Owner: Greg Rose - Freelance Journalist URL:www.gregrose16.blogspot.com Join Date: Fri, 02 Nov 2007 18:57:29 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Musings and meanderings on music, sport and much more Site statistics:Click here
Kanye West - Graduation 2007-09-17 09:45:00 The self-appointed saviour of rap is all grown up as he releases the final act of his college trilogy. But rather than graduate with honours, the gradient of his grades is descending steadily downwards.Despite moments of dazzling lyrical flair and numerous biting hooks, Kanye
West fails to live up to past standards. Previously, he possessed a charming self-consciousness that precariously balanced his gargantuan ego and created a likeable streak within every verse.Now, with the advent of international superstardom, he believes the hype. ‘Champion’ and ‘Barry Bonds’ are both exercises of self-gratification. What set West apart was his determination not to rely on rap clichés of guns and girls, accompanying his bravado with social relevance. Instead, this is replaced by ropey drones like ‘Drunk and Hot Girls.’West appears indefatigable in his quest to sample every song ever written. Here his cuts include Elton John, Daft Punk, Steely Dan, Public Enemy and Michael Jackson. Liv Read more:Kanye West
V Festival 2007 Review 2007-08-31 10:18:00 V Stage, Hylands Park Chelmsford10. Goo Goo Dolls – Sunday, 1.25pm – 1.05pm.Being past it is problematic, especially when you weren’t particularly great in your prime. However, Goo Goo Dolls don’t let this bother them as they entertain a swelling afternoon crowd with their meandering brand of inauthentic rock. They couldn’t look less cool if they daubed their heads in red bandanas and dyed their greying hair. Hang on – the bass player’s wearing a red bandana, while singer John Rzeznik has definitely been at the Just For Men.But then, when you have a barnstorming, inexplicably epic anthem like Iris in your arsenal, nothing else really matters. Despite the rest of the set sounding like budget Bon Jovi, Iris transforms the lethargic audience into a huge, cheesy choir, screaming back the words with gusto and glee. In three minutes of infectious 80s stadium rock, Goo Goo Dolls become the perfect hangover tonic.9. The Fratellis – Sunday, 4.50pm – 5.40pm.Playing to one of th Read more:Festival
Interpol - 'Our Love To Admire' 2007-08-01 11:14:00 If you’re still searching for the sun-kissed soundtrack to your summer, this isn’t it. If you crave something with a little more substance, Interpol
’s haunting third album is more refreshing than sipping Pimm’s in a paddling pool. After moving to a major label and witnessing Editors find considerable commercial success by plundering their sound, Interpol could be forgiven for trying to appeal to the masses. Instead, they’ve turned inwards to generate eleven songs that gnaw themselves into your consciousness. Previous album ‘Antics’ hinted at a more mainstream direction; bringing in Franz Ferdinand producer Rich Costey did nothing to dispel this. However, ‘Our Love To Admire’ actually revisits seminal debut ‘Turn On The Bright Lights’, with darker melodies and fewer pop hooks. ‘Pioneer To The Falls’ is a masterful statement of intent, building into an eerily epic opener. Next, ‘No I In Threesome’ demonstrates the band’s dark sense of humour wi
Complaints of a Commuter 2007-06-23 05:51:00 “You need to sort yourself out young man. You need some direction. You’re wasting your time.” It’s 01.47am; we’re on the last train home from Kings Cross to Peterborough, getting advice from a woman who keeps hiccupping between words. She’s about 45, drunk, peroxide blonde and a pathological liar. Not your average careers counsellor. It’s just another day commuting.But I have got direction, I think to myself. (Not daring to argue with the half-cut divorcee in full Boots No. 7 war paint.) It just so happens that my direction is eighty miles south on clapped-out public transport every morning.The time wasting though – she may have a point. Fifteen hours a week in a carriage decorated a putrid cream, hoping the bloke who sits down next to me doesn’t smell. The greatest journeys start with the smallest steps. What kind of journeys start with removing a half-eaten apple and some ketchup sachets from a frayed, dusty seat? Commuting journeys.Yet the daily slog to the Big Smo
Review - Cat Power 2007-05-11 19:33:00 Right...I'm taking a considerably more gonzo take on this reviewing lark today. Seeing as it's been a difficult few weeks and the amount of work i've got done ranges from managing to get out of bed to buying bogof pizzas at the repulsive sainsbury's down the road, I'm amazed I'm doing anything mildly productive. Do forgive me.Anyway...this gig happened in lovely Kentish Town not eleven days ago. It was ten days ago. I wasn't going, I had two enormous law exams the following day. But Cat Power
