to him having a similar upbringing. He was very popular in Scotland but even bigger in England where they got him on the spot and also one of a very small number of comedy people to make it in America.

Lee Mack

This guy is one of the few that could have existed before alt comedy came in. His stand-up is well rehearsed but he can at any time go off on his own and ad lib much of his set. He mixes quirky one livers with jokes and storytelling to get his giggles. His DVD from 2008 is one of the very best made and I can watch it over and over so many times as it is just so good.

I have so many more to write about like Tim Vine, Frankie Boyle, Dave Allen, Reginald D Hunter, Phil Kay, Al Murray, Mark Thomas and many more I could not bore you as unlike me you probably have some work to do.

Films that changed the world

Ok the title of the blog is a bit out but some films have changed countries in a big way. Film has a chance to show the worlds problems in a different way to TV or newspapers 

Some films over the last 20 years have really changed the country they were made in. It starts with independent films as they more than most have nothing to lose when portraying a country or city. Due to lack of money or even interest they have made the film and got it on the big screen. Once on the screen it then will be subjected to the review of the world's media.

When a review is made it will tell the reader where it was made and what it is about. This at times is a story in its self. A few films I like that have showcased the problems of the country to the world had a massive impact on the country on a political status. When a film does well financially it is a success but the following few films I will detail were not just a cash generator they seem to hit on the worlds media and political minds and help to make changes that live on even now. It is easy to place documentaries in this list but I have chosen feature films that have been made in the last 20 years. Enjoy.

Trainspotting (Scotland 1996)

As a Scot it was pretty much a must see film. But to me it was more a documentary, I am not stupid I know drugs exist and I know where they take em and all that. But this film had a massive impact in the whole of the UK. It was at its release talked about in parliament and even talk of banning it as it glorified drugs. But it did do one thing very well and that was to embarrass Scotland around the world. Forever Scotland was the kilt wearing haggis eating nation with a colourful football support and the shortcake tin image. Not anymore, we have a big drug and alcohol problem that has existed for years and was always brushed aside. Also the housing shown in the film was a real wake up call to the UK. Some of the scenes were deliberately shot in Glasgow as the slums were so bad in Glasgow. The reality is Edinburgh bore the brunt of blame in the state of the housing shown in the film. But it was not just Edinburgh but the whole of Scotland that needed to be changed. More money was then put into changing the boarded up slums and at times demolishing them completely. It did help and at times worked well, some streets were no go areas and now are populated with people again. The drug side of the film has been addressed but that will never change in this country. Scotland has a greater per-head use of heroin, ecstasy and cocaine in this country than almost any other. And even on a list of worst countries in the world for taking drugs Scotland is fifth after Iran, Costa Rica, Russia, Afghanistan and Mauritius. So still work to be done then.

Bus 174 (Brazil 2002)

This was a true story and so true it was shown by the news channels live on TV in Brazil. On June 12th, 2000, a bus full of passengers was kidnapped in Rio de Janeiro in broad daylight. This is more of a documentary as it does have real footage of the incident and includes many people who were held hostage on the bus. Ok this is not a big film with a plot or anything but some of the hostages felt they were in the middle of a prank or a move for TV. Brazil has a TV culture much like what Japan has with mocking people on live TV as the big shows. So when hundreds of cameras turn up the hostages get a feeling of it may be a scam. The hostage taker even at one point shouts out a window about it being "real shit". The man who took them hostage was a local man who had lived on the streets and slums of the city from boyhood. The film focuses on Sandro do Nascimentoand his childhood of growing up and also gets the hostages to talk about this as well. What this film shows more than anything else is the utter uselessness of the police. They stand aside the whole time and do nothing, as if they just don't care. The police did say that they would have used force if the cameras were not present but that would have resulted in the deaths of many of the passengers. With the police being so corrupt and badly trained they have no skills in this type of crime and that is what is on show in the film. You see this at the end when the criminal is talked into surrendering and a police officer tries to shoot him and misses only to kill a passenger instead. Even Sandro do Nascimento was killed but only later on when the police threw him into a van. His official death was caused by asphyxiation (aye right). The officers who took him into custody were charged with murder; after jury trial they were found not guilty. The shooting of the woman was recorded as accidental.

With the incident making headlines only in Brazil the film was a worldwide hit in independent cinemas. The world asked questions and Brazil had to hang its head in shame. They have been doing what they can to stop corruption and the city does have more help for street kids. The film really does show what the city was capable of.

City of God (Brazil 2002)

Back to Rio de Janeiro again and this time a film that was adapted from a book. The film shows what life is like for kids in a slum on the outskirts of the city. Most of the cast were from real-life favelas and only one actor was a professional. Most people would know the slums of the city were full of crime and not a very nice place to live. Life is hard and no jobs means most live in utter poverty. Again most people know poverty attracts crime and again drug problems are rife in the slum. What shocked people about this film were the crimes the kids commit, murder is the big one and with a very young boy shooting as if he has a toy gun. Again the police are shown in a bad light and the part of the film that shows how the police treat the street kids is a real nasty piece of work. But true. After the film the world took notice as the film was nominated for four Academy Awards and was awarded many awards in other countries. The reality then hits many people as the police do go out and shoot kids in the street, thinking they are cleaning the city of criminals. The film touches on this and done more than any charity could have done in bringing this to the news rooms of the world. Again after the film many charities and countries show their disgust at the killing of the orphan children. The government did react and have done so very well. Winning the 2016 Olympic Games shows how far the city has come in under a decade. More police stations were introduced in a way they were more like community centres so that the locals get more involved in the policing of the city. Murders are down by half from when City of God was made. Kids can now play in the street where before it was the kids who ruled the street.

