Stone Valley Festival North

 Last time I saw the Mondays live, little did I know the next time I would be nearly a decade later - in a field round the corner from my mams.

SVF do festivals up and down the country, and for the last seven years the North version has been up in the Durham dales. This year though they decided to relocate to the former priest seminary of Ushaw College. Myself originally coming from the local pit village Ushaw Moor, the prospect of seeing some top bands literally on home soil was appealing.

Saturday, post Exeter City (H), me and the kids took in the sights, sounds, funny smells and fire eaters of SVF. As we were settling in some lad with no pupils gave Seth a plastic AK-47. 

We were all Spartacus for The Farm, Hootons firm performing some classic 90s tunes - Groovy Train and Stepping Stone amongst others, cumulating with a sing along All Together (Now). Seth took this opportunity during a pro peace song to machine gun down the lead singer. 

The Undertones next up. Jimmy Jimmy got the boys dancing and my favourite My Perfect Cousin up shortly after. Tiredness was creeping in for the youngest Seth so we called for mam to pick us up - the pre teens had had their kicks for one night, we left as the crowd bounced along to Sharkey's hit.

Following night just myself and the eldest Jacob ventured along, couldn't risk being pulled away before Sunday's Mondays. We also came armed with blankets, Berghaus, camping chairs and cans.

Arrived a bit later due to work, From The Jam already mid set but caught the Tube (Station), That's Entertainment and a few others before an encore of Going Underground.

Cast were a Britpop band quite frankly I'd forgotten all about, but soon recalled after plenty of energy and hit after hit. I guess they were Alright, guess they were fine. 

Finally Happy Mondays. Jayboy could barely contain his excitement bless him - up late on a school night to see a bunch of ramshackle lunatics he'd only heard from dad's records before. Out they came to Kinky before a bit banter with the crowd, X asking Bez the MasterChef to cook 'im sumfin' up. Plenty baggy classics followed, mainly consisting of Pills Thrills tunes.

The bairn announced early that he was going to sit down if he didn't know the song. He didn't sit down once, and drew some approving comments from festival goers - "he's got the moves hasn't he?" and "You've taught him well" as he grooved round like Dennis and Lois.

Fairly short set of one hour, finishing of course with Step On. Shaun apologized for not being able to do WFL due to timings but it mattered not - I'd seen the Mondays basically at my home with my eldest son. Hallelujah.

Mondays Set list

Kinky Afro

God's Cop

Donovan

Loose Fit

Dennis & Lois

Clap your Hands

Bob's Yer Uncle

Twenty Four Hour Party People

Hallelujah

Step On

Mr. Paul Heaton

To celebrate the fact that Paul Heaton is back on tour soon promoting his latest album, I'm going to take a minute to reflect on the reasons why Mr. Heaton is cool as fuck...

He Loves his Football...
Hometown team Sheffield United are his obvious passion, but his love for the game manifests itself in other ways too. In the mid nineties, when the Italian game was light years ahead of our dull old boring game, Heaton was often a panelist on Channel Fours 'Football Italia' as a "Italian Football Expert". In fact Inter were his second team and he'd often travel to Milan to watch them play, despite a round trip of some 90 hours. Other than that he collects random bits of memorabilia for his 'Football Room' at his Hull home - Fanzines, badges, programmes and stickers etc. And numerous replica shirts, from Ajax to Zaragoza. But not to wear of course, because he "doesn't understand grown men wearing replica shirts to games..."

His Music Is Uncool...
Therefore it's cool. Think about it (for a minute). The Housemartins. Spotty, specky geeky student types in plastic hooligan clobber and gayish sounding lyrics. Uncool. The Beautiful South. Plain sounding middle of the road pop with Country and Western vibes. Uncool. Both seldom in fashion in their day. Uncool. But I love both bands dearly. Cool.

He hates the Premiership...

“The ambition to get in the Premiership is a false one. I have no problem with us staying where we are. I would like the players to be rewarded for their effort, but there would be a fear of losing in the Premiership, a fear of being ferried around by police and not being able to have a drink. Premiership fans are more arrogant too. I liked it when we were in the Third and Fourth Division. There was more of a bond between players and fans.”
Read more at http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/paul-heaton-sing-when-youre-winning#g0TxGCp8Zc20y4Zu.99

“The ambition to get in the Premiership is a false one. I have no problem with us staying where we are. I would like the players to be rewarded for their effort, but there would be a fear of losing in the Premiership, a fear of being ferried around by police and not being able to have a drink. Premiership fans are more arrogant too. I liked it when we were in the Third and Fourth Division. There was more of a bond between players and fans.” Can't argue with that.

Read more at http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/paul-heaton-sing-when-youre-winning#g0TxGCp8Zc20y4Zu.99

“The ambition to get in the Premiership is a false one. I have no problem with us staying where we are. I would like the players to be rewarded for their effort, but there would be a fear of losing in the Premiership, a fear of being ferried around by police and not being able to have a drink. Premiership fans are more arrogant too. I liked it when we were in the Third and Fourth Division. There was more of a bond between players and fans.”
Read more at http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/paul-heaton-sing-when-youre-winning#g0TxGCp8Zc20y4Zu.99

He's a Dresser...
He ran with the Blades Business Crew, even after becoming famous with the Housemartins, and openly admits to finding "Hooliganism fascinating". So much so the designer clobber has left a lasting impression on him. View any YouTube footage of mid nineties Beautiful South gigs, and you'll see Heaton strutting his stuff whilst flashing a cult compass label on his left arm. Other brand tipples seen sporting include Navy Arctic goggles, Lyle & Scott parkas, adidas trainers and Ralph caps / bucket hats.

