Duffy Joan Byaz Amy McDonald Nina Simone Billy Holliday

The last day of January experienced in several dimensions of time, sound and mind

Sometimes I am very slow in working out the best way to do something or the best use of my time. Sometimes I am very very slow. For several years I have gone to bed or got up in the early hours an played music or watched TV with the sound turned low anxious that would disturb the adjacent neighbours, despite thick walls which deadens the sounds of my neighbours activities, unless there is work or contact directly on the partitioning wall. Yesterday wanting to listen to music loud so that it dominated my sense I decided to try the super headphones I use for my keyboard located in the upstairs work room adjacent to a neighbour’s bedroom. This has a volume control on the connecting lead and on the desk top a link is available at the front for both input microphone and output, and so for the greater part of the day while writing I was able to be overwhelmed with sound.

However I did not make a note of tracks which I am doing now listing to some of the tracks again. I commenced with Duffy whose work and persona has became my new artist for 2008 with her Rockferry Album, Warwick Avenue, Serious, Stepping Stones, Distant Dreams and of course Mercy were all numbers I was looking forward to hearing again after watching her performances on TV over Christmas, other tracks were Syrup and Honey, Hanging on too Long, Delayed Devotion, I’m scared, Rain on our parade, Fool for You Stop, Oh Boy, Please stay, Breaking my own Heart and Enough love.

She replaces my girl of 2007 Amy Winehouse where there is nothing but sadness for what is happening to her. I listened to the Back to Back Album Rehab, You know I ‘m no good, Me and Mr Jones, Just friends, Back to Back, Love is a losing game, Tears dry on their own, Wake up alone, Some unholy war, He can only hold her, and Addicted. Hopefully she will not become a one year phenomenon .

I was then in the mood for Billie Holiday selecting from a compilation These foolish things, I’ve got my love to keep me warm, I must have that man, He’s funny that way, You go to my head. The very thought of you, More than you know, Strange fruit,, Night and day, The man I love, Body and Soul, Time on my hands, Solitude,| Lover come back to me, Don’t Explain, Good morning Heartache, and my Man

I also listened to a little Nina Simone from her Tribute to Billie Holiday Album, including Strange love Fine and Mellow, Tell me More, It don’t mean a thing, I love you Porgy and I love to love

A recent discovery has been Amy McDonald and her album This is the life with Mr Rock and Roll, This is the Life, Poison Prince, Youth of Today, Run, Let’s start a band, Barrowland Ballroom. LA, A wish for something more, Footballers Wives which should be played at start of every game at every Premiership game. During

While I wrote, thought and listened I also kept one eye on the soundless telly where first Stoke beat the bottomless bank of moneybags Man City 1.0. And then Boro was held to a draw by Blackburn and stay in the relegation zone while in the evening Man United not only won 1.0 but their goal keeper has not allowed the opposition to score once in the past 12 games, a British Record. Later to day Sunderland visit St James’s Park.

As I wrote I reflected further on Valkyrie, impressed by the extent to which the film followed the actual events and which perhaps some critics felt it was not Hollywood thrilling enough. In my judgement it is not a subject for cheap thrills or entertainment just entertainment. It achieved an excellent balance of chronological unfolding and emotional interest although the outcome was known over sixty years ago.

It was not all the ladies with James Morrison’s Broken Strings and from the Bob Dylan collection Woody, Blowing in the Wind, Masters of War, A hard rains A-gonna fall, The Times they are a Changing, It A’nt me Babe, Like a Rolling Stone, Just Like a woman, It’s all over now Baby Blue. I have never experienced hearing Bob live and also Joan Baez missing both when they came to Newcastle in 2006.

Farewell Angelina is still one of my great album possessions from when it was first released. The album also has Its all over now Baby Blue as the opening number, sung in German Where has all the flowers gone Sagt Mir Wo DieBlumen Sind, Daddy you have been on my mind and Satisfied Mind and A Hard’s Rain’s A-gonna Falling. I left to another day the title song, Colours, Rangers Command, The Wild Mountain thyme and Puavre Ruteboeuf

During the day I listened to a French group Pep’s and their Album Utopies Dans La decors with Melodie, Poterie Des Dieux, Liberta, Dans Ma Tete, J’Te Serre, Utopies Dans le Decors, Fakir, No Indentifie, Ca Va, De Le air, A L’Insouciance, Me Contente De Rein, .... Ca Vient, Liberta live at Lyon with the audience joining in the English chorus, Tristan, J’Te Serre. Liberta - Just want to be free in this way just want to be free in my world Liberta is a top ten song. I also found catchy Dans Ma Tete. I love the sound of the French language even if I only understand a few individual words and wish I could speak although there was a period when with visits and watching French films I was able understand a little more and get by on visits.

I also worked hard to achieve the 3 new sets a day target having settle for this over the greater part of the past year, finishing the task around 7pm and also doing the preparatory work for new volumes of My Space Blogs as I come close to two thirds of the target 101 x10 thus matching what I achieved for AOL now no longer available online, My Space Friends volumes have increased as I come close to matching the number of Blogs with over 600 registered. The speed of the increase over the past three months means that I have not been able to give the attention I would like to the additions but will focus on this later in the year when I am only adding one a day or so. I photographed a completed My Friends volume with 304 photos. I was not in the mood for taking more photographs or scanning slides.

I had a pork chop with apple sauce and baked beans as he main meal and a salad with olives and sardines in tomato sauce. There was the weekend treat of a small pot of caramel mouse and cherries for afters. I had soup and a roll for breakfast and a tea time snack of four crackers topped with pickle

Abba Gold

Music has always played an important role in my life, although always second to the film on the subject of imagination and influence. Music has been by means of emotional expression thus the greater sense of failure that I have been unable to become a musician, from traditional jazz blues in my adolescence to Beethoven wile in prison and the power of Verdi’s Requiem Mass on an early visit to the Royal Albert Hall. I was never into the Beatles and Elvis Presley when they first hit the headlines, but one Group who were and remain a visual delights and who music express great joy, whose lyrics always tell a story and towards their final performing years included some of the realities love, relationships, and its failures, was ABBA.