does own a voice so hauntingly soothing I thought it could be therapeutic.Having met my brother's charming fiance in a place called Harrow-On-The-Hill...(I know, I didn't think that was a real place either) I trundled alone down the Tube to meet Mr Sean. Durkin, fellow connoisseur of Cat Power's blissful blues.Upon arrival a young lady from Brooklyn, New York decided to engage me in conversation. It was fun, she talked funny. Then, to our amusement, the back door opened where three group
Gig Review - Good Shoes and VIncent Vincent & The Villains 2007-04-07 05:57:00 Good Shoes and Vincent Vincent and the Villains
Concorde 2, BrightonWednesday 28th March"Everything's OK and everything's alright!" Good Shoes neatly summarise their live show with one shouted lyric. Nobody leaves Concorde 2 disappointed, but they are trawling in the middle ground between elation and frustration.Support band Vincent Vincent and the Villains arguably show more promise than the headliners. Seemingly knocking around for years, the three-piece have built a repertoire of blues infused numbers that sound like they were written to soundtrack a Happy Days rip-off. Instead they were probably penned in the pub down the road last week.Frontman Vincent radiates charisma, holding a guitar as shiny as his suit. Every toe taps in time to penultimate tune Johnny Two Bands; the Villains manage to conjure a sound that – almost – sounds modern.Their set is timed impeccably, leaving the infectious On My Own until last. Vincent converts the crowd into an added rhythm section with his Read more:Good Shoes
Should Zimbabwe and Bangladesh retain Test status? 2007-03-27 14:50:00 “The strongest principle of growth lies in the human choice.” George Eliot.At this moment, the world cricketing authorities have the choice whether or not toallow Zimbabwe
and Bangladesh
to maintain their Test status. Both countries havestruggled to adapt to Test level, while pressure mounts on the International CricketCouncil to take action. Should these fledgling cricketing nations be allowed time toblossom, or will staying at the highest level stunt their growth?The reasons for the precarious position of each country’s cricket differ, withBangladesh’s problems more straightforward than Zimbabwe’s. “My mum wouldhave scored runs and taken wickets against the Bangladeshis,” blasted ex-England player Geoffrey Boycott. “She’d have wanted to bat and bowl at both ends!” (Boycott, 2005) Bangladesh simply don’t have enough top quality players to compete at Test level. Given Test status in November 2000, they’ve won once in 40 Tests – against a depleted Zimbabwe side
Andy Bishop Profile 2007-03-19 21:28:00 Not many 22-year-olds would name Lionel Ritchie and Jamie Oliver as major influences on their life, but Andy Bishop
is a man with an old head on young shoulders.His formative years have seen the Leicester lad take in the sights of Europe, attend two major football tournaments and embark on two university degrees.Andy’s passion for travel was ingrained into him from his father, who moved to Leicester at 18 from his home in London’s East End. “I support West Ham because I wanted to be like my dad, he was a bit of a trailblazer. I want to see where the journey takes me too.”So far, Andy’s journey has taken him to both Newcastle and Brighton Universities. “I studied Economics at Newcastle, but realized within 10 minutes of my first lecture that it wasn’t for me. I have no regrets though, just more experience.”This led him to make a more informed decision when he came to Brighton University, choosing to study Sport Journalism. Here, he is able to satisfy his major passion
Sportspeople In The Media 2007-03-19 21:26:00 The Role of Sportspeople in the Media: ‘Broadsheet’ NewspapersThe ‘quality’ newspapers have experienced an increasing tabloidisation within the past decade. This is most pointedly seen in the adoption of ‘compact’ size newspapers, or ‘Berliners’ in The Guardian’s case. The desire for increased readership is depicted by the gap in sales between the tabloids and broadsheets. While The Sunday Times can boast sales of 1.35 million, its tabloid competitor The News of the World dwarves this with 3.6 million sales. Obviously, tendencies to move towards the most popular ways of selling newspapers are likely to occur.One way to achieve this is to use current and ex- sports stars as not just interview fodder, but to compliment the journalists who have taken a more traditional route to sports writing as columnists. This is seen at The Times, where, of 14 regular sports columnists, half are currently ex-professionals. These include Matthew Hoggard, Michael Owen and Martin Johnson
