Month: December 2007

Categories
raves videos

Believe It Or Not…

I’m considering changing my phone message to our own version of George Costanza’s (of Seinfeld) Believe It Or Not.

We did this a few years ago and it was great – it annoyed everyone who called us. I particularly remember hearing my mother-in-law tutting and clucking with annoyance. In those days I occasionally got phone calls from friends, but nowadays most people realise that I don’t like the phone and they write me emails or send texts.

So all that’s left are the telemarketers…

For those who don’t know and love Seinfeld, here’s the clip:

(my favourite bit comes when George is listening to it second time round, hears the line ‘where could I be?’ and shrugs, askance…)

Categories
raves

Foxboro Hot Tubs – are they Green Day?

 

Foxboro Hot Tubs – another Green Day experimental outing, like ‘The Network’? 

So everyone’s wondering about whether the new, free EP by mystery band Foxboro Hot Tubs is really by those US punk pop boys, Green Day. I just downloaded it listened to the whole thing twice.

“Ruby Room” is very similar in sound and structure to “Hitchin’ A Ride”, that’s for sure.

Billy Joe Armstrong has a versatile voice, pretty distinctive too. There’s a slight difference – Foxboro’s singer sounds a little milder, softer than recent Billie Joe. But it’s hard to disguise that tenor twang of Billie Joe’s. The song “Mother Mary” really does sound a heckuva lot like him.

Tre Cool, the Green Day drummer is extremely proficient. I saw him play at Milton Keynes in 2005 – awesome rock drummer! If Foxboro have a rookie drummer then he’s darn good…

Finally, Mike Dirnt the bass player…Green Day tracks are notorious for their heavy, leading bass line. “Red Tide” has the right sort of feel for a Mike Dirnt bass line.

My verdict? Yeah, go on. I’m totally taken in. And I think I like “Mother Mary” best, so far.

You can download the songs and judge for yourself…

I like this kind of stealth&viral marketing. It’s yummy.

Categories
writing

On Holiday

I’m finally on holiday – a holiday from writing but one that doesn’t also involve me spending 24/7 with my two attention-thirsty daughters. It’s amazing. I can feel myself unwinding mentally.

I have been mainly mooching with girlfriends in coffee shops, or watching movies. I plan to add reading some nice books into the mix but was badly disappointed by the latest work of a favourite author. I won’t say who…

So I’m going back to favourite author number five – the Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa. I’ve still a few of his to read. My neighbour Robin teaches Latin-American Literature at Oxford University and told me that “The Feast Of The Goat” ranks as one of the Great American Novels. It is a political thriller about the dictator Trujillo from the Dominican Republic. Robin warned me that there’s a very disturbing torture scene, which is why I’ve been holding off.

I guess I’ll close my eyes.

And I’ll be reading a couple of children’s books too! Kind Elv from Scholastic keeps giving me lovely books when I visit.

So if you spot me in Summertown Costa’s with a book, ignore me – let me read!

Categories
cuba youtube

Tribute to Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa

I found this wonderful tribute to Celia Cruz on YouTube.


A young Cuban hip-hop band (Don Dinero) have done a remix of Celia performing the old Cuban classic song ‘Son De La Loma’ (They’re From La Loma).
(Or as these guys put it – Unless they’re from the Yuma, in which case they speak English)

Celia Cruz is one of my favourite musicians of all time, with a career that spanned 50 years, singing at the height of latin jazz and salsa for most of that time. I was lucky enough to see her perform live a few years before she died. I got the tickets at very short notice so took our first-born daughter, then aged seven. It was at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire Theatre and we were there early enough to dash to the front. Jose Alberto (‘El Canario’) from Puerto Rico was supporting and we managed to hold on to our front row position through his terrific act (I LOVE Jose Alberto!). And then Celia came on, aged almost 80, wearing a huge, gleaming blonde wig. She sang and danced with energy that would put most 40-year olds to shame! At one point she asked the audience what they wanted to hear. “La Guagua” (The Bus), people yelled. Celia glanced at her band. “They’ll have to read it from the music…” she said a little apologetically.

A couple of years later Celia became ill from a brain tumour and died. She was unforgettable and I’ll bet we’ll never see her equal.

It’s good to see these young Cuban gangstas pay tribute to their musical origins.

My favourite line from these rappers is:
Celia…Guantanamera…We miss you and we love you.

Celia… I REALLY miss you.

Categories
mexico travel

Gigantic bug in Campeche

Gigantic bug in CampecheOriginally uploaded by mgharris


Ah the good old days when I could blog via email from me BlackBerry.

I’m testing it again. The photo is of some giant beetles that some guys showed us in Mexico, on the road from Chetumal to Becan.

One of the two is dead. Can’t tell which…
Emailed from my BlackBerry®