It has been an odd choice of music to enjoy over the past few days dominated by news of a devastating tragedy in my extended family but it was a way of holding things together in a way which other more serious and sad music will have been more difficulty.

The DVD, Super Trouper, marking the 5th year of the London Show Mama Mia had come in the New Year, along with In Bruges, and therefore had not been a first choice, but as soon as I commenced watching it touched so many memories that as with In Bruges I held it back to watch again, and did so.

The DVD also marked the occasion when three of the four member of the group appeared together on stage, not to perform, but to mark thirty years since they first became internationally recognised entertainers wining the European Song Contest with Waterloo. The four did come together in their homeland Sweden for the opening of the musical production there and then more recently this year for the opening of the film, both called Mama Mia.

On stage in London they were presented by Pete Waterman with a Los Vegas style elongated plaque with all their Platinum triumphs and not a gold in sight.

(The record industry categorises its awards in each country differently and in the UK a gold record is issued for 100000 albums sales and platinum for 300000 while in the USA the award is for half a million and 1 million and Diamond for 10 million while in some countries an award can be for significantly fewer sales in quantities of for sales in only thousands and tens of thousands. For the traditional single, which these days are often an EP, the awards are for 400000 and 600000 and in the USA half and a million again with no Diamond award. In the USA where digital downloading has become common the same standard is in operation. It also appears that sometimes the industry announces and award based on initial sales and forecast rather than actual sales. Even lists of popular and successful record sales is open to significant manipulation within the industry and should be treated with great caution. It is not as bad though as the scandal of Boxing.)

Abba is general regarded as having sold Albums in their millions and the plaque presented on the London stage mentions some 360 million albums although Wikipedia gives the total of 400 million an increase of over 10% in five years for a group that has not performed together for over twenty five years.

The DVD is structured in a confusing way with film of their career as a group especially the amazing tour of Australia when tens of thousands lines the streets all the way from the airport into the city and the hysteria was such that they became hotel prisoners for whole tour, an experience which happened elsewhere, but to less extent, and which resulted in affecting Agnetha, especially who found the crush overpowering and threatening

The DVD includes individual interviews about their early music lives and contains rare footage as well as of music performances. Is there anyone who does not know that Abba stands for Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid, who is known as Frida? Or that they shot to fame by winning the European Song Contest with Waterloo and were the first Continental group to sells records by the millions in the USA, as well Australia, Germany and South Africa as well as in the UK.

Benny was part of a popular Swedish Beatles style Rock group that had hits in Sweden who was mainly a keyboard instrumentalist who started to write for the band. Bjorn was a singer guitarist who was part of a group, the Hootenanny Singers and when both groups found themselves performing at a Folk festival one attended the party of the other and Bjorn and Benny decided to write song together while continuing with their groups.

It was during the Swedish contest of an earlier European Song Competition that Benny Anderson met Anni-Frid and they decided to date and within a month they became a couple. Benny and Bjorn then did an album of work together so the three became linked..

Agnetha the natural blonde, had a separate career where she had a hit record when she was only 17. She met Anna at a TV show and Bjorn at a concert shortly afterwards. Bjorn and Agnetha met again commenced a relationship and married and also got involved with each other’s recordings and then Benny and Anni provided backing vocal for an Agnetha album so the four worked together for the first time. Anni Frid: Freda, was in fact the youngest early performer of the four, starting at the age of 13 with bands playing a jazz cabaret style. She had her group at one point and made records. Thus ABBA was not a music management creation of people with little proven talent and no previous experience of performing and recording. They were individually established and experienced performers where Waterloo could have proven their first and only lasting international success. One f the remarkable aspects of their longevity is that their first language, and their performing language was Swedish.

The four commenced to work together and to perform regularly in 1971. It was not until a couple of years later that they decided recording and performing as individuals was unwieldy and their manager Stig Anderson, who had privately referred to them as ABBA, the name of a Swedish fish canning company, that they needed a group name, and they became known as ABBA .

Their Euro contest winning song Waterloo was an instant chart success reaching first spot in the UK, Germany and Australia and significantly 6th in the Billboard 100 in the USA. There second Honey Honey, featured in the film, (I have not seen the stage show and assume all the songs are the same in both, was not an instant success and it was likely that they and the international music world thought they would they were what so many others have been, a one song or one album success story, never be defeated or surpassed.

Their first tour to West Germany, Austria and Denmark in 1974 was not a great success but their tour of Sweden and Finland in 1975 attracted huge crowds and their further records topped charts in Australia and South Africa. Their third Album included S,O.S and Mama Mia and while they had international success including the USA, they were not regarded as International Superstars until Dancing Queen and their Australian Tour and its film. Fernando written originally in Swedish for Frida and became a hit in 12 countries and remained top in Australia for 14 weeks. Money Money Money followed and Knowing Me, Knowing You But then they produced Dancing Queen in 1977 which became number One in the USA and the rest they ay is history. They then commenced their European tour and 3.5 million mail order requests were received for their two concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, 580 times its capacity. Part of the London Concert was filmed for use as part of the film ABBA the movies based on the tour of Australia.

In 1979 their recording Chiquitita was created for the Unicef Year of the Child with royalties to the charity and became a number 1 in ten countries.

