Was wandering through town today and noticed a lot of people in the street talking ...... to their phones. There's nothing inherently wrong with it, I do it, although some people make sure everyone in the quadrant can hear, it's as though they are shouting to ensure the other persona (and everyone) can hear.
The thing is this is everyone now. Pre mobile phone you used a call box, often at work people had individual offices so calls were private and not broadcast. We hear lots about making sure calls are secure, but lets face it, recording devices have a hell of a range these days.
I never thought it would happen but call boxes are disappearing, sometimes replaced by open boxes with huge advertising screens but really there is not much need for them these days, except when you are out of power or minutes on your mobile.
The thing is this is the way things are going and everyday life will get louder so for the first time I'm going to share some Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark with you with "Talking Loud and Clear". This is a video I've never seen and also did you know that prior to their final name they were called The Id (namechecking "Forbidden Planet" I think.
Went out at lunchtime chatted with a few people I only vaguely knew or didn't know , bought some vinyl, had a vegan curry and talked dub reggae and just feel so much better than I did this morning.
It was great to chat about the frightening state of politics, th egreat food available in the Grainger Market and the King Tubby / Richard Burton mash up with Dylan Thomas' tone poem "under Milk Wood" which you can buy on vinyl here. I have my own copy at home.
I know this is just a tiny, tiny post, but it is always good to get out and talk with people or friends, it can usually lift your mood and it certainly lifted mine today. I know I often just need to rest and sleep and night so mi gigging is going to be more sporadic, but there are plenty of afternoon gigs to fill the days, and I do love these. It's great to come out and have the rest of the evening to watch TV or relax.
One of the annoying thing about the Facebook Ban is that I am now very reticent to share any pictures on Facebook. I've disconnected as, as far as I can, my Instagram Account which means I have now stopped sharing my walks and music on Facebook. I will share my blog posts and really that's it.
The real annoying thing is that I keep getting ads for voucher schemes often featuring girls wearing next to nothing, knowing full well that if I shared this thing that Facebook is shoving in my face it would be a three month ban.
I've reinstalled Facebook Messenger on my phone but Facebook is now reflecting my real life socialising, vitually non existent. This is my choice to reactivate but part of it may be old age and part may be just apathy.
I had a few friends who I would meet up with for lunch or after work, but whenever I suggested anything it was never convenient so I know when I am beaten.
This may sound like I'm on a downer, I'm not, just learning that as people get older they become more set in their ways, socialise in their own groups, and if I do want to meet up with people I need to actually do something that interestes them.
While I always stay positive, and know damned well that I could pick up the phone and speak to a few close friends there is a devil inside that says I can't be bothered. No doubt I will change and get my self out in the near future and in fact I am going to visit two friends this lunchtime. I have decided to just do this and visit The Glamorous Owl , RPM and maybe lunch at Snackwallah.
So what song goes with this, for some reason Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Round" comes to mind and what's not to like about that.
I was touched by the comments on Facebook on my first post ban post, although I think a few might just like but not bother reading the blog post. The biggest lesson out of this is not not rely of a Facebook as a single means of contact. Facebook does allow to share an email or phone number. My phone contact list is very big , and my blog gets updated regularly. So if you're worried about me you can email or text me or even phone me (I might not answer but leave a message and I'll get back to you).
This is just talking about me, but also think about how people would contact you if they were worried about you, do you have at least an alternate email of Facebook. My ban included messenger so when people contacted me by Messenger I could see their message but could not answer, luckily one of those friends had an alternate email contact which they also used so I could answer that way.
Last night I watched the film "Buried" 90 minutes of Ryan Reynolds in a coffin with a couple of mobile phones with which he tries to contact various people to try and facilitate his escape. An amazing and intense film. It reminds a little of Tom Hardy in Locke, except this ramps up the claustrophobia whereas Tom Hardy is in a car and not about to run out of power or air. This is the tagline:
"Imagine waking up in the dark and realising that you've been buried alive for reasons unknown to you, with nothing but a lighter, a mobile phone and only 90 minutes of oxygen left. Ryan Reynolds delivers an utterly compelling performance as everyman, Paul Conroy that is filled with fear, frustration, emotion and even a couple of dark laughs along the way."
So this morning we have bright sunshine and the Women's World Cup semi-final between England and the World Champions , the USA to look forward to, so that is tonight sorted for me.
So going with the title of this post we have to go with Edwin Starr's "Contact" don't we?
I really don't know how to handle weather, if it's too hot I want to get inside and go to sleep, also today is grey and overcast and I would have loved to just stay in bed but it's start of the month and quarter end at work so I really need to go to work.
It looks like I'm unbanned from Facebook though I have a feeling that may only last until I share something. I won't share anything from Instagram, Facebook itself, photo uploads maybe just the posts I do on my blogs, and maybe youtube shares for birthdays but that's going to be a limited set of videos.