He's Left Wing...
Anti establishment. Anti capitalist. Anti royalist. Anti Conservative. He's angry. It's embedded in his song lyrics and his furrowed brow. And he was preaching his Socialist ideals and flying the red flag long before it was trendy. If he wasn't famous you get the impression MI5 might have taken him out by now.

He's a Smartarse...
When the Beautiful South split up it was due to "Musical similarities". Make a Housemartins album poking fun at the fact Kingston upon Hull had better bands than the smoke and it's "London 0, Hull 4". When Thatcher died he was interviewed, as the token Famous Socialist, and denounced her policies/person etc, basically said the Iron Lady could rust in peace, but then just for good measure decided to verbally attack modern day politicians he didn't like. So the interview was cut short.

He Hates David Cameron / Tories...
Heaton could never be blue.

Gorillaz (2001-2012)

Felt the need to post regarding virtual Britpop band Gorillaz demise. With co-creators Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett not seeing eye to eye at the moment, a pin has firmly been stuck in the whole cartoon band thing.

It's a sad thing because they've been with me throughout an important time of my life. Although I bang on about Madness, the Mondays, the Roses etc. they were all before my time. Oasis and Blur were closer but being young teenager when they were going head to head I couldn't get involved. So when hitting my peak in my late teens it was the Gorillaz who have been the background music taking me through the past decade, from invincible leary feck of an 18 year old to a settled 29 year old married dad. And the Gorillaz, like myself, have changed a lot over that time.

I first became aware of them, as everyone did, in 2001 with the thumping debut track 'Clint Eastwood'. Fuck knows where the title came from but the tune was banging. There we were freshi out of sixth form, on release for the weekend, a friday night starting off in the gloom of the Durham City Snooker Club - Cheap pints of Grolsch and bags of Seabrooks, a few frames, then off to chase the wanny. And then this song comes on. It's good. Bloody good. So we turn to the box to check out the accompanying video. But fucking hell these little cartoon men are singing it. What is this? This was the Gorillaz. (Strangely enough the next music vid after this was another animated one - Robbie Williams 'Let Love be Your Energy. We preferred the Gs).

The self titled album contained some great, albeit weirdly named, songs - classic pop tunes mixed with an angry edge, and also a hip-hop vibe provided by 'Del the ghost', counteracting 2D's melancholic voice. Bass provided by Stoke based sadist Murdoc, drums by big Russel and Japanese child Noodle played the other guitar. The perfect manufactured band.

By the time the massive 'Demon Days' came out in 2005 a few years had past. University education was coming to and end, and with it came a deep sorrow. I loved the lazy lifestyle and boozing it up with my pals from Leeds, Redcar and Sunderland. Now the end was nigh and it was time to grow up. Demon Days was like that too. Gorillaz had grown up. The album had a darker edge. It suited my mood. It was there as a chapter of my life was closed and a new one opened. Education gone, time to work. And whilst searching for work I bought Demon Days with the pennies gave to me by the DSS. It kept me going whilst on the dole for sixth months. The pick of the litter for me was 'Dare', mainly because Shaun Ryder was in it. My main memory about this LP was with being out with some old school pals on a student night in Lancaster, monged out of my brain and ad-libbing to Feel Good Inc. whilst trying to keep my guts down on the dance floor. Magic. When my passport to pleasure on the Rock and Roll was over and I finally got a job a few of the (swearwordless) songs were on the company's radio list. Along with this I met a girl...

And step forward to the third album half a decade later, Plastic Beach is unlike the two albums before it. Melancholic relaxed content electro. It almost isn't the Gorillaz. And to an extent it isn't. The cartoon holograms seen performing 'live' in 2005/06 have gone, it's now officially Albarn from Blur and 50% of the Clash in daft sailor hats. They'd changed. And I had too. 2010 and I'm happily married to said girl and expecting a child. He comes along and now I'm Plastic Beached. Content and reflective. I'm sat on Melancholy Hill. Now at 17 months old he loves the Gorillaz too. Bopping to 1999-2000.

But I can't help feeling a touch of sadness when I listen to the final single from Plazzy Beach, 'Doncamatic'. This is a reflective song with an underlying message. That it's finished. Daley sings the song, not Albarn, and it's about closing the book, someone stealing your face etc - something that has actually happened to the cartoon characters we love from the Gorillaz. And the most crushing lyric being that "we're all played out".

It's the end of them. It certainly isn't the end of me, but the me of 2001 and 2005 has certainly long gone. But I'm pleased the cartoony nuttiness of Gorillaz was with me providing the soundtrack to some of the most important and enjoyable times of my life...

Iconic Album Covers Part Two.

Decided to do these in alphabetical order as to not cause upset. Number two on my list is Blur's Parklife. Released in April 1994 it heralded the start of Brit pop along with Manchurian rivals Oasis, and it charted at number one. Contains a whole host of classic Blur singles (Girls and Boys, Parklife etc) along with quality album tracks like Tracy Jacks and London Loves. Echos of fellow North London band Madness about this LP making it a winner in my book. The two greyhounds at Walthamstow dogs is the only good album cover Albarn's boys had - some people rave about Think Tank but the content doesn't match the cover. It's shit.