As many people continue to point out ABBA song tell stories of human experience and are complex and difficult to sing. The two girls would be required to spend hours learning and recording them, bearing in mind these were also in English and not their thinking and speaking language this only underlines their professionalism. Benny and Bjorn also used their studio time creatively making stronger and deeper sounds by double tracking voice and instrumentalists and this created problems with some in the live audiences audience who found that the stage performances sounded different from the records. This was so with their first and only tour of the USA and Canada although every concert was sold out. Then they played in 23 sold out concerts in Europe including six nights at Wembley Arena. By 1980 they had produced Super Trouper and more significantly perhaps The Winner Take All and this raises a major issue which has affected all my writing and other work past and resent,

The lyrics of their songs at this time reflected some of the emotions experienced as their young marriages turned into divorce. As I have previously written there is a sorrowful spiritual aspect to the Swedish soul hence their high suicide rates. There is also a frank adult openness which the traditional middle class English have felt uncomfortable about, and the films of Ingmar Bergman reflect this creating a succession of masterpieces and clinically perfect relationship studies of marriage and between parents and children.

I have always found writing the truth about myself, especially my emotional self, difficult to impossible and have always questioned the use by the artist of specific experiences relating to their personal relationships with others. It is not just a question of respecting the rights and interests of others but the using of personal experience in this, for me, takes away something from the actual experience, in music the same way that I often do not take or use my camera with people I know and care about and for my mother’s 100th birthday, I have relied mainly on the photographs taken by others,

What is a different issue and something which applies to ABBA is that personal participation in tragedy and relationship traumas, or involvement in major events such a War or natural disaster does effect the quality of artistic work as well as lives in general. Some artist true genius when their work reflects the deeper emotions, passions and psychological insights without the individual having had direct experience

My reservations and inhibitions mean that my daily writings can be unbalanced because they do not affect the personal emotions experienced in my life which I believe should remain private to those directly concerned. Hopefully something of the full rainbow of emotional experiences during my day is communicated.

The public break up of the second couple within ABBA resulted in the official breaking up the group as stage performers and recording artists in the early 1980’s, that is two and half decades ago and yet in some respects the public love of their music has become stronger, affecting generation after generation.

While they all continues to perform and record or to be involved with writing and music production, some with success, nothing has come close to their collective work as ABBA and is derivatives, the stage musical and now the film.

There was involvement with the production of Chess and the musical Abbacadababra produced in France for TV and for children. Individually they have sometimes included ABBA song in their performances with Benny and Bjorn performing together. However 25 years was to pass before the four met together for the Swedish openings of their work. While attention has focussed on Benny and Bjorn because of their work with the musical and the film, Agnetha and Frida continued with their careers. In 1995 Frida issued a box set of her solo records and a three and half hour DVD of her professional life in which she guides the viewer,

In the 1990 Abba Gold was released, I have a copy of their greatest hits, one of the 26 million sold. This was followed in 1994 by the Thank you for the Music compilation, a four disk set. The opening of the Musical Mama Mia in 1999 ignited international interest and it is true that they were offered 1 million Swedish Kroner £140 million US dollars for a world tour in 2000, although the precise amount is something of legend. There is no sign of public interest in the musical fading and other language versions have been created and opened in different parts of the world. The film Mama Mia is likely to become another chart topping success as has the DVD. While there is a nostalgia aspect the those who took to the group in the 70’s and 80’s new generations have joined in. Their music lives on.

Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry

I decided that I would not go to cricket today but watch the start of the Ryder cup when the Europeans have won three last bi-annual meetings of the best golfers of the United States and Europe. The Europeans are lead by non playing captain Nick Faldo whose team has been inform. The odds are in favour of the Europeans but my hunch is for a narrow win for the US team who could not bear a second successive defeat on their home turf.

I kept an eye on the cricket, more to know whether I would attend tomorrow if a result was possible and the weather reasonable. There is the competition from a Sunderland Borough match where there are still tickets and the second day of the Ryder cup. There is also a radio commentary of Newcastle visit to West Ham where a the visiting Geordies can expect a difficult time from the West Ham Cockneys as well as an invigorated team with Emile Zola in charge for the first time.

The day did not go well. Durham tried to move the score on quickly but lost wickets and then Sussex batted well to end the day with so that a draw appeared inevitable. I was glad that I decided against going. The Ryder cup started well for the first hour or so and then disaster for the Europeans. For two decades the Europeans have always been superior in the foursomes with the USA coming back strongly in the singles. However this time the Europeans crashed heavily and at end the day they had a couple of wins from the opening matches. Andy Murray managed to win his singles in the Davis Cup to level the match 1.1 at the end of the first day in a Wimbledon where there were empty seats. After their disgraceful performance at the Olympics and Murray became it plain that he is a Scotsman and only interested in his performance and personal success, it would be surprised if the British tennis community was wild enthusiasm with paying a fortune to watch pressed men.

During the week I have enjoyed the master chef programme even though I am unhappy about the gourmet food industry in terms of half the world starving and hundreds of pounds being spent on one meal. There is no doubt that the top chefs use the best of ingredients and they and their staff work hard. On Thursday the final three were asked to prepare the before and after dishes. A little something on arriving at the restaurant while the three main courses are being prepared. This is followed by the with coffee sweet, a mini cake or sweets of some kind. After this the three chefs were each were responsible for cooking a course for five of the leading restaurateurs. On Friday in an hour long programme they faced to tests. The first was to prepare one of three courses for a group of thirty other leading chefs and five former Michelin inspectors with seven hours but where components of one course could take several hours to prepare. Finally that had to prepare a three course meal for the two judges to show off their knowledge, skill and creativity to perfection. I predicted the winner during the earlier rounds although this did not require special insight as the two judges themselves showed their leaning by their comments even when critical. For lunch I a large thick piece of sea bream with a thin parsley sauce and the tray of vegetables roasted in there over for thirty minutes. There was no much work after that.

I enjoyed a programme about Roxy Music who many regard as having the second most influence on British popular music to the Beatles. Bryan Ferry came from Washington Sunderland and went to Newcastle Art school where he graduated. The music was always original and many regard his lyrics as the most creative of the latter part of the twentieth century. There is always something being said as well as moods and feelings created by the music. The programme was followed a recording of a concert. I have two Long play records and have seen Bryan perform at the Newcastle City Hall.

