Bad News

When the pictures from Oslo first started appearing on the news nobody was sure what had happened. It was unclear if this was a terrorist attack or an accident like a gas explosion. As soon as it became clear that it wasn’t an accident but a terrorist attack the finger pointing began. Most of the fingers were pointing towards radical Islam and the Jihadist movement. I suppose in the current geopolitical climate it was inevitable that this would be the case.

Not long after the news from Oslo broke we started getting the reports of a shooting incident on an island called Utoeya several miles north of the city. Again there was confusion as it wasn’t known if the two incidents were related. As we now know the two incidents were related and the news broke that the culprit had pale skin and blonde hair. This didn’t seem to fit with our image of an Islamic extremist but many extremists are converts so the fingers were still pointing towards Jihadists. Eventually, we got the news that this attack was carried out in the name of neo-conservative far-right politics.

Anders Behring Breivik, who carried out the attacks, is now known to be a racist obsessed with far-right politics and linked to far-right organisations, websites and parties like the EDL, Nordisk and the FrP. He believes he is fighting a war against the “Islamisation” of Europe and the introduction of sharia. He wrote a 1,500 page manifesto about his preparation for the attack and his anti-Islamic beliefs. He described himself on Facebook as being a conservative Christian. Breivik believes Norway’s governing Labour party has to be punished for encouraging multiculturalism, allowing immigration and funding Islamic organisations. The young people on Utoeya Island were members of the Labour party’s youth wing and the car bomb in Oslo was aimed at government buildings. In reality this wasn’t an attack on the Norwegian Labour party it was an attack on democracy and freedom. It was an attack on moderate politics and tolerance.

Over the last 10 years our security services have concentrated almost exclusively on Islamic extremist groups and this has allowed other non-Islamic extremist groups to grow and operate undetected. Many of these groups are from the radical far-right movement that has grown steadily in Europe since the fall of Communism. The growth of internet use and social networking has given the far-right a new unregulated platform to spread its lies and deceit. They attract young people who feel disaffected and ignored by the political classes. We can’t ignore this situation any longer.

The EDL marches in England attract large numbers of young people who aren’t genuinely part of the far-right. They are people who are frightened, misinformed and confused about immigration and their national identity. The far-right scum who lead the EDL recognise this and seduce them with lies while hiding the full extent of their fascist ideology. The liberal left here in the UK has been far too quick to shout “racist” at anyone who has taken an anti-immigration line. That is the wrong way to deal with the situation and it has led to a growth in support for the likes of the EDL and the BNP. We need to embark on a new open discourse where confused moderate people can raise their concerns about immigration and multiculturalism without the fear of being shouted down as a racist. If you stifle debate people feel they have no voice and when people feel they have no voice they tend to start using their fists instead.

The other big news this week was the tragic death of Amy Winehouse. She has joined the forever 27 club. I always felt sorry for Amy and I think some questions need to be asked of her record company, promoters and management. Why would they let her go out on stage in Serbia when she was so out of it she couldn’t walk let alone sing? Some people are also saying her record company was putting too much pressure on her to produce a third album when she should have been concentrating on her health.

Amy really was an amazing talent who more than lived up to the hype. Her two albums were superb examples of smokey melancholic Jazz and soul. I know she was her own worst enemy but addiction is a cruel master. The poor girl just couldn’t break out of the cycle of drink and drugs that eventually killed her. RIP Amy Winehouse

News of the World

It’s been an exciting few days for those of us who are sad enough to devour news and current affairs. I’ve never known anything like it. The News of the World phone hacking scandal may well have changed the British media forever.

The relationship between the political parties and the newspaper editors has always been something I have been very uncomfortable with. A healthy democracy needs a strong Fourth Estate but our bloated newspaper media has got completely out of control. The media is not above the law but recent events at the News of the World give the impression that they thought otherwise. It is also becoming clear that it’s not just the News of the World as other newspapers are now believed to have acted illegally.

We all know that Rupert Murdoch’s New International and the other powerful newspaper groups have been polluting British politics for far too long. The influence they have held over our political leaders has been damaging to our democracy. The media must be able to practice freedom of speech but they must remain within the law and show real political neutrality. Can anyone honestly say that The Daily Mail, The Sun or The Daily Mirror are politically neutral?

The reaction of the Metropolitan Police (MET) in regards to phone hacking and other issues in relation to the activities of newspapers is one of the most shocking aspects of the whole affair. The MET have been reluctant to investigate the accusations of illegal activity being carried out by newspapers. James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks have admitted that payments (bribes) were paid to members of the Met. I think it is clear that this is the reason the MET have been so frightened of digging too deeply. I also believe there has been political pressure on them to turn a blind eye to much of what’s gone on. If it’s proved that senior members of the MET were in the pockets of News International it would simply prove what many of us have believed for years. The rich are indeed powerful and hold influence over the people who should be protecting us.

