How To Do Festivals

So this year’s Glastonbury line-up sucked, much like most of the bills in recent years. Let’s take a look, shall we? U2, yuck, but at least they’re “stadium rock” so you could make excuses. Coldplay? Why did someone shoot Lennon and let these guys live?* Beyoncé? Hells, no! I mean, I bought Single Ladies along with everyone else on the sodding planet and even contemplated trying to learn the dance routine before realising that I could never get my booty to shake that way. I like Beyoncé – just not in that context. Jesse J? Isn’t she the one they’ve desperately, desperately been trying to push to not much interest from anyone? They put her on the Glastonbury bill? Janelle Monáe – I’d love to see her in concert, but that would be a concert. Somewhere with plush seats and a foyer. Ke$ha, ffs? But it’s not just Glastonbury: it’s an epidemic. It’s like people have completely forgotten what festivals are supposed to do and to be, and they’re getting it wrong.

So, here is Reinspired’s public information broadcast on how festivals are supposed to work.

Dexter season 4

I am soooo not in the mood for writing tonight. I have – dare I say it? – more important things on my mind. Still, one way to unwind has been watching season 4 of Dexter, which I recently bought on DVD after growing impatient for it to finally be screened on British TV. It’s fun, as ever. We’re about four episodes in.

McAlmont & Butler

I’ve had this song going around in my head all day. I mentioned it a while back in relation to its wall of sound-style production, and the lush arrangements just send shivers down my spine.

#musicmonday – Cardiacs (various tracks)

Lucy Cage’s superb review of the new William D Drake album was such that it inspired veteran Cardiacs-hater Everett True to give them another listen. It certainly inspired me to spend some time listening to Cardiacs this afternoon, and picking just one song isn’t merely impossible, it’s plain wrong!

It’s so easy to find people who say “I don’t like Cardiacs”, but after over 30 years of making music, that’s a lot like saying “I don’t like David Bowie”. Sure, there’s certain recogniseable common elements that you can associate with “the Cardiacs sound”, but their music is so varied that even if you think you hate them, you’ll love at least one of these.

Carl Hiaasen – Native Tongue

I haven’t finished reading Native Tongue – for the third or fourth time – but since it’s too hot to do anything else, I’ll blog about it anyway. Carl Hiaasen’s fourth novel, released in 1991, is set in the oppressive heat of Florida. It deals with theme parks, but doesn’t exactly work as a Disney advert. As former investigative journalist Hiaasen said, “The Sunshine State is a paradise of scandals teeming with drifters, deadbeats, and misfits drawn here by some dark primordial calling like demented trout. And you’d be surprised how many of them decide to run for public office.”

Fans behaving badly: Henry Rollins

After Nick Cave’s wonderful reaction to a frisky fan, Henry Rollins has kept the bar high with a marvellously dignified reaction to a fan who hurled boots at him. I knew I liked him.

This is the extract:

More reasons to ban the booth babe

You might remember that last year I ranted a little about why booth babes basically suck? It looks like Machinima have just made my case for me. Ooooh, this is painful.

Stayin’ Alive In The Wall

One of my earliest musical memories is of Pink Floyd taking the Christmas number one spot in 1979. Two of the albums I played most in my childhood were The Wall (which I got into when I was ten) and the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, which was a permanent fixture in our house. I certainly remember spinning around to You Should Be Dancing when I was five or so.

Weird Al Goes Gaga (Born This Way parody)

You know you’ve “arrived” when you’re the subject of a Weird Al parody. It had to happen sooner or later, and Al’s take on Lady Gaga’s Born This Way is a lot better than the original. Laydeez and gennelmen, I give you Mr Weird Al Yankovic with Perform This Way.

Pottermore revealed as website

Pottermore, the much-discussed secret Harry Potter project, has been described today by JK Rowling as being an interactive website featuring 18,000 words of footnotes to her books. The site, opening in October, will allow fans to read in-depth biographies and other background material that did not make the Harry Potter books.