Pointless Football Friendlies 2007-03-19 21:16:00 England International Football
Friendlies – What Is The Point Of Them?“Pavarotti is not judged by how he sings in the shower.” Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard makes the point that people shouldn’t be evaluated unless they are giving it their all. This clearly doesn’t happen in international friendlies.The ever decreasing relevance of international friendlies has been illustrated by the FA’s decision to reduce their schedule of friendly matches from 20 to 18 over the four-year period from 2008. England Assistant-Coach Terry Venables believes this is a positive step. “You end up concentrating on a match that isn’t important rather than one that is.”A recent example of this is England’s 1-0 defeat by Spain. “As much as we needed to prepare for our qualifier against Israel we had to ensure we did not leave ourselves too open to a beating by Spain.” The weight of expectation for England to win every game they play means that room for experimentation is small; results Read more:Pointless
Book Review - The Secret Life of Tony Cascarino 2007-03-19 21:12:00 “The sportswriter from Dublin had arrived to paint his shiny, happy portrait of a perfectly balanced life.” (1) But Paul Kimmage didn’t find what he expected. The result is Tony Cascarino’s autobiography. Cascarino manages to reminisce past glories and failures, though the football pitch isn’t always the setting. By letting readers into his head, Cascarino recreates the image of footballers as men, not stars. Vast amounts of money and leisurely lifestyles don’t stop footballers like Cascarino suffering and failing like everyone else. In fact, as Cascarino explains with such brutal honesty, it often means the opposite.The book strives to move away from the usual formulated style of football autobiographies and give an account of Cascarino’s life, not a sugar-coated version of his career. He’s “not interested in talking about games I’ve played or wankers I’ve met in dressing rooms.” (1) At the end of his career with nothing to lose, he paints a self-portrait of a
Film Review - The Hurricane 2007-03-19 21:09:00 Review of ‘The Hurricane’“Here comes the story of The Hurricane,The man the authorities came to blameFor somethin’ that he never done.Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been The champion of the world.” (4) Bob DylanThe Hurricane is a film that dramatically unravels sport’s role in the wider contexts of politics and the human spirit. Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter, a promising boxer with a troubled past, falls victim to political and racial prejudice. After a night out, he finds himself framed for a triple homicide and facing life in jail. As the film progresses, the portrayal of Carter’s fights is surpassed by the greater fight for freedom. However, the primal fighting instincts of a boxer are central to his resistance and eventual conquering of all restraints. “Knocked down….never knocked out.” (1) The role of boxing in the film is vital, despite only three b Read more:Film Review
Gig Review - Prinzhorn Dance School 2007-03-19 21:08:00 Prinzhorn DanceSchool
Funktion Rooms, EastbourneTuesday 6th March 2007Sometimes a band can be so exciting they just inspire people to pick up an instrument and play. This band does exactly that, but only because you know you couldn’t possibly be any worse than the noise heard tonight.Battling rain and street cleaners to make it through Eastbourne’s town centre, an upbeat mood encircles the 100-plus people inside Funktion Rooms. Hey, it’s Tuesday night, a fair few people have turned up and the DJ’s spinning The Strokes. What’s more, cutting edge New York label DFA’s newest signings are playing live.DFA have released danceable rock by the likes of The Rapture, Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem, operating with a small collection of bands equally inspiring and innovative. Now they’ve signed Prinzhorn Dance School. Why they have done so is as incomprehensible as the reasons a bloke at the bar is dressed as a ballerina.Pri
Michael Johnson - The Greatest Sportsperson Ever 2007-03-19 21:06:00 MICHAEL Johnson