It has been an extraordinary week for capitalism which was on the verge of collapse before the British and USA government used socialist measures of unprecedented state intervention and support to prevent further melt down. There have been several contributing causes. The exploitation of the shortage of energy by producers unable or unwilling to respond to the growth in demand, together a similar shortage of food, coupled with governmental policies to change approaches to the use of energy in terms of counteracting to drain on resources and the impact upon the environment and the need to redistribute food more fairly across the earth. Then there was the criminal behaviour of the money lenders to provide funds to those who could not pay thus inflating property prices and encouraging debt beyond the scope of the large numbers to cope. Then the speculation by some with the funds to cause deflation.

The day has the feel of an intermission of indeterminate length

1467 Balshazzar at the Royal Albert Hall Hall

The second day of my mini trip commenced around 2am when I awoke, checked the time and decided to watch the Olympics although the swimming event with Rebecca Adlington was not scheduled until after 3 am. This proved to be a good decision although it wrecked havoc on the rest of my day. Because of the early hour I had two coffees, the remaining bath bun and later the two rolls with the rest of the ham. The 800 metre freestyle involves sixteen lengths of the pool and except for the opening few strokes Rebecca was always ahead and destroyed the opposition with several metres of clear water winning by some six seconds and breaking the long standing (some nineteen years) world record by over two seconds. She is the first British female competitor to win two swimming medals and only the second to do since the first occasion in 1908 when a British male swimmer achieved this feat. He future life is assured and given that she is only 19 my impression is that she will want to try and repeat the feat in 2012.I stayed up for a while but then tired I did manage some sleep, waking again early to watch some more of what was to become a major day for British sport. It should have commenced with two more medals in the sailing but the weather becalmed them again voiding one race in which we were in gold position. There were five rowing finals with varying prospects although in some instances the attention was on those who had triumphed over adversity to get into the position, including one who had developed an infection which prevented six weeks of vital training but who nevertheless managed to get into the final or the two women rowers one who was knocked in a hit and run accident and the other developed glandular fever. There were two bronze medals and then the coxless fours where it was a great fight and they came thought to win in the last moments. So two gold medals and someone came to clean my room and I decided to go back to the South bank to see if I could photo the statuesque figures of the previous evenings. At Somerfield I bought two Maple Pecan Plats and a bottle of Highland Spring water £1.61 (202.01) I got some cash on my way to thee station where I knew I could only go London Bridge as stations between there and St Prancas were closed for engineering works. Ticket cost £7 (209.01) for those travellers who were going across London and who needed to break journey, having to travel from London Bridge to St Pancras before continuing the train journey.At London Bridge I started on the left had side of the road to the Bridge and started to go down towards the river when it looked as there was no walkway under the bridge and I encountered another man, of similar years to me who was attempting to do the same. He had hoped to travel on the Jubilee line which was closed and therefore going along the embankment to Waterloo/Charing Cross. We had some difficult in working out the way to get to the riverside after crossing the road and found ourselves at a riverside in where there was a recreation of the ship the Golden Hind and an Inn with a riverside view. We decided on a drink and enjoyed two halves of lager at a riverside table.£2.60 (211.61) For the second day running I had met someone our lives connecting briefly before we went out separate ways.I was surprised at the volume of people around the recreation of Shakespeare's theatre in the round, The Globe. There is also an exhibition area and where on one visit there was free entry to the art market. Although I took my time I was uncomfortable with the heat and managing my bag, two jackets and the camera. On reaching Tate Modern I went to the Gentleman's rested on a bench within the building and then decided to continue with the task in hand, deciding not to visit the latest public access exhibitions, although I was also tempted by the Francis Bacon exhibition. I also resisted the temptation to visit the open market at St Gabriel's Wharf and was even more tempted by the offer of Sea Bream at Tamesa a very popular restaurant on the riverside frontage. St Gabriel's was derelict twenty years ago and the development heralded the extension of the riverside around the Festival Hall along the South Bank building. There are now a dozen eating places in this area some in the two stories of shops at the adjacent new building which is part of the Oxo Tower complex on the river front. There some 50 shops, including art galleries as well as the market. I found myself a bench under trees nearby and eat the Pecan Twists with some water. There was then disappointment because along the river bank until reaching the National Film Theatre and the Hayward Gallery and the book sellers there was not one of the statuesque figures and street entertainers. I climbed the steps up to the main veranda level outside the Royal Festival Hall when at least was pleased to note that there were the 100 or more tables and riverside overlooking high chairs which had been packed with young people the previous evening. Today there was more of a mixture of visitors enjoying a midday break. It was at this point I decided against continuing under the Charing Cross Bridge along the bank passing the Millennium Wheel and the former London County Council Building where there is a permanent exhibition of the work of the Salvador Dali and where the Saatchi Gallery was also the first major attraction until it suddenly closed. It is due to reopen at a different building. The Duke of York Building in the Kings Road, Chelsea where there is some 700000 square metres of display space and where there are two be several exhibitions including sculpture and photography, contemporary art from USA and Germany as well as the UK and where the exhibitions are going to be free to visit. This is a very exciting development. It was my visit to the Gallery in the Spring of 2003 that was to have such an impact on my life as it has become. There is also a passing thought that the living statues were also in this area. However on Saturday afternoon checking that it was still early afternoon I decided to walk back to London Bridge, taking the train back to East Croydon and the Travel Lodge. Change clothes after a shower and travel in just my suit and an umbrella back to South Kensington for the Royal Albert Hall concert. Reaching the end of the west side embankment close to the station where it was necessary to take side streets behind the river bank I noted that there was a steady column of visitors coming from a road which although going inland appeared at an angle which should lead to the station rather than continue as I had started on what had been an L shaped walk. I thus discovered a new area of interest, and area of the city