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Made in Shoreditch

I also contribute a weekly column to Made in Shoreditch magazine called 'Old East End/New East End', where I look at the relationship between the East End of old and new, looking at the changes and the stalwarts in landscape, residents and culture, focussing on one street or district each week. You can find it here.

Abbey Road.......

Tuesday 11 August 2009

Became 40 this week and I must say it sounds so clear, innovative and tight, still. This record is, in my view, not only the greatest Beatles one, but the greatest of all time. Some people prefer the first half, the structured, typical album layout of song after song, I myself much prefer the Medley. It is a gorgeous, swooning, harmonious 25 odd minutes of utter musicianship that nobody has managed to quite match since. I love Abbey Road, I'm not of the modern consensus of people who believe that the battle is between Revolver, The White Album and Sgt. Peppers for best Beatles album.

Arsenal vs. Barcelona - The Dream

Tuesday 5 May 2009

If somehow tonight Arsenal can beat Manchester United and then tomorrow, Barcelona can beat Chelsea, the real winner will be football. Although I do not believe that Barca are justified in their moans about Chelsea's negativity (the best way to stop Chelsea doing this would have been to score, they didn't), I do believe that the two sides who play the most attractive football not only out of who's left, but arguably in Europe anyways are Barca and the Arsenal. Imagine a final in which the football played is free flowing, beautiful, 'pass-n-move' stuff rather than a repeat of last year's final which was rather drab until penalties (especially Terry slipping and missing).
There is an argument that the 2006 final between The Catalonians and the North Londoners was not exactly inspiring either but at least you thought at the end of the game about what might have been had Arsenal not been reduced to ten men so early on. Chelsea vs. United last year was as good as it got between the two because neither will be willing to risk too much.
In short the point I am trying to make is that we should all think a bit more like Johann Cruyff and want the game to be about totality and beauty rather than winning at all costs.

Why Punk Didn't Exactly Change It.

Wednesday 29 April 2009

Before punk society had changed anyway. The sufragettes had burned their bras earlier in the century, the wars were a distant memory and the 60's had broken most of the barriers in terms of making a new sense of freedom found. What punk did do was make the disgusting more public than anything before it. Although Pork and other such related Factory plays had brought a few people in New York City filth, how many kids in council houses in British cities really new about it. When punk came so did widespread vulgarity. Freddie Got Fingered, Dirty Sanchez and even Liam Gallagher owe pretty much everything to The Sex Pistols, The Damned etc. gobbing at their audience.
Being brash and filthy has been with us for over thirty years now so let's keep it that way. Kids gob at your mum when she asks you what you want for tea.