sums up everything a sporting hero should be. A record-breaker. A role model. A revolutionary. He achieved extraordinary feats in a ground-breaking way. Nobody ran 200 metres and 400m; Johnson was ranked number one in the world at both distances four times. Johnson won Gold at both events in the same Olympics.The man in the golden shoes also won an incredible nine World Championship Gold medals, the most in history. At Seville 1999, he broke the 400m World Record. At Gothenburg 1995, he won nine races in nine days to win Gold at 200m, 400m and 4 x 400m relay. Winning 58 consecutive 400m Finals over eight years confirmed his domination.His unique running style captured the imagination of the world. “He runs like a statue” said coach Clyde Hart. With upright back and high knees, Johnson was nicknamed ‘The Duck.’ Five Olympic Gold medals later, the nickname had changed to ‘Superman’, such was his invincibility.When questioned about his innovative method, Johnso Read more:Greatest
, Michael
Anything Ricky Can Do... 2007-03-19 21:01:00 Amateur boxing bouts at Audience With Ricky
Hatton, Eastbourne Winter Gardens, 17/02/07Body-blowing Buchannon puts on a show for his hero HattonHastings Westhill’s Barry Buchannon stole the show in Eastbourne at the top of an entertaining bill. With Ricky Hatton as well as undefeated IBF World Light Welterweight Champion Terry Marsh in attendance, the local fighters were determined to put on a show.Buchannon fought Guildford City’s Stacey Ayers in an explosive 4 x 2 bout. The window cleaner stopped his opponent in the second round after a barrage of body-blows knocked Ayers down for an eight-count. Buchannon’s relentless all-action assault allowed no respite for Ayers, whose corner threw in the towel.“That was the biggest buzz of my boxing career, fighting in front of Hatton;” said Buchannon. “I look up to him, especially for his body-blowing style.”Earlier, Jimmy Davis defeated Moulescoomb ABC’s Jason Harman in a fiercely contested fight. Both boxers began in conservat
Hitman Hatton Comes To Town 2007-03-19 20:58:00 Ricky Hatton climbed under the ropes, the crowd erupted, anticipation reached fever pitch. But something wasn’t right quite right.Introduced as “Britain’s fifth ugliest sportsman” rather than his usual ‘Hitman
’ moniker, Britain’s most exciting boxer was in the seaside town of Eastbourne instead of the glitz of Las Vegas. Hatton was wearing a suit and shoes, not shorts and gloves. Finally, the man himself explained the key difference: “It’s nice to be stood in a ring without somebody trying to punch you in the face!”No, Hatton wasn’t boxing tonight. Instead there was a seven-fight bill of amateur bouts, with Hatton and fellow undefeated Light-Welterweight World Champion Terry Marsh watching on intently.The pick of these three-round contests was a punishing battle between Stacey Ayers and Barry Buchannon. Ayers’ considered approach contrasted with Buchannon’s all-action style, with the latter emerging victorious in the second round after a barrage of body-blows
Gig Review - The Rakes 2007-03-19 20:56:00 The Rakes
Audio, Brighton05/02/07There’s a peculiar sensation down by the sea tonight. Seeking solace from a miserably wet Monday, those in the know gather in the wondrous underground cavern that is Audio. This is a specially arranged gig to see a band that is rather specially arranged itself.The excitement brewing inside is partially extinguished by a drab support band. The Social’s moody, melancholic sound borrows heavily from Joy Division; their singer looks like an outside bet in a Morrissey look-alike competition and sounds as awful as said fictional contest. The queue for the bar swells somewhat.By 9.30 though, London’s finest architects of spiky, surprisingly clever post-punk amble onto the stage. The World Was A Mess But His Hair Was Perfect opens both the set and new album ‘Ten New Messages’ with a nervy surging quality that manages to sound simultaneously serious and inane.New single W
XFM Big Night Out - Maximo Park & The Maccabees Live 2007-11-17 10:06:00 Maximo Park’s second album was rubbish. The Maccabees have been plodding out the same set for the last two years. The chances of this night out being as big as its name suggests are slim. The possibility of everyone staying in the pub to watch the rugby is high. So how was this gig so bloody good?Regretfully, Pete and the Pirates are sacrificed in favour of Jonny Wilkinson and “Swing Low Sweet Chariot”, meaning Gigwise is left with a mad dash to catch The Maccabees. They are already onstage as throngs of patriotic gig-goers bustle into the Academy. With the excitement of greetings and jubilation of English victories, the band struggle to press their authority over the hubbub. ‘Toothpaste Kisses’ is lost beneath its own daintiness and the boisterous crowd’s inattentiveness.Their set needs something to trigger a turnaround. This duly arrives with ‘Latchmere.’ The childish purity of its refrain echoes around with gleeful contagiousness. There’s a gripping nonchalance to Read more:Maximo
, Maximo Park
, Night
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