District 9 and Invictus (South Africa 2008)

After Nelson Mandela was released from prison it was a huge day for the country. People really thought the country would change and hoped that Mandela was the man to do so. In 1994 he became the first democratically elected South African president. The country had elected him to help change the fortunes of the country. For many years people had an idea that South Africa was a changed nation, it was in many aspects like the way black and white people learned to live together peacefully. Finally everyone came to agree on a majority rule constitution. This constitution states that racial discrimination it is against the law. Black people were given back the vote and the country was opened up to the world again after the end of apartheid. The film District 9 was a bad blow to the country as it really showed the slums have not changed in nearly 20 years. A well-made film that depicts aliens landing in South Africa only to be treated like second class citizens. Forced to live in shanty towns on the outskirts of the city. It is a huge wake up call to the government of South Africa and it was the first time people really started to question Rolihlahla Mandelas and Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki time as Presidents of the country. The questions are rightfully asked and the country still has a shameful excessive amount of people in poverty. At about the same time as District 9 a film Invictus was out in some parts of the world. A film about the country's rugby team winning the World Cup in 1995. Black South Africans would never have supported the country's rugby team as they were looked on as everything that was bad about the white rule. The people united to support the team and then they went on to win the tournament with the captain giving an interview at the end of the match went like this,

"Francois, fantastic support from 63,000 South Africans here today?" TV anchor-man David van der Sandt said straight after the Boks had beaten the mighty All Blacks in the final. Without missing a beat, Pienaar replied: "David, we didn't have the support of 63,000 South Africans today, we had the support of 42 million South Africans."

Both films portray the country in a very different light and I do think both will do something to change the fortunes of many. Rugby in South Africa is getting more popular throughout the whole country and only time will tell if the government will do anything to get rid of the shanty towns.

Slumdog Millionaire (India 2009)

Danny Boyle is a fantastic director and has made some iconic films. One is Trainspotting this is his other ground breaking film. I was not all that impressed with this film but the world loved it. A huge international hit that has put the eyes firmly on India and the slums that the film was set. Not much of a story here but it does show the corruption in the police department and mostly on the lives of the people living in the slums. This film surprised India more than most as it was a very low budget film made by a The European Union. The sweat houses and slums of India have been shown to an international audience that had no clue they existed in a country that has been growing so well. America took to the film very well and again a whole new audience to witness the realities of the slums of India. Shocked people around the world donated money to help the kids who stared in the film. The kids in the film were not from wealth families but children who grew up in the slums. I hope this film does for India what City of God done for Brazil.

Supersize Me (USA 2004)

Directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock this film is a documentary but unlike may other is focused on the maker of the film. For once the director is the subject of the film and in this he decides to eat junk food for 28 days and see what the outcome was. To many people who know know a good bit about what they eat it is not much of a film. Many people who don't know what is contained in their food were shocked. Some fast food had such a high amount of fat, salt and sugar it even shocked the knowledgeable viewer. The guinea pig (Spurlock) was subject to sleepless nights and stomach pains. He was told not to do the experiment by his doctor but went ahead anyhow. In the end it was a great documentary that shows how bad eating fast food on a regular basis can be. In reality and not too long after the film some food chains started to reduce the about of fat/salt in the food. It was also a big shock to people in the UK as the country has a similar outlook on fast food as America. It has influenced the politicians to the point the food chains may have to advertise on the menu the details of what is contained in the meal and its calorie content. This is a real big change for the stores and one that would put of many people buying the meals as much. The film was a big hit and was seen around the world many millions and also quickly shown on the TV to an even better effect. The documentary did have a real impact on people and the companies selling the food. More laws and regulations were introduced to show people what exactly they are eating. I has helped some for now but it will take 15-20 years to see the real change. 

Guitars being mass produced 

As many people know I am a big fan of music. I love to talk and mingle with fans of music as we have an appreciation of each other's love of fine music.

But I have most of my adult life heard the term "music was better years ago" from many people.

OK I do agree bands back in the day were very good and also incredibly talented and individual. But why come out with such a bold statement that pretty much wipes any music made after a certain point as being inferior?

Take a popular band like the Beatles, a hugely influential and praised band. To compare them with a band today and say they are way better is just ignorant and factually wrong. Much of the time people say that with no evidence or even any real understanding of music.

After the introduction of the Fender and Gibson guitars to the world, modern music changed and done it very fast. Everyone could then buy a mass produced guitar and learn to play via books and professional lessons. The 78 rpm record was a huge hit and enabled people to hear more music than ever before. No longer limited to the radio people could now experiment and evolve modern music in a really fast way.

Bands in the 50s and 60s were making music that had never been made due to the introduction of personal amplifiers and also when playing gigs the artist could use a PA to fill the room with music. No longer just a noise in the corner of a pub but a full on experience.

Music has and always will evolve it is up to the individual to listen and get it. Nothing wrong with disliking something but don't say that it is not as good as years ago if you never listen to new music.

Bands have been getting better and this is due to many things. One is as stated the mass manufacture of instruments. Made cheap and in high quality in places like Korea and China people can now buy an acoustic guitar for £30. Before the factories it was made by a skilled craftsman and you were charged a premium for this. Same as drums and even onto the components that make up the band like amps, PA and microphones.

Also the ease people can learn the music; I have done the old trick of playing an LP and slowing it down with your finger so you can hear better what is being played. To learn is made easier with books, magazines and the internet.

Again to get new music is so easy now, you don't have to trail record shops to buy expensive imports. The internet has it all, cheap and fast and also free. My Space has bands hosted with a live stream of the recorded music (So no chance of saying you can't hear new music). Cd and cassette tapes are easily copied and exchanged with bands demos and compilation albums favorite by many to spread the new bands and artists.

Live shows are now a normal thing to attend and more so new band nights. In the 50s and 60s bands did not have the chance to play a tour like you can now due to a lack of music venues and problems with logistics. It is so easy to see bands now and it is common place to do this with other bands on the line up so get in early as you may see the next big thing playing a 20 min set with no sound check. Fuck you even get a free CD at many gigs these days.

Recording techniques have changed as well, albums in the 70s were made on two or four track recording studios. Now it is pretty much as many as you want. Stereo was the big thing and it was great and still is but bands now have to record the music to go out on different formats and in digital where the band really has to sound good as mistakes can be heard very easily (As are mixing mistakes). Back in the day recording was so easy, play as a band and isolate one player for recording. Some albums were recorded and mixed in a few days. Now it is a big task, technology does make it harder due to more complex equipment and set up. Studio time for an album can be months for many artists.