alive over the weekend with restaurants, street markets and covered market. I returned to my room before 4pm which gave half an hour before setting off for the concert. This time I travelled to Victoria Station where it was possible to reach the Royal Albert Hall by two routes. The quickest was by district and circle line from Victoria to South Kensington station where there is a long and wide underground passage to the Museums for which this area is famed and where I had intended to visit the Albert and Victorian Museum earlier in the day. The other route was to take the Victoria line to Green Park Station and then the Piccadilly line to Knightsbridge near Harrods and other up market shops and then pass the Guards HQ within the boundary of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens (I never know where one ends and one begins) and continue to the Albert Memorial in the park area opposite the Albert Hall building. At Victoria there was boards and announcements indicating there was chaos on the various lines with one closed at one station because someone was on the line under a train and because of engineering works. There were delays on the circle and district line so I opted for the route to Knightsbridge. I had not been in this area for many years. There was also a one way system in operation just before the Hall. To my left opposite the park there are large terraced villas with private roads running across the fronts and with access at different points on to the main road where normally they would be able to turn left, but where today this was the single lane coming in the opposite direction with those wanting to travel in the closed direction having to use the park perimeter road. I witness one vehicle peak out of an exit road from the villas near me and wait until oncoming traffic had cleared and then dive into the facing on coming traffic and then diving into the next private road, undertaking this manoeuvre three times. I arrived at the Hall just a minute or so before it was open to concert goers at 5.45 although booked diners were able to commence their meal some two hours before the concert performance. I had one of the best seats with an entrance into the auditorium at ground floor although the seats then fall below to the standing arena of the promenaders which was my first experience of this magnificent concert hall some fifty years before when I invested in a half season ticket and went to the majority of the 20 or so concerts, staying in Town after work or using my travel season ticket to go on Saturday's when then as now some of the most popular concerts were arranged.My first thought was for a glass of wine, perhaps a chilled Rose but I turned away from the bar at ground level as only plastic glasses were in use. I therefore reluctantly climbed the stairs to the next floor when glass was used and I enjoyed the rose £4.25? (215.86) overlooking the Pimms 2 bar located in the covered forecourt when coffee was also being served. This brought back memories of my first job for Middlesex County council where I had been invited to the 18th birthday party of a female colleague in another department who I had only known by sight and where on arrival I fount that the only other young people was a couple who also worked at the office and where the parents disappeared for the rest of the evening and night and where I stayed at the house in a guest room. We had drank Pimms number 1 all evening. I do not know which of us had been more shy of the occasion and we did not together subsequently. On arrival in the auditorium after purchasing a programme £2.50 (217.86) I found that one of the seats next to mine was already occupied by an intriguing young woman who had also been affecting by her first visit to a Prom, remembering everything about that evening and where she was now something of an expert about the Proms and serious music. The intriguing part is that during the interval she used a phone to make contact with someone who she had not met before and who, one could not help overhearing was researching in neuro psychology, having studied as a psychologist and had switched to the physical aspects of the brain, an issue which is dividing psychology departments at universities where some are moving to physical and medical side while other remain with the testing and survey research methods. The woman had obtained her degree in philosophy at Newcastle where one of the teachers had been Mike Brierley the English cricket captain. I have never tire from being in awe at the magnificence of this building with its tiers of boxes above which there is the roof balcony also used for promenaders either to look over the railings or sit on the floor and look through the supporting posts. One does not get a full view of the great organ because of the sound controlling canopy above the orchestra stage.Now to the work which I had remembered was by Handel on my way to the all although earlier in the day my mind had gone blank when asked this by the gentleman acquaintance encountered during midday, He had met his wife of close on 65 years at a Prom in 1948. The work was Belshazzar composed in 1745 and performed by the Age of Enlightenment Orchestra and Choir. This is an unusual and highly regarded orchestra, not must because it uses only instrument contemporary for the period of the work but because it is self governing so that one of four violinists share the role of leader and where the conductor is selected for each concert. Among the conductors closely associated with the development of the Orchestra since its formation in the mid 1980's is Sir Simon Rattle ands where the Conduct for the evening was its most distinguished Emeritus conductors, Sir Charles Mackerras aged 82 years. The Choir is made up of professional musicians. It is fortunate that the programme provided the full text of work written in 1700-1703 by Charles Jennens, in verse and with some beautiful and moving passages. The chorus components are a minor part of this long piece with the performance commencing at 6.30 and continuing until 10 with only one interval after the first act. There is also one duet and the soloist only perform together at the same time at the end. You have to like the Recitative of which there are 24 with 18 arias. The singer was superb as my neighbour commented but it is a long work and after all my exertions I had to make great effort early not to fall asleep. From my viewpoint the star of the soloists was Bejun Mehta from North Carolina, the counter tenor who ahd great emotion in his voice and most expressive performance. Afterwards I made my way back to South Kensington and Victoria where I needed some food and bought a filled half baguette which I devoured finding a seat nearby £3.50 (220.86). I arrived back before 11pm and went straight to bed and to sleep after checking the internet for information on the Olympics where the tally for the day was four gold and others, and I also checked the emails.

Jazz in the Afternoon, and Bratislava Hot Serenaders

Jazz in the afternoon is North of the Tyne Jazz band who play every Monday at lunch time at Cullercoats. They are middle aged plus musicians who play in a solid and professional way many jazz standards, Sweet Sue, On the Sunnyside of the Street, Oh Lady be Good, I can't give you anything but love, baby, Summertime, Stranger on the Shore, Muskrat Ramble, Water Melon Man. Somebody wants me and C C Rider. It was pleasant stuff suitable for a family audience many who would not have heard live jazz of any description played before although it was evident there were some like me who had made the effort to come for the event, ignoring all the others, at least for a time.

