Michael is no longer with us, but we'll place our devastation to one side and press on in his honour.
Our 20th show will be recorded tomorrow night and should be available to download by Wednesday. I'm not sure what we'll be talking about, and suspect that it might end up being just a 50 minute silence.
Either way, I'll Be There and so will Alan.
Eh? ...Eh? ...
Eh? ...
Aye.
Monday, 29 June 2009
Friday, 26 June 2009
Rest in Peace Michael
All jokes aside here - I'm absolutely gutted.
Music taste has always been subjective - you either like the sound of something or you don't, and everyone's free to choose what to listen to. I've also taken the view that when it comes to numbers, record sales and downloads can never be relied on to prove that a band or musician has talent or not.
That said, sometimes numbers don't lie.
In this era of music, when 2 million sales or downloads can make you the biggest selling artist of the year, Michael Jackson is estimated to have sold over three quarters of a billion records over his career. What do you think that number tells you? What do you think the awards, the first-evers and all the record-breaking tell you? I've always raised a smile when his newer albums have been deemed failures because they've sold less than his prior work, even though their figures still blow every other act out the water and their sound still reverberates in the music of those acts considered more relevant than him today.
This generation has largely missed out on Michael Jackson, and despite the huge number of musicians in popular music today citing him as having been a major influence, despite much of today's sounds portrayed as unique & fresh by an increasingly myopic music industry having in fact been fashioned by him decades ago, despite all that, for the main part when this generation thinks of Michael Jackson, regretfully it's not the music which first springs to mind.
Despite being a fan of blues and rock, I grew up loving his music, wanting to be him, lapping up every record, every MTV appearance & Pepsi advert, screaming at the sensationalist news channels more concerned with his personal life, watching & re-watching increasingly fuzzy video tapes of his live performances. The first record I ever bought was Thriller, and in 1992 I was lucky enough to see him live at Glasgow Green. I've been to hundreds of gigs since then but that one sticks more than most in my memory, the image of him ending Man in the Mirror before flying off on a jet pack into the night - we all knew it wasn't him but what a spectacle that show was.
I listen to the older generation go on about Elvis, who died just after I was born. I hear them, even years after his death, mourn the passing of such a strongly influential light in music, wonder what he'd have achieved had he lived as long as he should have done. I listen to the music he produced and think about how great it still sounds, how breathtaking it must have sounded in the context it was created.
But I wasn't there!
I didn't experience the thrill of seeing his career unfold, so while yeah, I can tap along to his work and hear all the stories about how he changed the world, I'll never understand what it was like to have been there when it all happened.
Michael Jackson was our Elvis. I mean, I know that's not exactly a new revelation, but for me, all I can think about is just how lucky I've been to have borne witness to the career of one man whose music changed us all (even those who don't admit it & scorn his very existence). I think that the next generation might see him in the same way I see Elvis, and that it'll never have the chance to experience first-hand that kind of thrill, that magnitude of talent that transcends every colour, creed and border & completely reshapes the face of music.
The ticket refund I'm now expecting from his London gigs will be the least welcome money I've received for some time! Some truly depressing thoughts really, but I think I'll go and listen to some of his albums and cheer myself up!
Thanks Michael, and rest in peace.
Music taste has always been subjective - you either like the sound of something or you don't, and everyone's free to choose what to listen to. I've also taken the view that when it comes to numbers, record sales and downloads can never be relied on to prove that a band or musician has talent or not.
That said, sometimes numbers don't lie.
In this era of music, when 2 million sales or downloads can make you the biggest selling artist of the year, Michael Jackson is estimated to have sold over three quarters of a billion records over his career. What do you think that number tells you? What do you think the awards, the first-evers and all the record-breaking tell you? I've always raised a smile when his newer albums have been deemed failures because they've sold less than his prior work, even though their figures still blow every other act out the water and their sound still reverberates in the music of those acts considered more relevant than him today.
This generation has largely missed out on Michael Jackson, and despite the huge number of musicians in popular music today citing him as having been a major influence, despite much of today's sounds portrayed as unique & fresh by an increasingly myopic music industry having in fact been fashioned by him decades ago, despite all that, for the main part when this generation thinks of Michael Jackson, regretfully it's not the music which first springs to mind.
Despite being a fan of blues and rock, I grew up loving his music, wanting to be him, lapping up every record, every MTV appearance & Pepsi advert, screaming at the sensationalist news channels more concerned with his personal life, watching & re-watching increasingly fuzzy video tapes of his live performances. The first record I ever bought was Thriller, and in 1992 I was lucky enough to see him live at Glasgow Green. I've been to hundreds of gigs since then but that one sticks more than most in my memory, the image of him ending Man in the Mirror before flying off on a jet pack into the night - we all knew it wasn't him but what a spectacle that show was.