Music was good years ago but it does get better and more experimental. I would never listen to new music if it was just all the same all the time.  

On Earth, the dumb keep getting dumber

If a zombie can learn...

Something I find hard to understand is people who just can't seem to learn anything new. I mean we live in a society where every child has the chance to attend school for up to twelve years and in that time you will constantly learn and develop new skills and improve on others.

I constantly get people asking stupid questions where they could have easily answered themselves with a little bit of research. Well I say research how about a Google search for a start. Nothing wrong with asking a question but don't ask something that is so easy or is very obvious that you clearly show that you have no knowledge or understanding due to being lazy and not reading or even thinking.

I work with many skilled people most have many years of learning in university. But after the 4 years or more of uni I get such stupid questions. I was once asked why the sound on the computer does not work. No speakers on the computer is the answer. Can you photocopy this black and white picture into colour? Sake!

People seem to take school and college/uni and after all that just shut down the learning area of the brain. Why? Lazy? Or just stupid, in reality many people are very stupid but can be good at school work. I really never found school that great for me. I did like some subjects but most were just so badly taught. I like history, computers and music all three are not what is really taught in school as an important subject. Maths, English and Sciences are the main ones and the ones the jobs market want.

A great film out in the 80's Day of the Dead by George A Romero tells the story of a post-apocalyptic earth where people are outnumbered by zombies and the plot is around a US military base that is in an old WW2 bunker. The mission is to assist in the research of curing the zombies. But the scientist that is present is looking into changing the zombie behaviour. He is looking into stopping the zombies from wanting to eat humans. He has to learn what makes the zombies tick and after working with them finds a zombie Bub who learns how to do certain things. If a zombie can learn does that mean much of the world is beneath a zombie?

I may just be getting old but everything is getting simpler, computers are a great example. I remember the old commodores where you had to learn a computer language to programme it. Or even use the machine for basic things. Now it is so simple, point and click, people still can't do that.

Flat pack furniture is a great example; many people struggle to use this. It has a great wee leaflet with it that shows you in pictures and simple text what to do. Take screw A (with a picture of screw a) and place in plank of wood C (Plank C has a letter 'C' on it). Fuck sake kids' stuff.

The Sun and all tabloid newspapers are guilty of dumbing down to a point they are used in schools in Africa to teach 6 and 7 year olds English. Yes if you read the Sun you have the same reading ability of an African seven year old. Ok the Sun has nice pictures and page three but I don't need a picture of a car on fire to show me what a car looks like when it is on fire. I remember the fire on the channel tunnel years ago when the sun reported it they had a graphic that shows France and England and a wee tunnel with a fire symbol in the middle. That took up a page with a small caption at the bottom on the story.

It is an old one but the exams in schools are getting easy, I have seen some of them and I am shocked. But it is not just schools. I went back to college a few years ago and done a computer aided design course. I was looking into the electronics course I done ten years previous. To my shock it was now only 14 hours a week course. Not the 36 hours I done just ten years ago, I did ask and was told it was due to money. But I really think it is due to people failing the course as I was the only person in three years to pass it in 2000.

Why is ignorance celebrated? As a former manager I was in the position of hiring (and firing) people to work in my lab. All I seemed to get was people who went out of their way to be stupid. And even to the point I could not train them in anything. Most of the work in the lab is very simple but you can go on and learn a lot, it is a technical job and requires a quick sense of problem solving. So it is no way a boring job but they just don't want to learn. I found most of the people who wanted to learn would do so and also enjoy it. The ones that don't want to learn would just stay in the same area of the lab and do the same thing. And they are happy to do so, why? I will never know. I bumped into a former workmate a few weeks ago and found he is still in the same job ten years later and doing the same task. He has not learned a thing. The job is near impossible to not learn anything, time alone would teach you something but not with this guy. But he seems happy to be daft and never learn.

I always remember a Bill Hicks show where he tells the story of a waffle waitress asking him "why do you read?" and I see this happening more and more. OK I am not a huge reader but I do read far more than most and again it is now how much you read but the quality of the text. I well written book can teach you things and without you knowing it as well. But people constantly buy the book about some idiot on Big Brother or a footballers autobiography.

Television is guilty of dumbing down as well, it is now at a point that much of what is on is a soap opera or some lame quiz show. Even back in the day looking up on the TV guide and picking out a show to watch and then going to the TV at the time it is on has been lost. Not much of a skill but it did use the power of buying a TV guide and reading it, telling the time and not missing the show. TV on demand means people can miss things due to being so fucking stupid that they can catch up on the brain numbing shows later.

I wonder if people are just turning into drummers all over the country. Great test, give people a card with P.T.O. in the corner on both sides and see what they do.

To Inform, Educate and Entertain?

The last few years have seen a huge backlash against the BBC and I really feel it is not in our best interest to dilute or remove the BBC.

The Charter was set in 2007 to show that the corporation exists to serve the public interest and to promote its public purposes. All other TV stations or TV channels in the UK are here only to make as much money as they can.

Sky, ITV and Channel 4 exist as a money making TV channel and will show adverts when and where they can to make as much money for themselves. For many years this has been done with no problems but the downturn has hit them really bad.

Back in the 80's Channel 4 was set up to give the people of this country a fourth and alternative channel for people of an age group of about 18-35. They done this very well and never seemed to get too greedy in doing so. But now with the advent of Freeview and even Sky and Cable TV they were forced to switch the way the company runs or face going bust.

Now ITV has been forced to change the way it funds the TV shows. More adverts and more repeats is the way forward for them. Also constant competitions to win money or a holiday after answering a simple question like "what channel is this" to gain entry.

The other big broadcaster is SKY TV, who exists mainly as a channel that shows Football. Also the only other company that charges for its content but unlike the BBC they are showing adverts at every possible time. Why pay for a TV service that shows adverts?

