h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

today, myself, my husband, children and mates joined with 200,000 others in my home town of Edinburgh, to demand a better deal for the world's poor. With the exception of one small bunch of rentamobs who got nabbed by the police with the big sticks, the event was peaceful (well it was noisy as hell but you know what I mean).
I frequently wonder, when I'm railing and raging against the wrongs in the world and I find myself, all too often surrounded by people who seem to be strangely in ignorance of the crap going on out there, if I am somehow unusual? Am I unduly concerned? Am I making a fuss? Do I just feel some sort of necessity to find things to be angry about (well yes actually - I'll probably have to conceed that last one, but anyway....)
And when I feel this way, I find the words from 'Mr Jones' by Bob Dylan, echoing through my head - 'Oh my god am I here all alone?'.
Well from now on, when I wonder that, I'm always going to have the memory of marching, in my grass stained white trousers, surrounded by people of all ages, social back grounds, creeds, colours, denominations and nationalities.
There were two unifying themes - the fact that they were, like me, were mostly dressed in white and the fact that they had come out, to show the money men of this world, that like me, they want the resources of this world shared.

No politician in the developed world, can make an arguement for the politics of selfishness being practised in our names after this. They may try but we can know they are liars.
Remember the tsunami? Well there's one every week - except there are no crashing waves, only the relentless onslaught of injustice. Today, millions around the world have risen to say they don't want it perpetrated in our name.

Oh and the ice cream van wasn't allowed to sell Coke - Class!

http://rantinf.blogspot.com/

Well done, kim and family. I've just stayed at home and watched Live 8 on TV, but I am wearing my white wristband in solidarity, and of course I've joined the List. That's a great story about the ice cream van - who imposed the Coke ban?

I too sincerely hope that the politicians will look at the number of names on that list and ask themselves if they can afford to alienate that many people. Now I'm waiting with interest to see if Pink Floyd and Roger Waters can manage to be on stage together for 20 minutes without coming to blows...

I think the coke ban was by the event organisers but I'm not sure. I don't buy it myself (far to irritatingly right on for that - obviously) but the bloke in front of me at the van asked for a can and was told they weren't allowed to sell it for the day.
I guess if you've organised an event on behalf of trade justice, the last thing you want is people swilling cans of juice from one of the Worlds's worst examples of corporate greed.
I saw Mark Thomas's festival show here last year - which was almost entirely about Coca Cola- and my god, what they get up to is truly frightening.
So bravo to MPH for the ban.
Comedy.

Oh and keep me posted on Waters and co - also comedy.

They got through it OK and without any obvious fisticuffs. Though it was interesting that Dave Gilmour sang lead on a couple of songs that I'm pretty sure were originally sung by Waters, so perhaps they had a fight about that beforehand. I reckon Gilmour would win - have you seen the size of him these days?

Surprisingly, the Floyd finished with a cover of someone else's hit - The Scissor Sisters' dancefloor classic 'Comfortably Numb'.

how very modern of them!

ho ho ho.
And yes, I'd imagine Gilmour could have a grizzly bear in a rumble, let alone wimpy rock stars. He'd just have to sit on them.
I have to admit that I'm not much of a floyd fan - although dark side of the moon is genius. The notion of mega-rich rock stars who are terminally miserable and/or fighting brings me out in a nervous, tourettes-esque tick. Oasis, Rem, Suede, Libertines and many others are similarly condemned. I've got fairly strong views on U2 as well. Yesterday I saw someone making up a banner inscribed 'make bono history' - you've lost all credibility as an environmentalist and socialist if you shake Bush's hand and pay for a plane seat to have your hat brought across the world when you forgot it.

I do love the scissor sisters though. How could I not love the band that wrote 'filthy gorgeous' and turned a floyd dirge into a disco track? - their place in heaven must be pre-reserved!

changing the subject - any news on Johnny boy? I have hunted in vain for info about an album release - I'm wearing out the one song........

I agree with you on the Floyd and Scissor Sisters, but has Bono ever claimed to be a socialist? I'm lukewarm on U2's music - I've always sort of quite liked it without ever feeling the need to buy any records. I do, however, find Bono remarkably sane, articulate and well-informed for someone in his position, and am willing to forgive him indulgences like the hat episode because I think that he does a lot more good than harm.

I must, also, rush to the defence of my favourite band: R.E.M.. On what grounds are you lumping them in with your list of fighting, miserable rock stars? OK, there was that unfortunate episode with Peter Buck on the plane, but that seems to have been a one-off. There is a seriousness about some of their songs that bothers some people, but I like the fact that they're sometimes willing to be straightforwardly sincere in an age when everyone sometimes so busy being post-modern, ironic and . They're good lefties who've been outspoken against Bush. There's a lot of humour in their lyrics too, and they rarely simply wallow in gloom. 'Everybody Hurts', for instance, very plainly counsels against despair. And I have let it be known that I'd like it played at my funeral. So there.

Anyway, Johnny Boy: well, for a while I feared the worst, since their website wasn't getting updated. However, that changed last month with a story in the news section explaining that they had been dropped by their record company, but had taken the tapes of a near-completed debut album with them. Presumably they're now seeking another outlet for said album. The website promises 'more news coming soon'. Here's hoping...

Johhny boy - what idiot could have droppped them - everybody I've played that track to (and trust me - it's been on a zillion compilations) has adored it. ALl they need is a bit of decent publicity and clearly they could be enormous. When every groaning, screaming, idiot white-middle-class american with dreadlocks called 'baby murderers' or somesuch gets a record deal - I fail to get how a band clearly making amazing, catchy pop music with first rate lyrics can't get signed. (29 pages of complaining ommitted here....)

