Wednesday, June 27, 2007

South London - The Cultural Centre of the Universe

Now that all that Glastonbury nonsense is out of the way those of us who are serious about live music can concentrate on looking forward to the real highlight event of the year...



Bermondsey Beat 2005 - Woodstock Eat Your Heart Out


Once again the organisers have scoured The Land for the finest has-been acts and spared no effort in bringing them all together in a park in Southwark for a day of magic and enchantment

After dropping a nut a couple of years back and booking The Proclaimers; a band that some people under 40 had actually heard of, this year’s line-up is much more in keeping with the event’s prestigious track record…
And if that’s not enough, the following day the people of Southwark will be cheering on the Tour de France and seeing if they can nick a few bikes as it passes through the borough, before being serenaded by Chas and Dave AND Geno Washington (?!)

I’m in Heaven


Chas and Dave - Undisputed Masters of Mockney Rock


The adoring masses singing along to Chas and Dave's magnus opus 'Rabbit' the last time they played at Southwark Park


And whilst on the subject of Legends of Rock, I was hanging around City Hall, as I do, yesterday when Rod Stewart appeared out of nowhere and signed a twelve foot tall guitar. Unfortunately, I was only carrying a wide-angle camera and dislike Rod’s persona intensely so I couldn’t be arsed to walk the necessary 25 yards to take a decent picture of him…





This is the kind of excitement and rubbing shoulders with stars that people who don’t live in London miss out on and can be yours if you can service a £400,000 mortgage (for a year or two anyway) or don’t mind sharing a bunk bed with two other people trying to live off £4 an hour whilst still having some money left over to send home.

Live The Dream...


-

edit: it has just come to my attention, by way of a comment made under this post, that this year's Bermondsey Beat clashes with Live Earth

Live Earth is a monumental music event that will bring together more than 2 billion people to combat the climate crisis. Live Earth's 24 hours of music across 7 continents will deliver a call to action and the solutions needed to answer the call

all the more reason to pick up a brace of four packs at the fortress off-licence on Jamaica Road and get pissed in a park in Southwark whilst being pleasured by pub bands - unless listening to millionaire rock twats and corporate sponsored activists preaching to do as they say, not as they do, really strikes you as a clever way to spend a Saturday


Armoured off-licence, Jamaica Road

.

19 comments:

The Antagonist said...

It was probably difficult to tell from where you were standing but that's actually a five foot guitar and a life-size Rod Stewart.

The rest of the people in the photos are from the World's Smallest Policeman Small People For Hire Agency who will provide as many vertically challenged people as your PRopagandistic needs require.

paul said...

Just like you sarf landan types to go upstage this:

Live Earth is a monumental music event that will bring together more than 2 billion people to combat the climate crisis. Live Earth's 24 hours of music across 7 continents will deliver a call to action and the solutions needed to answer the call.

You're as bad as those horrible conspiraloons™ that nice mr monbiot goes on about.

The Antagonist said...

Live Earth is a monumental music event that will bring together more than 2 billion people to combat the climate crisis. Live Earth's 24 hours of music across 7 continents will deliver a call to action and the solutions needed to answer the call.

Let's hope it's all acoustic, not televised, has no lighting and nobody has to travel, much less fly, anywhere to make it all happen otherwise this event might singlehandedly plunge the entire planet into irredeemable climate chaos.

07 continents on 07/07/07! Certainly a jackpot of 7s for some parties.

paul said...

You should pay heed to those memorable words of coldplay at live 8
(I paraphrase from memory)
"this is the most important day of our lives..don't listen to the cynics!"

Stef said...

Reasons why Bermondsey Beat will be miles better than Live Earth...

- Most people, including the acts, will be walking or using public transport to get there
- Bermondsey Beat is a genuine grass roots movement and is not preaching universal enslavement under unaccountable global organisations
- The acts are better
- George Monbiot won't be involved

paul said...

But will bermondsey beat save us from the fiery apocalypse?
<primly>I don't think so, somehow</primly>

Stef said...

No

However, Bermondsey endured its own fiery apocalypse some years ago, as evidenced by its sumptuous post-war architecture, and the local people still retain enormous reserves of plucky Blitz spirit - particularly after they've had a few

So, if it turns out that the fiery apocalypse cannot be prevented by changing lightbulbs and buying U2 CDs the sturdy folk of South London may well turn out to be the natural leadership caste of the post-apocalyptic age.

Best to be ahead of the curve and buy a St George's Cross T-Shirt and some fighting dogs before the rush starts

paul said...

If dave edmunds does his scorching interpretation of Khachaturian's 'sabre dance', I fear the global temperature maybe raised beyond even the control of live earth!!

Stef said...

Lovers, I know you've had a few
You hide your heart beneath the covers
And you tell 'em they're the only one
And others know what I'm going through
It's so hard to be a lover
When you say you only do it for fun

Playing with the Queen of Hearts knowing it ain't really smart
The joker ain't the only fool who'll do anything for you
Laying out another lie, thinking about a life of crime
That's what I'll have to do to keep me away from you


Dave Edmunds is 64...

Stef said...

Is there nothing Youtube can't provide?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRIBfnTk03Q

Stef said...

I think the answer is 'no'

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CoGlRSgsVE

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fpW1thGues

paul said...

Now that's what I call music!!

paul said...

And it educates too!!

paul said...

urgent update:

Celebrity do gooder chris martin of cockplay actually said (re live 8):

This is the greatest thing that's ever been organised probably in the history of the world.

Steady on there, christopher

Stef said...

Fun things to do whilst watching Live Earth on tele #428

Type the following words into Google...

"chris"

"martin"

"private"

"jet"

paul said...

Green tip of the day brought to you by chevy,philips and microsoft:

Opt not to have your hotel linens and towels laundered daily wherever you stay. This will save both water and energy.

or use your private jet only when strictly necessary

Stef said...

is there no sacrifice they are prepared to make?

paul said...

Green tip of the day brought to you by chevy,philips and microsoft:

Pick organic flowers. Sustainably grown, organic from "seed-to-store" flowers of every variety and color are now much more widely available.

That ought to do the trick

The Antagonist said...

Pick organic flowers. Sustainably grown, organic from "seed-to-store" flowers of every variety and color are now much more widely available.

"Sit back and enjoy the smell your of sustainably grown, organic flowers, as you notice not the stench of International Finanace Capitalism, Banking Cartels, Corporatism, Unaccountable Private Tyrannies and the seamless merging of State and Corporate Power that is the source of all the reasons you are now being urged to "Pick.... Sustainably grown, organic from "seed-to-store" flowers."