Sky generates three times as much money as the BBC but never seem to make much new TV. With far more channels they can if they wanted put the BBC out of business. They have the films, sport and the cash to get whatever star they want to front the channel. The reason why they don't is the owner. Murdock uses the channel as a money making company and will use any means to have the cash flood in. No money is spent on talent, new shows, radio or even on making new films. All they have is football and they charge a premium for this. The rest of the tv schedule is taken up with smaller channels who at times only make a few new shows themselves.

The BBC runs on a third of the budget of Sky but have 8 TV channels that all show new content. Many radio channels with no adverts and also the internet page, BBC Worldwide, Interactive, BBC Films and much more.

Every effort is made to make money in the BBC as well by selling shows to other companies. Dr Who was made in Wales once sold pays for itself. And with DVD and other tie-ins makes a profit, this goes back into the BBC. And is why the licence fee is a fraction of the cost of Sky.

 

To Inform

This is done by the BBC 24 and BBC 4 and the many documentaries and affiliation with the Open University. This does not make money and is made to a very tight budget. But for many it gives great value on the licence fee. Many TV shows would never exist without the BBC like Coast, Mapman, Battlefield Britain and all give the public a chance to learn in a way that is entertaining and factual.

The news in the UK is pretty much done by ITN (Rupert Murdock). So the News on the BBC is not against Sky or ITN but just it is an alternative and only reports news that is confirmed as factually right. The BBC has the biggest reach of any news broadcaster in the world with BBC World News having correspondents in more than 200 countries.

To Educate

BBC has two channels for children and has always had programing for kids on the corporation. One area that is important to keep adverts away from kids is on children's TV. As the adverts can pretty much brain wash a kid into wanting a product.

Commercial TV has for years been a great area to make money in the children's area as the game manufacturers will pay well to get the latest toy on the screen between the cartoons. But cartoons are not a great source of information for or teaching for kids. Cheap cartoons are not the best children's TV and the BBC again tries to make as many real shows as they can. Blue Peter is one that has survived the years and is a great way to show how none commercial children's TV can teach and inform kids of all ages. Out with the BBC it was for years a free for all with a cartoon and adverts showing just about anything that will appeal to kids. America has a better system in the commercial set up with the Children's Television Workshop a Worldwide American non-profit organization that works to make the best shows for kids. Sesame Street rings a bell?

Entertain

The one area all other channels should be able to do well in is Entertainment shows. Much like the Saturday night live shows ITV was once the best at this. But now they have a Saturday night much like the BBC was 15 years ago. Saturday Night Takeaway is just Noels House Party and when Parkinson was on ITV again a show stolen from the BBC. Again the BBC gets abuse over the shows years ago and it is now staple viewing on the other channel.

 

The BBC take the stance if it IS popular and does well in the ratings they will keep a show and have done with shows like Strictly Come Dancing. Other channels like Channel 4 have used the Fly on the Wall type of show to fill in, like Big Brother. But at the end of the day we all like to watch telly that is for us all from time to time.

The BBC is funded by us and we have a big say in the shows that are on the channels. Many people complain and something does happen. At times it is just a bit over the top. Like the Jonathan Ross incident. If it was on another channel no one would have bothered and if they did the penalties would have been nothing to what the BBC done. Again they feel they have to act on the public opinion.

Sky has a turnover of£ 5,359m for only television. The BBC total operating amount is £3237 (For TV, Radio, Internet, BBC Worldwide etc.) and a TV only spending of £1443m

So for £1443m you get the 8 channels on the BBC for £5359 with Sky you get Football and films.

The advertising is something I hate; I struggle to watch TV on commercial channels due to the number of adverts, in one hour you can now show six sections of adverts of three minutes. And each show has a sponsor and now product placement is introduced expect the writers of shows to include a story about something that uses a brand name. This is where the BBC comes into its own and leaves the rest behind. A debate about using adverts on the BBC has existed for years and rightfully the corporation refuses to let them on. The adverts just have way to much an influence on what is on TV.

Now don't get me wrong the BBC does do things wrong and I do feel many of the people working at the company get paid too much. But in all the negatives we have outweigh too much of the positives. The company is run to make shows for us in the UK and they do it with the best in the business. Many people choose to stay at the Beeb as it is a good company to work for and feel the can be more creative in doing so.

The company has over the years been at the forefront of technology, wide screen to internet. Much of what you see in TV has been invented by the BBC or they have mastered it. Even the way the shows are made can be so different, look at the Apprentice for a great well shot reality show. It is done so well it feels like a story. The interactive side is so good and it again is all included in the one price.

Many people around the world look at the BBC and wish they have it in their own country. The BBC logo is synonymous with quality and the news side is recognised as balanced and factual. Something no other production company has.

Every year a questionnaire as put out to the public and the say that they don't want to pay for the BBC. But also they say that they like the BBC and statistically it is watched by more people than the others and also people comment on the shows they want to keep.  You can't have a service like this and not pay! People of the UK are so dumb and do not know that they have it so good. 

At one point the BBC will not get the fee it deserves and when it does it is ready. They own parts of many channels around the world. Dave in the UK is 50% owned by them as an experiment on the future of the company (Will repeats on commercial TV make money?). Also many other avenues are being looked into. The BBC will exist when the government scraps the fee but it will be more on a PPV level. And I hope it will never have adverts when this happens. 

For now 8 TV channels, radio, news, interactive, online and everything else for 35p a day. Not bad.

 

I have still to try Sangria

As my title may suggest I have never been to Spain ever in my life. But I booked up a weekend in Barcelona with a mate and headed over for a holiday.

Many people I know in Scotland have been to Spain and some people I know will only travel to the same resort every year for a holiday. The UK has a great TV show called Benidorm. It is a sit com set in and around a holiday resort in Benidorm. For me the show is at times very truthful in its portrayal of the UK holiday maker going abroad for sun. Basically many British when going abroad don’t research where they are going, so when they get to the resort they want it to be like the UK. Benidorm is full of McDonald's and chip shops as the majority of the travelers are from the UK. This is something I always hated about a holiday to a resort and I have never done it and never will. The stigma of the Benidorm package holiday has lasted my whole life and even goes out with Spain, Greece, Portugal, Egypt and many more countries I have had a mental block on going to due to the British holiday maker demanding UK food and customs.