REM. I must confess that for years I was a huge REM fan. I own every album up to Automatic on vinyl, plus 2 of their most valuable bootlegs - the wonderful early blue and bingo hand job from the no tour years. I also own the albums up to 'up' on cd.
So why the complaints - I can't tell you exactly what happened - I found myself playing one of them one day, and for whatever reason, the magic had just worn off. I have to admit that seeing them live didn't help as I found them rather disappointing at the milton Keynes Bowl a few years back but I carried on being a fan for a while after.
It also didn't help when I saw mr Stipe interviewed and he was bleating on about his collection of boarding cards from flights - which he keeps in a scrap book. There are a few bug bears - mostly, I find they seem to oscillate from dirges to incidents such as shiny happy people - so bad, I actually consider to be a war crime. And I'm sorry - but I can't bear 'everybody hurts'. It's like the Deana Troy of popsongs - stating the bloody obvious in sacharine tones. Never have liked it. Drive on the other hand - from that album, is sensational.
I also think the recent output has been weak - but I haven't bought anything for a while so I've only heard the singles.
I would still conceed that much of their output over the years has been fantastic - but I think the magic has gone. And I no longer find myself inclined to listen to it.
I'll sell you my bootlegs if you want.
As to Bono - I think he has aligned himself with socialist causes and has therefore set a benchmark agasinst which he can expect to be measured. I find him too enamoured of politicians - whom I fundamentally distrust. Especially Blair, who is, let's be honest about it - a war criminal and a murderer by proxy
- in the words of one of my favourite bands - They Might Be Giants - 'Can't shake the devil's hand, then say you're only kidding'.
I understand that it is necessary to work with what you've got to achieve realsitic change - which means co operating to an extent with those in power but I think you have to keep scumbags like Blair from using this sort of thing as one long photo op. He'll be making speaches - mug of tea in hand - so he looks like a proper bloke - rather than the spoiled, rich, lawyer with no principles that he is.
Sorry - that turned into a rant but I really loathe Blair and when I see people who pupport to represent my politics and causes, shaking hands and giving him compliments, it makes me furious - so Bono cuts no ice with me. And I don't forgive the hat incident. He could have bought another bloody hat - what a waste of the world's resources - for a costume. Ludicrous.

phew - that was vivid!

anyway, after all my spleen venting, here's something you might like - the guardian's write up of Live 8 - with some great stuff about Floyd - no mention of Gilmour's right hook though.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/live8/story/0,16066,1520783,00.html

Well, Kim, after reading that, I'd definitely rather have Bono handling delicate negotiations with the powerful than have you doing the job. You'd probably convince 'em that they needed a Camp X-Ray in every major city immediately!

I think that R.E.M. themselves are now a bit uncomfortable with 'Shiny Happy People' - I seem to remember some comments to that effect in a fairly recent interview in 'Uncut', when they explained that they'd left it off the 'In Time' best-of compilation because it was unrepresentative of the band. Personally, I find it a catchy, inoffensive throwaway; the madly sunny optimism is obviously sarcastic. It seems a bit harsh that they get pilloried for being 'over-serious', then get panned for writing a jokey song. Ah well. Arguing about music is futile since it's such a subjective thing, and we obviously aren't going to agree about 'Everybody Hurts'. I would only say that I think the song probably has more resonance if you find isolation uncomfortable, as I do (I'm really missing my University friends now we're in the summer recess ). You're married with kids, so the idea of a night that's 'yours alone' probably seems like heaven to you!

I do agree that 'Automatic For The People' was clearly a hard act to follow. Every subsequent album had some songs I loved, but no album was as consistent as 'Automatic'... until last year. 'Around The Sun' really is a great record. Hear it if you can. It is the first R.E.M. album since 'Automatic' that I've found myself wanting to play regularly from start to finish, where even the tracks I was less keen on initially have grown on me.

I've recently started reading 'The Independent' in preference to 'The Guardian', mainly because the Indy often has a more original take on the news, but also because I found that I hardly ever agreed with the Guardian arts reviews. Oddly enough, though, I completely agree with that Live 8 review. That's a great line about the Floyd looking like senior partners in an accountancy firm - although Gilmour arguably looks more like a nightclub bouncer!

we only need a camp x-ray for the politicians - I'd happily round up most of them. Tony Benn being my honourable exception because I love the old codger. In my view, anybody that actively seeks power is almost always unsuitable to own it. And you're right - I'd be far from diplomatic with Bush - he's a murderer.

We'll gloss over REM - as you say it's too subjective but my final word is that I damn well hope they're uncomfortable about S.H.P.
You're bang on the money about the solitude thing though. That being said, I wasn't always that way though - I used to hate my own company and I still hated that song. Maybe I was always a loner in waiting. Thank god for earphones - I keep fantasising about those headphones that BOSE advertise on the back of Private Eye - they never mention a price so that puts them firmly into the TOO EXPENSIVE bracket - but a girl can dream.....

On a plus side, I forwarded the mp3 of Johnny Boy to a podcaster who gets featured on the podcast directory of itunes and he has agreed to contact them via their website for permission to play them. He's getting a lot of coverage - I thought it might help them get a deal. Purely selfish - I just really want to hear that damn album. Do you use itunes? If so, I'll let you know if it's going out. finger's crossed.

Have you heard that latest Queens of the Stoneage album - 'Lullabies to Paralyze' btw? It's superb - perhaps their best. Some fantastic tracks. My current fave is called 'I never came' but there's another stunner called 'Burn the Witch' and loads more that are just great. It's one of those brilliant albums that unfolds gradually - with one favourite replacing another as you keep listening. Very seductive and dark but powerful. Well worth a listen if that sort of thing is your bag.