I listen to the older generation go on about Elvis, who died just after I was born. I hear them, even years after his death, mourn the passing of such a strongly influential light in music, wonder what he'd have achieved had he lived as long as he should have done. I listen to the music he produced and think about how great it still sounds, how breathtaking it must have sounded in the context it was created.
But I wasn't there!
I didn't experience the thrill of seeing his career unfold, so while yeah, I can tap along to his work and hear all the stories about how he changed the world, I'll never understand what it was like to have been there when it all happened.
Michael Jackson was our Elvis. I mean, I know that's not exactly a new revelation, but for me, all I can think about is just how lucky I've been to have borne witness to the career of one man whose music changed us all (even those who don't admit it & scorn his very existence). I think that the next generation might see him in the same way I see Elvis, and that it'll never have the chance to experience first-hand that kind of thrill, that magnitude of talent that transcends every colour, creed and border & completely reshapes the face of music.
The ticket refund I'm now expecting from his London gigs will be the least welcome money I've received for some time! Some truly depressing thoughts really, but I think I'll go and listen to some of his albums and cheer myself up!
Thanks Michael, and rest in peace.
Monday, 22 June 2009
Good Luck Sir Andy Murray!
It's Pimm's o'clock and I'm oozing fat strawberries because it's finally here.
Wimbledon 2009. The Championships. The theatre of dreams. The roof that keeps out the rain. The players who play tennis. In Wimbledon. For prizes and money and that.
As you all know, Sir Andy Murray is a great Friend of the Show, and Alan & I would like to take this opportunity to wish him the very best of luck in this season's tournament.
Let's hope Chris Hoy doesn't conspire to ruin Sir Andy's chances once again.
Let's hope the BBC mention that he's Scottish if he wins, rather than only when he loses.
Let's hope that WHEN Sir Andy beats "Pretender to the Throne" Federer in the final, it tops last year's final as the best ever match.
Let's hope I don't lose my job for watching the whole thing on a big screen in the office, dressed head to toe in my tennis gear.
Let's hope the female players don't wear shorts again.
Let's hope...and believe!
Do you believe?
Wimbledon 2009. The Championships. The theatre of dreams. The roof that keeps out the rain. The players who play tennis. In Wimbledon. For prizes and money and that.
As you all know, Sir Andy Murray is a great Friend of the Show, and Alan & I would like to take this opportunity to wish him the very best of luck in this season's tournament.
Let's hope Chris Hoy doesn't conspire to ruin Sir Andy's chances once again.
Let's hope the BBC mention that he's Scottish if he wins, rather than only when he loses.
Let's hope that WHEN Sir Andy beats "Pretender to the Throne" Federer in the final, it tops last year's final as the best ever match.
Let's hope I don't lose my job for watching the whole thing on a big screen in the office, dressed head to toe in my tennis gear.
Let's hope the female players don't wear shorts again.
Let's hope...and believe!
Do you believe?
Friday, 19 June 2009
Russell Howard and Glasgow and Painting Elephants with Tippex and Stuff
Having lapped up some outstanding gourmet burgers and at Ketchup in Shawlands, we went to see Mock the Week's Russell Howard last night at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, supported by the brilliant Mark Oliver.
Despite being right at the back row and therefore about 2 miles above the stage, we absolutely loved it. I'd seen Russell play the Old Fruitmarket before and wasn't really impressed (I think I was just too boozed, to be honest), but last night I had a stupid grin on my face all the way from start to finish.
Best bits included yapping about painting elephants with tippex, knifing leprechauns under rainbows and photographing 9 year-old girls in a museum.
He did make the mistake though after the rapturous applause of taking questions from the audience, something which should just never be done in Glasgow. The questions that could be heard and translated from the mostly boozed-up crowd included little gems like "do you know what chloroform smells like?" and "fancy coming to the pub after this?".
Good ol' Glasgow!
Despite being right at the back row and therefore about 2 miles above the stage, we absolutely loved it. I'd seen Russell play the Old Fruitmarket before and wasn't really impressed (I think I was just too boozed, to be honest), but last night I had a stupid grin on my face all the way from start to finish.
Best bits included yapping about painting elephants with tippex, knifing leprechauns under rainbows and photographing 9 year-old girls in a museum.
He did make the mistake though after the rapturous applause of taking questions from the audience, something which should just never be done in Glasgow. The questions that could be heard and translated from the mostly boozed-up crowd included little gems like "do you know what chloroform smells like?" and "fancy coming to the pub after this?".
Good ol' Glasgow!
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
The Holy Grail has been found!