I as many people know love to travel and when I do I want to get away from anything I have when at home. That includes computers (much of my working time is at a PC), TV, eating much of the UK diet and the most important one the BRITISH PEOPLE.

I have went to Barcelona mainly as the architecture is so well documented and as an Cad Tech(Computer Aided Designer) I have a big interest in architecture. My first visual occurrence was the airport itself, a big grey building with electric doors. That is the same here but a 75 minute bus ride and I am right in the centre of Barcelona, just out of the bus station is the Arc de triomphe a stunning piece of architecture that gives your eyes a real great start to the trip. Walking about the streets trying to find our hostel was a bit tricky due to the map only detailing one street out of four but the sights of the old Gothic Quarter are stunning. I am carrying a very heavy bag containing my belongings for the weekend and the sun is very hot but I find myself walking around the gothic structures in a circle as they are so stunning.

We make it to the hostel and the two people who own and run the place greet us. I sent an e mail to the place a few days previous about the ash cloud possibly delaying or even stopping the trip. The person who serves us Catalina is very helpful and provides us with a great map and then goes on to give us hints and tips on where to go and how to get to the sights. She leads us to our room and shows the hostels facilities. We have a shower room and a balcony in this hostel, a real bonus and something I have never had. The place is a bit noisy at night but I was expecting that as we are seconds away from La Ramblas. The street is the only let down of the trip as it is nothing but a tourist market with beggars and people offering drugs, sex and well just about anything you want. We quickly nip to a pub and decide to stay away from the street and head out to more pubs frequented by more locals. We do this and find the locals very friendly and polite, few more beers and we head back to an Irish bar near the hostel to end the night with a few pints.

Next morning we get up and first thing we need is food, hostel recommends the place at the end of the road as they are quick and cheap and they are showing the Rugby for me to get a quick update. We plan to head up to the Nou Camp via the train. A ten trip ticket is only 9 Euros and excellent value, even more so after we use the service. The metro service is so clean and tidy, very little graffiti and quick service. The station has no timetable as the run every five minutes 24 hour a day. The train is clean and safe to use, plenty of cameras and also well lit. As the transport is so good the city seems to have more room for people to walk; now it does have many cars but it just feels like many few than I am used to.

Why in Glasgow we can't open up all the old underground tunnels and extend the Underground service is beyond me. It would give Glasgow so much more in the future and I am sure people would love it.

We get off at the appropriate station to see the football stadium and make our way up to it on foot. Temperature is over 30 degrees but we make it and pay the money to get in. I have no huge desire to see the stadium but Madman is really into seeing it so I go along with it. But standing on the pitch side right behind the goal is a fun experience as is sitting in the commentary booths. The area we are in has not got much to see more a living space for people so we head back to the hostel for a rest.

Out for some food and a nice we place that does tapas is our destination. I ask for more seafood tapas as we are right on the coast. We are served some nice food and a few beers before we check out a couple of bars, again mixing with more Spanish to avoid the bulldog crew

Madman is adamant about watching the football, I really couldn't care less. A pointless tournament that is only about money and nothing else, I decide to go along with it and try and enjoy myself. Again in an Irish bar but the place is packed with German women, who do look very good, so at least a small change from pubs in Glasgow where they are frequented by men. Two hours later the game is over and we head out of the pub.

I then start talking to some American guy in a bar, he speaks Spanish due to his family coming from Mexico so is known in the bar well. He asks why I am not in an Irish bar, I say due to them not having any Irish in them. He does seem kind of confused by my reply so I invite him to the one we were in last night. He instantly gets what we mean as the place is crammed with stag and hen nights and men in football tops shouting and being very drunken. Madman wanders off as he hates Americans (Much like he hates everyone else). We finish the night by smoking a joint on the La Ramblas and chatting to some local students about music.

Sunday is more a day for me and I have decided to do what I want to do today. As I have said I love architecture and I will devote almost all of the day to his. First up is the Sagrada Família‎ as you come out of the train station it is right there in front of you and on first look is not that amazing. But as you walk around it the detail and craftsmanship is amazing. Many people believe the church is still built on the plans made by Gaudí but that is not true, many of the plans and drawings are lost and even what was built was damaged during the civil war. You can see a patchwork style of building in the project. Also as a Cadtech I can see the areas designed with computers, computer designed buildings do look unique and it does seem to blend in. Gaudí was far more ahead than he will ever know.

More walking about and then to Park Güell again designed by Gaudí, it is a hard task to reach the park up a very steep hill in the sun but I make my target and so much worthwhile. The view is stunning and really takes your breath away. The park is a real surprise to me design wise as it has a feel of Britain about its design, and much like many parks in the UK it follows a similar set up. But I read the park was going to be a development site for houses but was scrapped due to lack of interest by purchasers. This is something really good as the park is so much better than some buildings and homes only the rich could buy. You get a great park for use and see the city with for free. I really do recommend the view over Barcelona, a sight that tells you every building has a story.

Now time for a quick read of me book to rest my feet and then onto the gig. Jason and the Scorchers are playing the last date of the European tour tonight. I had booked the holiday and paid for everything but when checking the bands website noticed a few extra dates. He last one was in Spain, and yes it ties in when I am over and why not go to see em again three weeks after seeing them in Glasgow. No ticket may be a problem but I will pop down and see what I can do. I get to the venue where I am told that it has sold out. Fuck. I was looking forward to the gig big style as the band really are amazing and they may not tour or make a new album for 14 years again. I explain that I am Scottish (Hey it has worked before) and travelled over for the gig. Ok a wee lie but it works she says 22 Euros and I happily pay, I am given a ticket that looks more like a jacket ticket stub. I hand it to the door man who looks says something in Spanish. The woman at the counter shouts over at him and he then shakes his head and lets me in. Great I am in, I am now up for a drink. I notice no people are really drinking at the gig only a few people have a glass. I order a beer and am given what I would say is under half a pint of beer for 7 Euros. Fuckin heck! Right I see why nobody is drinking, I only have one more during the show. The sound is fucking great in here and very loud as well. In the UK the sound levels have to be under a certain amount to curb people damaging their hearing. It is a load of bollocks as a few hours a week won't do anything to your hearing. The band play a stormer and I leave to meet Madman for a few beers before going to bed.