The main event was the appearance of the Bratislava Hot Serenders, a major ensemble from the Slovakian Republic who arrived in the poshist coach I have ever seen. There are not many bands to day, let alone in the thirties who would be able to travel in such style and who boast five stand alone singers, three young and attractive women dressed in style and two young men. The men of the orchestra were in general of more mature years and highly professional musicians producing an authentic well oiled sound which unfortunately the sound system could not reproduce. The stage was also cramped for such a large orchestra: three trumpets, one trombone, three who played saxes, clarinets, and flute, two tubas, pianist, drummer, one banjo guitarist, three violinists one of whom also played the vibes twenty one artists in total. They also have a MySpace site with four numbers and videos. Their music is not my everyday music but reproduces that which was being played during the decade of my childhood and over the past two decades since coming together to perform at special concerts they have acquired a following outside their country. They would do well in the USA. The weather turned cold and was most unkind given that back home it would be in the mid thirties.

Meanwhile on the main stage a representative of Latin American and Spanish sounds part of the Vamos ten days in Gateshead and Newcastle festival was being performed throughout the afternoon and early evening. More on Vamos later especially I get to some of the events over the next week.

The Whitley Bay Jazz Feastival comes to Tynemouth

Jazz on an English Summer's afternoon became an amazing experience which will be long remembered. The day commenced with a disturbing dream which was of being rejected, the details of which I vaguely remember but will not attempt to recapture the detail. This is only significant in terms of the subsequent acceptance.

After waking and getting up and did some writing I prepared for the arrival of a local builder and household repairer at 10 am. He arrived early as I was finishing coffee after two slices of toast. I had attempted to open the garage doors and they had continued without stopping so I continued to have a problem and decided to leave them as they were, finding the hand winding tool just in case.

Not only did the builder immediately identify the problem causing the rain penetration on to my work space area but the solution was provided immediately. There was also time to fix the bathroom cold water tap which involved the collapse of the valve and the a return visit was promised for later in the week to sort out the light fixture and clear the guttering which would need someone else to hold the ladder. I was well pleased with the work and the cost and given that it was sorted by 11 and the sun was shining I decided to go to Tynemouth for the mouth of the River festival and the three concerts by bands participating in the Whitley Bay Jazz festival. The atmosphere of my day had changed within the space of one hour.

I prepared two ham and cheese sandwiches, a banana and a flask of coffee and one of cold still water., also a notebook and pens, my hat and rain top and the coloured red umbrella which I thought could be used as walking stick to lean on if I could to find a seat. I decided against the camera as the rucksack was already weighty. It was only 11.30 when I left the house and walked to the ferry landing, finding that a ferry had arrived, the passengers disembarked and already filling up but fortunately there was a small queue which enabled me to become the last person on board as the vessel immediately set off. There was no available seat on the entry deck so I had to go upstairs, decided to begin my notes, felt like a drink of cold water but only had the first small cupful when I realised we had already reached the other side. There was a small queue formed for the bus which when it arrived was the North Tyneside and back bus and the driver mistakenly or massively said there was no special bus so I stayed on but a couple with whom I had spoken pressed him and they got off. I should have followed them for as we set off the number 2 special bus to from the Ferry to Tynemouth arrived. I guess the competing bus company was upset about the loss of trade with everyone heading for Tynemouth.

The bus terminal is nearby the Metro station and having missed the location of the Tynemouth Metro station on my previous visit I thought this was a good opportunity to find its location and was rewarded with a bonus. For on Saturdays there is a station market with over 100 stalls I would guess packed onto both platforms, selling records, including jazz records and books antiques and nick knacks, I had a quick look but as midday had arrived I was anxious to see if there was a seat for the first jazz band concert.

The fine weather only lasted till then as the clouds commenced to gather overhead as I made my way passed the Tynemouth School which is opposite the station and then turning right into the main road which leads to the Tynemouth High Street, a wide thoroughfare where car can usually park at the dividing central areas. It is a road full of bars and bistros, antiques shops and boutiques. A delightful place to visit on any day. A little way along the road is closed to traffic where there is a performance area which was already busy with visitors and events getting underway. The Jazz stage is set back on a small green against the Gibraltar Rock Inn where two meals are available for £6.75 every day and children eat free. There are railings to one side, good for leaning against, separating the green from the roadway and green entrance to the ruins of Tynemouth Castle and priory. On the nearest side to the main road from the Metro Station there are seats facing on the road but if you are nimble you can sit reverse or get a side view to the stage. Not only was I able to find one seat but within half an hour able to move to the end of the seat and where there was a gap on the green. This meant that I could put by umbrella and haversack down but have access as well as face onto the green and stage.

The first band was from Milan Italy called the Chicago Stompers, a ten piece band of hot Chicago instrumentalists aged between 16 and mid twenties with a singer who had the looks and style similar to Thursday night called Elena Paynes and she was sometimes joined by Veronica Sangagostina Baldi who in addition to vocal support played the Tenor Sax, Clarinet and Ukulele. In addition to the usual make up of drums, piano, trumpet Trombone, Alto sax and Clarinet individual musicians doubled with Alto, Cornet, Guitar and Violin. Given that they had flown over just for the weekend festival, funding their performances justified a good amount from my month's council tax. It occurred that this was well spent Council tax money, albeit by North Tyneside.

As a challenge to the weather the band played on the sunny side of the street. Their performance of Minnie the Moocher which the Humph band was fond of playing can be found on You Tube and there is a video on their own site www.chicagostompers.it. It was while they were playing I was joined by a couple just younger than me and then their friends who have been passionate followers of traditional jazz since their on youth but have remained stalwart of the local jazz club, had been New Orleans and attended both the Edinburgh Jazz festival for over a decade as well as that at Whitely Bay. Their friends had been to the Benny Goodman show on the Thursday so were able to show joint amazement when the player of the vibes was one of the star turns in MaMa and the Kids from Switzerland. MaMa is a joke because the oldest member is Papa and his son is the main vibes player and they have a MySpace site.