It is a shame that a Newspaper that has been on the market since 1843 has been ruined by the crooks at News International. The News of the World brand may well return under new owners but under Murdoch it was doomed. I’m not shedding any tears for the type of right wing hack that worked on the paper but it doesn’t seem fair that they all lose their jobs but James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks carry on regardless. The people losing their jobs will be ok because it’s easy to claim at least £250,000 a year in benefits and get a big house from the Council. Isn’t that what they used to tell us in the News of the World and The Sun? I also had to laugh at the idea of journalists at The Sun threatening industrial action! Or as they would usually describe it, “Union Neanderthals threaten to drag Britain back to the 1970’s”.

So what will the future be for our newspaper media? Will anything actually change? I think things can change this time because for the first time in years our politicians are in a position of strength. The fear of upsetting the Murdochs has always meant politicians had to keep them sweet and suck up to them. Now the public have turned against the Tabloids, especially Murdoch, the politicians can make a stand. The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) has been a complete failure as it has no power and self regulation has been an unmitigated disaster. So we need a new independent PCC that has genuine powers of investigation and regulation.

This is an opportunity we can’t miss. The bent MET police, James Murdoch, Rebekah Brooks and any other newspaper owner, editor or journalist who is charged with breaking the law should face trial and if found guilty sent to prison. This will make all current and future editors and journalists think twice before lying about people, phone hacking and forcing political agendas. It will also make bent Police officers think twice before accepting bribes. This has been a dark week for our newspapers but it could also be bright new dawn and a return to the glory days of the past. It would be nice to have a media that reports the facts and uncovers injustice. A media that is constructive rather than destructive would be a like a breath of fresh air. I’ve got my fingers crossed.

Sinead O'Connor @ Manchester International Festival 2011

Ireland's Sinead O’Connor did 3 nights in the intimate pavilion theatre at the MIF (Manchester International Festival) performing material from her forthcoming new album and classic tracks crossing the span of her now lengthy and controversial career.

The first thing that struck me was her appearance. This wasn’t the pale faced young skinhead of the Nothing Compares 2 U video from 1990. Sinead is now a chubby 44 year old with hair cut into a kind of scruffy bob. She looks pleasantly like a middle aged mother of 4 who has had a hard life but is now comfortable in herself and that's what she is. She looks different but as soon as she started singing it couldn’t have been anyone else. There is a strong but vulnerable beauty and purity in her voice that's impossible to define.

The Protest songs are great but a night of nothing but anger can be a drag. Thankfully there is much in the new material that speaks of motherhood and relationships and this balances out some of the more political elements of the older songs. Sinead is still however, an inspiring independent and opinionated woman. The opening song called Take off your Shoes is an unapologetic protest against the Vatican and the child abuse scandal but at other points Sinead filled the room with a poignant Christian spirituality.

Nothing Compares 2 U is still a highlight and sounds as fresh and moving as it did all those years ago. It really is one of the greats. It was a hair standing on the back of the neck moment that will stay with me for a long time.

Sinead genuinely seemed to enjoy herself. She chatted between songs (some of which was outrageously funny) in a relaxed manner that hinted at a new confidence, and she has every reason to be confident. The new songs are excellent and her voice is as enchanting as ever.

Set List:
1. Take off your shoes
2. I had a baby
3. The Emperor's New Clothes
4. Never Get Old
5. The Wolf Is Getting Married
6. Jealous
7. No Man's Woman
8. Reason with Me
9. I Am Stretched on Your Grave
10. Something Beautiful
11. Three Babies
12. Black Boys on Mopeds
13. Untold Stories
14. V.I.P.
15. The Healing Room
16. Petit Poulet
17. 4th&vine
18. The Lamb's Book Of Life
19. Nothing compares 2 U
Encore:
20. The Last Day of Our Acquaintance
21. Thank You for Hearing Me

Fleet Foxes at the Manchester Apollo

I had a great night at the Manchester Apollo on Tuesday night watching Seattle’s Fleet Foxes. If you don’t know Fleet Foxes their music is often described as Folk Rock or Indie Folk but I don’t think either of these correctly reflects the music. They are pleasantly hard to categorise. The band is made up of some incredibly talented musicians but they are particularly praised for their beautiful vocal harmonies.

The opening track was an instrumental called ‘The Cascades’ and it felt a bit like an overture readying us for the main event. Robin Pecknold is a great frontman with a voice that can go from the gentle softness to aggressive power in a heartbeat but his voice sounded a bit lost during the second track ‘Grown Ocean’. I think the sound engineer pulled his socks up because things soon balanced out and within a couple of tracks the sound was just right.