I was really taken back by my trip as I did expect the whole tourist city aspect to have been more so. But once you get out the main streets and into the little pubs with the locals they are very friendly and welcoming. A great few days away and I would have happily have stayed longer but due to low wages and much less sleep than is healthy for you I come home. I would happily go to Spain again but never to a resort with the tourists.

Up the Irons

 

A band that has changed the music industry more than many is Iron Maiden. A personal favourite of mine and a band who have such an understanding of the music industry they were years ahead of the record companies.

Everyone has seen the band on telly and heard the music but what you hear has nothing to do with the record industry. This isn't AOR made up by an executive in a suite at EMI or Capitol. Steve Harris the band leader and the mind behind the band made so many decisions before the band were signed in 1979 that it took four years for a record label to in fact sign them.

For a start the band were about during the punk era and many labels were signing anything that looked different. Iron Maiden was very different in looks but in music what they played was truly metal. Steve Harris turned down contract after contract to maintain the band's sound and distinct musical identity. Even now in 2010 I have yet to hear a band that sounds like them so he must have been right to do so. Many punk bands were taking the big money and making the chart friendly music that at times was very good, but where are they now?

One big change in the industry that Iron Maiden and also EMI done was to bring a picture cover to the 7" market. Many bands and artists did not release a single with a picture cover to help save money. But also the bands did not have an identity, when you see an Iron Maiden album you say to yourself "now that is an Iron Maiden Album". Instantly recognisable as a metal album/single and as an Iron Maiden release. This was a very good promotional tool and one that costs very little in comparison to paying for advertising that may not really work or show the band the way they want.

The big thing they have is the 'Eddie' character. He is on much of the bands covers and is more a comic book character than anything else. He has been painted by Derek Riggs from 1979 and was an idea he took from a hanging on the side of a burned out Japanese tank at the Matanikau River during the Battle for Henderson Field.

Derek Riggs made a portfolio of work and showed it to the bands manager, in the middle of all his work was the band's first album cover. It was not quite like what the band wanted but a few changes and the painting was done. This idea was then used for the band's first album; the album was a critical and commercial success. The artwork on two singles leading up to the album was very well thought out. The first single has someone running into an ally with Eddie waiting and the second was the banned single sleeve that showed Eddie standing over Lady Thatcher holding a knife. Due to the graphic nature of the sleeve many shops would not sell it with the sleeve but it was still a chart hit and helped to give the album some publicity. Again this was all planned for the first album release where Eddie would be seen properly for the first time.

No other band at the time had a 'mascot' like what Iron Maiden had. It was used to promote the band but mostly to give the band an identity on the shelf of the music store. More singles and albums followed with the Eddie character and the band went on to have huge success not only here but in America as well. Again with the band having a very distinctive look they seem to get over around the world with very little air play and practically no promotion.

Just about every metal band for ten years has copied Iron Maiden artwork but not one has captured the originality of the bands identity.

The band knows without airplay they would be missing vital money to play live gigs. This is where the band set up a fan club and also made a very good decision to sell their own merchandising. This has been done by many bands but they kept control of the entire Iron Maiden concept. Only products the band liked were sold, this helped to make sure the fans were not buying cheap crappy products. Also it stops the management getting money so that more money was available to tour on the next album. Iron Maiden merchandising is so unique that it still sells tons today. Everything from T Shirts to coffee mugs can be bought direct from the band.

Musically the band is as individual as you can get but another factor the band hated was the idea of a single being 3 minutes long. Most metal bands were not releasing singles at all. They again went out to release singles from every album and the hard work paid off in 1990 with a number one single. Another thing was they would fill each album as much as they can with new material. A 12" LP can hold about 45 minutes and they engineered the music and the songs to make the most of the record. So you pay the same money and get more than most other bands. This was a trend that still exists in metal to this day and they were the first to start doing it back in 1982. Number of the Beast 44:46, Piece of Mind 45:50, Powerslave 50:57, Somewhere Back in Time 51:24 and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son 43:50. Even when CD was outselling the 12" they would fill the CD up as much as they could (Around 70minutes in 1992).

The band were invited on Top of the Pops in 1980 and refused to play due to the TV show wanting them to mime. This was a big thing as no one would play live on the show back then. The band refused to lip-synch and got their way to be the first band to play live since the Who in 1972. Many bands followed to the point that bands were asked if they would like to play live. I remember Top of the Pops showing some great rock and metal bands and they always stood out due to the live sound they would get on the show. It makes you want to see em live if you know what I mean.

The record industry was changing at the time Maiden started due to MTV, ok the band never invented the music video but did in a sales kind of way. The first concert to be filmed for a video release as Iron Maiden at the Rainbow. Again in 1980 when video recorders were still very expensive and so few could buy them. But the band knows what the industry would become and were years ahead of the rest. 

Iron Maiden was the first to play behind the Iron Curtain, (and did it while running about the stage with a union jack). They showed the rest of the world that you can play anywhere, playing in Poland was a real big thing back in the 80's as no band would go near. Much of the reason was due to cost as paying off the officials and the gangs were risky. And to this day they still play new places that other bands will not play. Take a look at the documentary Flight 666 where the band with the singer Bruce Dickinson as the pilot go around the globe and play to the countries that they are told they can't play due to money.

The band had a four album firm commitment deal from EMI. This is unheard of in the music industry and I have never heard of it myself. Even Oasis and all the huge bands would never have been given this deal. Most are three albums no matter what and you will get paid if it goes well. Once again the band could show that they can deliver on the deal. They had the first two albums ready to record and present the artwork to the record company for future releases. Full creative control over music, artwork and touring was handed to the band. All this and a four album fixed deal.  EMI are a conglomerate company and for this to be offered to a metal band… Wow. Just as well the band was successful. 