Raymond Grasier is an extraordinary musician and performer who at the Sage was very sedate playing authentic Lionel Hampton who let himself go only with a piano duet but this afternoon he was mainly on the drums and provided the vocals as well as joining in on the vibes but the highlights was when he took to the washboard with tin hat and his antics delighted the younger members of the audience. However those listening as well as watching noted that even here he was a brilliant musician. There are four numbers on MySpace.

Then it really rained but were we downhearted no and I felt sorry for the final band of Local Traditional Jazz players the Vieux Carre Jazzmen as the passing by spectators commenced to dwindle. I also stayed for only the first set however not before having two experiences which added to the day. First the couple who I had met at the Ferry bus stop came over for a chat and their daughter worked as a nurse at the District General. Then a female voice said don't move your umbrella away and someone two if not three decades younger than me snuggled up under the umbrella, although she was accompanied by her husband I would add who stayed in the rain, which they subsequently admitted they did not mind having remained passionate campers throughout their lives which left to another chat about camping horror stories when I met them again at the bus stop back to the ferry landing although they were going in a different direction.
Earlier I had been tempted to join the conversation between a local couple and local man, a widower who had sat on the grass a few feet away and marvelled at the extent to which experiences of people living on their own are similar from the gratitude at waking up each day to the enjoyment of going out and about to the small practicalities such as getting up after getting down. During the afternoon I was to talk about the free bus travel experiences and pass on information about special travel lodge offers so I felt I was contributing something.

Staying at the Jazz stage meant that I only saw something of the rest of the festival as individual performers came by. There was a group of giant figures four males with musical instruments forming party of their heads followed by two female head figures and led by a normal size person playing two wailing clarinet type instruments. They moved in slow procession into the main performance area behind the Castle and back into main street three times and were a great attraction for the children. There were three dragon form figures, also two person size being chastened by a wicked witch from the north figure. There was also a human size bee and a woman in a machine collecting honey. There was also a screeching mechanical called Paka the Fire Horse made out an old electric wheel chair.

We were able to watch the Castle and Priory site prepared for the evening concert, paid ticket affair hence the army of stewards arriving before the sad looking audience given the weather conditions. The concert was to begin as I was leaving at 5 with Beverley Knight the main headliner at 8. There did not appear to be many at the earlier time.

Back home I enjoyed two Bream fishes after a glass of red and some peanuts followed by delicious fresh strawberries without sugar. The weather was taking effect with several sniffs so I enjoyed a whisky, put on the central heating, started to write and look up performers on the internet before a coffee. There was also an interest and moving film from China Seventeen and the end of the third day of the Lord's Test but again this will be left to another day. I could hear the sound of fireworks despite the damp conditions and that it had just stopped raining but I thought having got warm its was sensible to stay in and plan for the morrow.

1931 Young Musician of Year and Boy George

09.00 16th May 2010.There has been great joy and much satisfaction over the past days and yet a great sadness suddenly gripped me. I was thinking about a Wallander episode seen last night after and equally sad drama documentary on aspects of the life of Boy George. The highpoints were England’s win in the 20 20 World Cup Final against Australia and the Young Musician of the Year Final 2010.

The drama about aspects of the life of Boy George Alan O’Dowd was revealing as although I enjoyed the Culture Club records and was aware of his notoriety subsequently I had no knowledge of his background. He was one of six children of an Irish family although born in Bexley in 1961. There was limited information about how George became an ultra feminine homosexual and was able to join a London squat in Kentish Town with other similar orientated beings including, Marilyn (Peter Robinson) who is portrayed in the film as a feminine homosexual. In the Wikipedia notes on Marilyn it appears that he and George did not move into the squat until after they had met at the Blitz club- an establishment mainly catering for homosexuals and bisexuals who dressed up ostentatiously with extraordinary hair styles, flamboyant makeup and clothing. The film portrayed the young men in their late teens and early twenties, although I suspect many in the circle would have been younger, promiscuous and drug taking, some running away from care and other earning money as rent boys. While those able to perform as rock, punk and the new romantics quickly had the means to fund their lifestyle, it was not made clear how those like George were able to afford the clothing make up, club entrance drugs and food during the early years.

What quickly emerged in the film is that George wanted to be allowed to be himself in the world he made for himself and to be loved by one individual which eluded him. His father appears to have never given up on his son although he did not understand the whys and wherefore’s. George is said to have become a cloakroom attendant at the Blitz Club in order to survive but was sacked after the manager, Steve Strange, suspected George of stealing from the paying guests who included many notables of the day, including David Bowie and Spandau Ballet. George appears to have taken over the job when Marilyn left London for a time.

All three men have had colourful lives. In the film Marilyn goes off at one point with a wealthy young Scotsman but this relationships ends in tears as appears did the relationships of Boy George. It is known that Marilyn also worked as a cloakroom attendant at the Blitz club and possibly George took over the job when he left London for a time.

According to Wikipedia Marilyn went to live in Los Angeles in the early 80’s but then had a successful career as a solo singer after record companies tried to cash in on the popularity of Culture Club, David Bowie and such like, he became friendly with George’s brother Kevin, and he and Kevin appeared in court in 1986 charged with a heroin offence. He struggled to restart his career and after appearing in a few TV programmes about the era is said to be living quietly with his mother in North London admitting to health and financial problems.

Steve Strange born Steven John Harrington in South Wales became a singer with the group Visage but his name has remained more known for his involvement with trendy nightclubs commencing with the Blitz Club where Richard Egan was the DJ and reported to have exercised considerable influence over the creation and development of the New Romantic musical movement in the early 1980’s. Other names involved included Adam Ant, Ultra Vox, Duran Duran, the Human League with Brian Eno and Roxy Music also having an important influence.