The band seemed to get tighter with each track. By the time we got to the brilliant ‘Sim Sala Bim’ and fan favourite ‘Mykonos’ the music and vocal harmonies were perfectly seamed and tuly hypnotic. ‘Your Protector’ and ‘White Winter Hymnal’ were particular highlights. The crowd was really into the show and showed their appreciation with lots of singing and cheering. One or two attention seeking knobheads got a bit vocal between tracks but that seems to be the case at most gigs these days.

The main body of the set ended with a personal favourite of mine ‘Blue Ridge Mountains’ and the crowd loudly cheered them off at the end of it. The noise continued until Pecknold reappeared on his own to perform ‘Oliver James’ and this track showed just what an amazing vocal talent he is. The rest of the band then joined him onstage to end the night with ‘Helplessness Blues’.

A top gig by a top band in a top venue.

Set list as follows:
1. The Cascades
2. Grown Ocean
3. Drops In The River
4. Battery Kinzie
5. Bedouin Dress
6. Sim Sala Bim
7. Mykonos
8. Your Protector
9. Tiger Mountain Peasant Song
10. White Winter Hymnal
11. Ragged Wood
12. Lorelai
13. Montezuma
14. He Doesn't Know Why
15. The Shrine/An Argument
16. Blue Spotted Tail
17. Blue Ridge Mountains
Encore:
18. Oliver James
19. Helplessness Blues

Glastonbury - The Sunday Night

So the Sunday night headliner on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury wasn’t someone like The Levellers, the Manics or The Strokes, it was Beyonce. I have nothing against Beyonce and she is clearly very good at what she does but it’s just not my cup of tea. I can’t review her set because I didn’t watch it. I tried but after about 10mins I gave up. That kind of music just doesn’t do anything for me. Luckily the TV was also showing music from other stages so there was plenty to keep the rest of the viewing public engaged.

I was delighted to find that the Red Button was showing a decent chunk of a set by one of my favourite bands The Eels. I’ve been a fan of Mark ‘E’ Everett and his music since ‘Novocaine for the Soul’ was a minor hit in the mid-nineties. One of the main reasons I like the Eels is that they are constantly changing and re-inventing their style. Every tour they do has a different feel, look and sound. You never know what you’re going to get but you know it will be brilliant.

After The Eels I watched some Queens of the Stone Age. Unlike the Eels with Queens of the Stone Age you know exactly what you’re going to get and that’s what they delivered. It was an accomplished rock tour-de-force. It was Powerful, exhilarating and the perfect antidote to pop on the Pyramid stage. It’s perfect festival music and I really enjoyed it.

A lot of people are very annoyed that Glastonbury has become the sort of event that a pop act headlines. I agree to an extent but I think the festival is now so big it can cater for all tastes. If you didn’t want to watch Beyonce there was plenty of other stuff to see. I don’t particularly want to see another pop act headline again in the near future but if it’s in several years time and we are talking about someone as big as Beyonce then why not? Glastonbury has always prided itself on mixing genres and being inclusive of all types of music. Long may it continue.

I’m going to the Manchester Apollo tonight to see the Fleet Foxes. I’ll Blog about it some point over the next couple of days.

Glastonbury 2011

I had intended on following up yesterday’s Blog about U2 at Glastonbury (from the point of view of a TV viewer) with one about Coldplay. I started watching the Coldplay set but I’ll be honest I got bored and switched to other more interesting and diverse Glastonbury coverage.

I’m no expert on Coldplay and didn’t recognise the opening song. I think it was one of the new ones. It seemed a strange way to start and the crowd went almost silent. They should have started with the second song they performed which was ‘Yellow’. The crowd sung every word and it came across very well on television. After this it all went a bit flat and boring so I switched over and waited for the Chemical Brothers to come on.

While waiting for the Chemical Brothers I caught some of Aloe Blacc who was cooler than an Eskimo sat on an iceberg. I also watched Jessie J who did her whole set sat down because of a broken foot. Jessie J was joined on stage by a little girl from the crowd to join her singing Price Tag. The young lady in question was a 7 year old called Shay and she lit up the whole event. It was one of those wonderful Glastonbury moments.

There was also some coverage of Omar Souleyman from The Glade Stage. Omar Souleyman is Syrian and his sound is hard to describe. It’s like the Islamic call to prayer with a trance beat. I loved it.

The Chemical Brothers headlined the Other Stage. They are an amazing live act but it doesn’t always come across very well on the television. Last night’s coverage worked really well though and with the sound cranked up a notch was very enjoyable. It’s the sort of music that makes you want to drop one and go out and party.

After the Chemical Brothers I watched the Coldplay highlights on the red button. I really enjoyed it. I do like Coldplay but if you take away the best 4 or 5 songs it’s all a bit bland. The highlights were the best way to watch it. Chris Martin is a remarkable talent and I wish him and his band continued success. They certainly gave U2 a lesson in festival headlining. I just prefer something a bit less middle of the road.