In a poll done in the 90s people were asked to name the most British thing they know. This was a question asked to people out with the UK to see what people recognise first of all to be British and to utter surprise the result was Eddie and Iron Maiden.

 

29x the Fun/Pain

I have been asked a good few times what my internet nickname means. Well it is more a homage to one of my most favourite songs in the world. The classic 29x the Pain by The Wildhearts. The song was written and recorded as a quick B Side to the Suckerpunch single in 1994 and released to help promote the band headline the second stage of Donington.

A very simple song and easy to play is certainly not a technical highlight by the band but it does have one great thing and that is lyrics. It was written by a man who is a huge music fan and loves many diverse and exiting bands. Nearly all of the lines have one or more references to another band or artist. The song name in its self is derived from Hüsker Dü's song "59 Times the Pain".

The 29 part is a funny one but it has been explained by the song writer Ginger as the 29^th Wildhearts song and he wrote it when he was 29.

The song was only ever put out on a B Side and is pretty much the most popular song the band play live. A re-recording was made in 1996 with a guitar into added and a reference to Richie Edwards replacing Kurt Cobain.

The single made it to 38 in the UK charts a then fell out of the uk top 100 the next week but it will always be a great song and one that many people love.

The song has a rather odd outro in the form of a mini rap called the "Duck Song". To this day when the band play the song live the audience finish the rest of the tune by singing the "Duck Song".

 

Be kind to your web-footed friends

'cause that duck might be somebody's mommy

They live in the rivers and swamps

Where the weather is always damp

Well you may think that this is the end

Well it is

 

29 has also been a bit of a lucky number for me as one time when I was a student I was down to my last £10. I was in the casino and placed it on 29 Black and won.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HfIQnDDL8o

 

29 x the Pain

 

Here, sitting in my room,

With the Replacements and Husker Du

Like a rebel without a clue

And the Beatles and the Stones

Get to hang out with Ramones

And the Pistols shot in fame

As they sing the old refrain

Like they always will again

Like 29 times the pain

 

I see Starz

And the moon is Big and Black

It's a full sheer heart attack

And the Cheapest Trick of all

Is when I here that London Call

I need something and I need it fast

I need Jason scorching past

I need to know they feel the same

Cos when they almost know my name

It's like 29 times the pain

Times the pain

And it all ends up the same

 

Kiss my Heart

Never felt that from the start

Come on make me feel like me

SLF and BOC

Give me old, give me new,

Let me know you feel it too

To the sound of Twisted Girls

There's a brave new world oh

How, how can I get down?

When I've got all my friends around

I want to be here once again

I'm gonna miss Kurt Cobain

Like 29 times the Pain

Porn for Gadgets

As we all know the porn industry is huge. And with the many ways you can get porn it can generate around $3,000,000 an hour.

That means many people are buying porn every day and over multiple formats.

Something many people who have porn will say 'it is not mine'. That is technically true as much of it is stolen or copied and sold by men in long raincoats.

Back when porn was only seen in a special cinema that was out of bounds for kids men paid like a normal night at the flicks, to walk about a cinema with sticky carpets. This was big business on its own and evidence has shown that the earliest film recording known is a pornographic film. Just think the camera was invented and someone decides instead of using it to film his birthday or a holiday they opt to make a porn film. Why? To make money.

New technology has been invented and then taken over by the porn industry. At times technology has fallen by the waste side due to it not being taken by the porn market. As people don't like to buy it legally and also due to it being banned in many countries. People would choose a certain product over another. Some of the big gadgets you have in your house were on the market with many other similar items.

Remember the VHS and Betamax war? Back in the 70s and 80s both formats bring recording into the home. And both done it well, VHS was the invention of JVC and the Betamax was the Sony machine. We all have owned a VHS, but why? The format won in the late 80's due to a great advertisement campaign by JVC and Sony claiming the film companies would not release on the Betamax format. But in truth many men opted to buy a VHS recorder as porn was easily available in rental shops and more importantly from the black market as copies. Yes two VHS recorders and a Scart cable and you can copy as many videos as you like. No real reason has come to light for the VHS victory but as we now know it was due to porn.

Amiga Vs Atari from the late 80's was a battle to outdo any. With Atari people jumping ship to Commodore and Amiga guys jumping to Atari. Did you know an employee of Amiga invented the Atari ST? And an employee of Atari invented the Amiga? No well there ya go, that is how intense the rivalry was with each company stealing manpower trying to get one over the other. Atari were doing very well outselling Amiga then for some reason Commodore came right back into it. On the black market most games were bought and sold for cut price on both machines but as the Amiga was more advanced it seem to have better graphics and it was able to do FMV (Full Motion Video). Again many people were buying the disks and copying them, at one point the table was turned and Amiga started to sell very well and won at the end of the day. This is not just due to porn but it had a deciding factor. Also the Amiga was Internet capable and again another area the porn industry would use. Subsequently Commodore and Atari would both go bust and end making any computers. This was the first time porn was seen on a home computer and started something that will never be stopped. 

The internet was a great invention and was invented so scientists could talk to each other. But it started very slowly and grew bigger over years. From 1979 till about 1993 it was used by very few people and until about the mid 90's most people could never use it. But a big reason it took off so big then was that porn was easily available on the web. Type the word 'porn' into any search and many results came up on screen. By the end of the 90's 75% of the net was porn and much of the rest was online retailers trying to get a foot in the web. Remember the dot com demise? This happened as many people really used the internet for few things. Porn being a big use and again something most would never admit to. Pizza Hut had the first online commercial website in the early 90's but they were nearly ten years away from using it to make any real money. But the porn industry got way bigger and many companies to full use of the web. People signed up with credit cards and got a monthly dose of porn with no embarrassing trips to the top shelf in the newsagents. The internet may not have had a direct rival but at the time of the internet boom many cable tv companies were going under. People had to phone the company and ask for porn and then pay for it. Internet was so much more elusive.