Steve worked for Malcolm McLaren, the clothes designer with his partner Vivienne Westwood and who became the manager of the Sex Pistols and Adam Ant. At one point in the film George persuaded McLaren to give him a job as a singer in a new group but the group then persuaded McLaren to fire George before going on tour. Strange, as he liked to be called, formed Visage with Rusty Egan and Midge Ure and the band had considerable success in the early 1980’s and after leaving Blitz he and Egan ran the Camden Palace nightclub for a couple of years and then the Playground which was not successful when public and commercial interest in the New Romantics and glam rock changed. He then moved to Ibiza to become part of the early Trance club development and hosting what Wikipedia describes as exotic parties for such celebrities such as Sylvester Stallone. A heroin addict Strange suffered a nervous breakdown and over the last decade has published an autobiography and appeared on TV programmes.

While the drama concentrated on the years before the success of Culture Club there are scenes showing how his intense emotionality affected his life as a major performer and recording star. Culture Club was renamed from Sex Gang Children to reflected the English Transvestite, Jamaican-British, Jewish and Anglo Saxon mix of the band. Do you really want to hurt me was one of the early hits featured in the Drama with Karma Chameleon perhaps the most successful. Drugs commenced dominated George and his circle leading to an arrest for possession with a keyboard player dying from an overdose at George’s home The programme shows one moment of reconciliation with his father who remain steadfast in trying to help in son overcome his difficulties. He continued to record without success, wrote songs, created a fashion line, presented a radio programme became a DJ visiting continents, countries and more than thirty cities. In 2005 George was arrested while in New York and was sentenced to five days community service, a fine and ordered to attend a drug rehabilitation programme. The more recently he was found guilty of having imprisoned a male escort in his home and served fourth months of an 18th months sentence before being tagged and placed on a curfew for the balance of his sentence which is due to end over the next month or so I was left with the impression that George has rarely been happy in his life and then for only short periods which I find sad.

On Saturday evening I watched the five group winners repeat their 20 minute performances to gain a place in the final shown on Sunday. There was in fact a three month gap to enable three successful participants to prepare to perform a concerto of their choice with a full orchestras. Anna Doulas18 years had won the Brass competition and played Strauss Rondo from Concerto no 2, Saint Sans Romance in E and a piece by Krol. I thought she was good but was not in my top 3. Lucy Landymoore aged 17 years impressed me greatly with four pieces Zappa The Black age, Corea Children‘s Song no 1 Freidman Texas Hoedown which caught the attention of the audience most and Zivkovic- to the Gods of Rhythm. I was disappointed that she was unable to perform in the final under the new system although I was not unhappy that that her place went to the Flautist Emma Halnan 17 years who played In Ireland by Harty, the Largo from Bach’s Concerto in G Minor, the Spiral Lament of Clarke and 3rd movement of Suite Trois by Goard.

This brings me to two young musicians who I thought were exceptional exceptional and that one would be the winner. Callum Smart was the youngest in the final at 13 and his violin playing was not only technically perfect but he showed an emotional understanding and maturity beyond explanation. He played only two pieces Tzigane by Ravel and the Sonata no 3 by Brahms 1st Movement. He is also in this year’s final of the Yehudi Menuhin competition being held in Oslo.

And there was Lara Omeroglu playing Beethoven’s Sonata in B Flat, and Etude by Chopin and a Suite by Ginastra. It is difficult to put into words the impact this young woman has on an audience. She becomes, completely, intensely, emotionally engaged in what she is doing showing every feeling in her face and physical movement and she also immediately and totally engages the audience. In the keyboard final she faced the young individual in the competition the group finals Yuanfan Yang another prodigy destined to become a soloist and composer. He was awarded the special prize for the most outstanding competitor.
Because of the cricket on Sunday evening I decided to watch Lewis immediately following and the Young Musician on Monday morning. I enjoyed the Lewis which featured Alan Davies as a harmless conman who arranged quiz weekends at Oxford Colleges and posh nosh hotel for £500 with a prize money of £2500 which always was allegedly won by students or other employed for a fee to whom he provided the answers in advance of the various rounds of the competition. There were several red herrings and it was not possible to work out the murderer in advance other by guessing.

Previously, probably before the trips to Leeds and Nottingham, I started to watch New York New York, the 1977 Martin Scorsese film with Liza Minnelli and Robert De Nero. I was attracted because De Nero plays a jazz musician and while there was some early swing band music it was quickly evident that the jazz was not going to be at the level I had hoped in this two and half hour epic to merit staying up late.

Now the final of the Young Musician of the year which I will be listening to again and again over the remaining days when it remains available on the BBC i player as well as the semi final. KI heard the keyboard final on Monday evening. Callum Smart opened the final with the well known Violin Concerto in E minor opus 64 by Felix Mendelssohn. This is a familiar work which I have though Callum played as well as anyone two and three times his age. Clearly he has yet to have sufficient life experience to communicate emotions with a passionate intensity although he did demonstrate considerable maturity and well as technical brilliance.

However there was no inhibition about the playing of Lara Omeroglu who brought one judge to rears with her playing in the section final. To say her playing is awesome is an understatement, In fact I have no words to explain and express what happens when this young woman takes the stage. On Sunday night she performed the second piano concerto in G Minor, opus 22 by Camille Saint-Sains. Its is not a work I know I would have rushed out to buy had I listened to beforehand, or since, if it had not been for performance of Lara. She clearly has a remarkable mother who has brought up her two daughters alone since the break up of her marriage and where the elder daughter is also an accomplished Pianist attending college and has become her sister‘s biggest fan, shrieking in delight at the announcement of the winner. I was stuck how she had the same electrifying impact as Jacqueline Du Pres although hopefully not the same emotionally challenging life or tragic young ending.