I will install Messenger back on my phone so that people can get in touch with me, but if you look at these posts you can see the pathetic bans have served with. One of the best things was that they give the opportunity to dispute the ban but you cannot submit a dispute because you are banned, very Kafkaesque. YOu can see the posts relating to the bans here if you are interested. Have spoken with a couple of people who say they know people who continually get banned for posting explicit content but usually just get a weeks ban.
But I have enjoyed the BBC coverage of Glastonbury, allowing me to enjoy the music without the discomfort, I also watched the finale of Deadwood which was just like an extra TV episode to wrap it up with the same amazing dialogue and acting, also the finale of The Looming Tower which effectively posits that when people don't work together then bad things can happen, a definite must watch. I followed that with Wild Bill with Rob Lowe which contained at least one OMG moment so that could mean another TV series to follow.
So I found a great live take of the The Mekons "Where Were You?", one of my favourite singles ever, for the the people who noticed I was "inactive" on Facebook during this ban.
.. a hell of a lot of people , usually white, middle aged and older, and stuck in the seventies when it was normal to treat non whites as second class. This weekend saw Stormzy headline at Glastonbury much to the annoying of may of the people I've mentioned, but I doubt they gave the amazing spectacle he led and presented more than five minutes.
This introduction to Rap and Hip-Hop shows that the genesis of this begins nearly a century ago, and to be quite honest I personally think it goes back a lot longer than that , Rap is basically spoken word poetry often with an added rhythm backing which may eventually be seen as a song, but Rap can be just spoken word. It is NOT singing but it IS performance and it IS ART.
The subgenres sort of grate on me as it seems to dissipate the art form, so GRIME is Rap with an electronic 140 bpm a bit faster that the standard disco 125 bpm , but as far as I am concerned it is RAP. A lot of songs can be performed with the most basic percussive backing be it hand claps or foot taps.
The Reduced Shakespeare Company demonstrated this with their "Othello Rap", as do poets such as does John Cooper Clarke with his live performances and this goes back to Beat Poets and well before then to the oral folk traditions.
I will admit I didn't know any Stormzy songs or pieces but he is just part of the vast tableau of art available to us these day. The Glastonbury performance was a huge production, involving a huge amount of people and planning . Stormzy was the centre , and wrote a lot of the material, but there were bands, fireworks displays, gospel choirs , other rappers and an Ed Sheeran cover in the set.
It was not limited to Grime and Stormzy can sing as well rap. The set is available for 4 weeks on BBC iPlayer here. After opening with "Know Me From" Stormzy ran through the debut album with extras such as the aforementioned "Shape of You" against a backdrop of digital screens, fireworks and supporting cast. This was an impressive performance regardless of genre and was inclusive not exclusive, and was very watchable and an incredible triumph.
I do hope this performance stays in the digital world so that everyone can experience this incredible performance.
Maybe I'm a bit lazy, not wanting to go to Glastonbury but they certainly know how to stage a show.
If you haven't seen Stormzy , set aside a couple of hours and watch this performance while you can.
Stormzy is a signpost worth following. Grime won't be your preferred option but you will be impressed by what it can deliver. Oh and feel free to watch the "Othello Rap" that is both clever and funny ..... and totally boatless
I'm in the sixties in age and in post numbers. This is post 1967 an in the year 1967 we were getting a lot of great music, albums and singles coming our way. More of that in a minute.
Last night I decided to check my blood but couldn't find my testing meter. I though maybe it had dropped off my desk. I saw my banking PINSentry , tablets , testing strips, testing needle but no meter.. Maybe cleaners had moved it. No sign. I do have a new replacement but I am working through the old testing strips before I move to the new device, then just as I had given up I noticed it on top of my PINSentry and I realised that I had noticed that there was something on top of the PINSentry but it didn't register. A similar incident yesterday was me wondering what had happened to my phone ....... which I was holding in my hand. What am I like?
It the mid sixties music had really started to take off after the initial kick from rock and roll and to be quite honest this blog post could go on for a very long time to properly write about . I remember seeing the Who playing "My Generation" on maybe Top of The Pops and the Byrds doing "Mr Tambourine Man" on Thank Your Lucky Stars , and going to my uncle's friends who put on "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" by Pink Floyd. This was all in the period 1963-1969 and added to this you had The Beach Boys, Beatles , Kinks, Jimi Hendrix , Cream, Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, The Doors and a veritable cornucopia of music and acts to choose from. See what I mean.
As I listed the albums below, Amazon told me I had purchased "Blonde on Blonde" in 2006, I don't remember buying it but I do know I have it.
Below are seven albums from the time and we will go for "Good Vibrations" from "Pet Sounds" by The beach Boys for you to enjoy this sunny Friday morning.