Next up was the digital war. DVD or Digital Video Disk. Unlike the VHS war both were technically similar with the format only being decided by the manufacturer of the disk. You have DVD - (Minus) and DVD + (Plus). Both the same but one is cheaper to make and made by the big companies at a higher yield. The DVD came into the living room with a near HD resolution and made movies look far better than VHS. It was the same a laser disk but far cheaper. At first the DVD sales were low but in the video shops the rental of porn was high for DVD. And when the recording and copying of DVDs began in around 1999 the DVD took off big time and then DVD+ was killed off due to the price of blank disks being half the price of the minus ones. Much of the DVD sales on the black market were for porn. Many other things were released on DVD like games and films but the porn sales were very high and more expensive. 

And right up to now we have the Hi Def format the HD DVD and the Blu Ray format. Again much like the VHS format Blu Ray is the technically inferior of the two but won the war due to many factors. Toshiba invented the HD DVD and had the format finalized and on the market before Blu Ray. But film companies were reluctant to use HD DVD due to the decision that Sony was building it into the new Playstation machine. But many films came out on HD DVD and many more were out on the format than Blu Ray. At one point the HD DVD was doing better than its rival. But the porn industry went to the Blu Ray market and released the first Blu Ray disk. Yup it was not a film or a tv show but a porn disk making the format debut.

The light can be seen at the end of the tunnel

A picture of light at the end of the tunnel.

Wow, Now close to ten weeks on a constant night shift and it is drawing to a close.

I have in this time growing back my balls and have been giving out abuse big time to my fellow employees.

The highlight was the e mails that went back and forth from myself and the company Managing Director. I just seemed to get more and more cheeky and insulting but done in the right way.
Basically I am right and he is wrong, a person who admits their mistakes are few and far between. This man has an idea and will not change his mind.

I am doing the night shift for a favour to him, but not long into it the knifes are out and targeted for my back. He will not pay for the extra time on site. 60 hour week is paid at a 40 hour week.
Now under the minimum wage law I should be paid minimum of £5.85. Adding up the 60+ week I find the company has in fact broken the law and in an area that is so well publicised.

The health and safety laws have been breached in many areas, again highlights are the welfare facilities. Erm None, ho toilet or washing facilities, canteen or place to store personal belongings. This is critical as the area is contaminated and you can't even was your hands before having lunch. Three of our staff have been off unwell with stomach troubles. I am ok as I am careful but many people have no experience of a site like this.

Next is the CS CS test that you have to take by law in England but not in Scotland. Yes anyone can wander onto a site up here and work with no training or even basic understanding of a work site. But the M74 JV have a rule that everyone on site MUST have this ticket. The result is that someone caught without a ticket(CS CS Card) can be dismissed by the client from the site and the company who they work for possibly blacklisted. Hey not a law as such and no courts involved but it could turn nasty and cast the company work. £17.50 to sit each person on the test is not much on a £1 Million contract.

I have talked of the night shift rules in a previous blog but they are very important and are law. No medical has been offered and we have not signed out on the 'Opt Out' contract. Two very important laws that have been overlooked here and are in place to stop cowboy companies like the one I work for doing what I am doing.

One area I have seen improve is the contact between people, this is mainly due to the contact I had with the MD. I like to know what I am doing on site as I am not daft, I can read and do a good bit. But the total ignorance of the people who I work with is a big reason why the job has went so bad. OK they have the degree and the job but no understanding of what the job involves, You still have to read up and study. If a doctor stops learning then people would still get treated by leaches for everything now.

I have been throughout the project as professional and as helpful as I can but in a company where employees have the extra few initials after the name representing some sort of professional success with no practical knowledge. Can I stay here with them if my hard work is undermined by someone who had daddy to pay for Uni?

Time to move on my thinks and a new tunnel to explore.

Keep Smiling Fletch

Been inside ere for 7 weeks now.

Seven weeks of the same four walls and the same people, now is that not a prison sentence?
Well if you call a life the only time you go out is to work and the only thing you do but work is sleep I feel the prisoners have is easy.

-7 one night a month ago and I said to my workmate that the Barlinnie inmates have got it good, it seem to have sunk in to him a few days later when he told me I was right.

We are contained in a solid cabin, much like the ones used for storing things on building sites. It has no window, heating or water. Also it has a fence round it and some sort of drainage system that looks much like a moat. I do 16 hour days and the rest is sleeping, I get an hour out to get food/water/air and that is it. Prison is what I sounds like.

When you think of prison you as a British person may instantly think of Porridge the great BBC TV show from the 70's.

I mean Fletch was nothing but a petty criminal till he got done for Breaking and Entering. What have I done to get given worse conditions than him?
I have a very nice person one one shift who is a bit dim, like Godber but a female. She is not too sure why she is here but like Godber she is unlucky and got caught once. She may never learn but goes on and on about gettin out. She should be happy with what she has when she gets out.
Mr Barrowclough is a hydro geologist, and a very incompetent one at that, the inmates seem to show him what to do and to keep an eye on em. With only new inmates to intimidate the older ones keep em at harms length at a gain to us. We need to have one of em on our side at one point and a good few favours are owed.
'Horrible' Ives is my bunk mate some days and will take anything he can get. Always on the lookout for a deal and a total grass and a sneak. He is the one to keep a secret from and to only trust a rumour with evidence.
Lukewarm is a lab rat here and is well liked by all, again just a bad day in the office and he has ended up as one of the inmates. He can do his role well here and is very good at getting the cons in a good mood.
Jock is a part time inmate here and he is a Labourer on site, he turns up here and there. Just as loud and violent as GBH original. He always does as he is told mind and is respected by the others. But he is the butt of many jokes.

I could go on as so many here are like the TV show. Mind you after all this time my mind must be playing tricks on me. Well No...

The Guvoner here is just as calamity minded but with good intent. He never gets the big picture. If it all fails he is so well in with the rich people that he will get another high powered job and never be blamed for his faults.

I will on the other hand get out and again find another stupid mistake force me to do porridge again. The next time it may be longer but I hope not.
Unlike the TV show this is not funny, Fletch can always find a joke and crack a smile but even he stopped doing that in Going Straight.