I think we must have been skirting in and out of the list recently and may continue to do so, but I noticed yesterday that after months of painful dejection, lonely months spent languishing in the bitter wilderness of independent broadcasting, iTunes has finally listed For the Love of G...lasgow, our little tragic venture into cyberspace, as a featured comedy podcast.
Basically, it's like the Holy Grail of comedy podcasting, or at the very least "pretty cool".
So the most thankful of thanks again to all our new listeners and also to the ones who've been with us throughout, enduring our darker days when more than likely there was something much better for you to listen to.
We'd love to hear from every one of you, so keep the emails and Skype calls coming in so we can play them on the show.
Basically, it's like the Holy Grail of comedy podcasting, or at the very least "pretty cool".
So the most thankful of thanks again to all our new listeners and also to the ones who've been with us throughout, enduring our darker days when more than likely there was something much better for you to listen to.
We'd love to hear from every one of you, so keep the emails and Skype calls coming in so we can play them on the show.
Sunday, 14 June 2009
The Nineteenth: "Carradined"
The Nineteenth: "Carradined".
It's Summertime. It's hot and sticky. It's our first show after a wee break and we're excited to be back. Think about David Carradine, we talk about him. Think about Air France, we start a new campaign called Get Planes Out The Sky. Think about the USA's love of heroes and truency, we talk about that. We talk about midget restaurants in Glasgow, Free Willy, Cristiano Ronaldo and more.
In fact, this episode's so full of rubbish nonsense like this that you'll be glad it's over soon. We also introduce the innovative Glaswegian duo called sixpeopleaway (www.sixpeopleaway.co.uk) and give thanks to all our new listeners - you lucky, lucky people.
It's Summertime. It's hot and sticky. It's our first show after a wee break and we're excited to be back. Think about David Carradine, we talk about him. Think about Air France, we start a new campaign called Get Planes Out The Sky. Think about the USA's love of heroes and truency, we talk about that. We talk about midget restaurants in Glasgow, Free Willy, Cristiano Ronaldo and more.
In fact, this episode's so full of rubbish nonsense like this that you'll be glad it's over soon. We also introduce the innovative Glaswegian duo called sixpeopleaway (www.sixpeopleaway.co.uk) and give thanks to all our new listeners - you lucky, lucky people.
Monday, 8 June 2009
Comedy is just around the corner...
It took me some time.
This weekend, after a blissful early Summer break, was spent trying to find Alan. When I did find him, he pretended he was dead. Once I got my cattle-prod out however, he admitted that he wasn't dead, and that he was just pretending because he knew what I was after.
He knew that I wanted to record another episode of the podcast.
So a bottle of Mint Baileys and a few hundred pounds later, he agreed that we'll get back into the swing of things this coming Sunday. We'll record our Nineteenth that day and hopefully it'll be available to download on Sunday, or Monday at the very latest.
Exciting stuff...
This weekend, after a blissful early Summer break, was spent trying to find Alan. When I did find him, he pretended he was dead. Once I got my cattle-prod out however, he admitted that he wasn't dead, and that he was just pretending because he knew what I was after.
He knew that I wanted to record another episode of the podcast.
So a bottle of Mint Baileys and a few hundred pounds later, he agreed that we'll get back into the swing of things this coming Sunday. We'll record our Nineteenth that day and hopefully it'll be available to download on Sunday, or Monday at the very latest.
Exciting stuff...
Wednesday, 3 June 2009
A Brand New Day
Alrighteo,
That's me settling back into the ol' claes & purridge after a few weeks vacation. I'm pleased to have come back to note that the number of wacky folks listening to the podcast has just about trebled while we've been away.
(Once again I'm hit with the thought that we're more popular when we shut our collective cakehole!)
So anyway, hello to everyone including all you new guys, and thanks for all the emails to our fortheloveofglasgowpodcast@googlemail.com address. I'll announce pretty soon when our 19th instalment of nonsense will be recorded and available to download, so if you've any questions you want us to answer on the show, pop us an email and I'll try my best to stop Alan from tearing it apart!
I'm off to enjoy what's bound to be our last few hours of summer sunshine in Glasgow.
That's me settling back into the ol' claes & purridge after a few weeks vacation. I'm pleased to have come back to note that the number of wacky folks listening to the podcast has just about trebled while we've been away.
(Once again I'm hit with the thought that we're more popular when we shut our collective cakehole!)
So anyway, hello to everyone including all you new guys, and thanks for all the emails to our fortheloveofglasgowpodcast@googlemail.com address. I'll announce pretty soon when our 19th instalment of nonsense will be recorded and available to download, so if you've any questions you want us to answer on the show, pop us an email and I'll try my best to stop Alan from tearing it apart!
I'm off to enjoy what's bound to be our last few hours of summer sunshine in Glasgow.
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