I hate it when people bemoan the state of chart music. I think there’s nothing more futile and fogeyish.
And yet, today, I join those ranks, thanks to two unrelated items.
One, flicking through the cable music channel I happened to stop at MTV’s chart channel (MTV Hits). I witnessed the most hideous musical creation ever - “Cheeky Girls (Touch My Bum)”. Think Las Ketchup, with less talent, short shorts, and the kind of drooling Euro-pap that destroys your will to live.
Two, reading today’s email round-up from the semi-slanderous Popbitch, I came across this:
I rest my case.
(Oh, if you’re not sure who Simon Fuller is - think Spice Girls guru).
Well, personally, I’m a Radio 3 listener, have been for years, and couldn’t care less about the state of the charts.
It’s not all classical music, you know - in fact, I think Radio 3 plays a greater variety of music than any other channel. Not all of it’s to my taste, for certain, but I know that, even if I’m listening to something I don’t like, something different and interesting will be along in a little while.
[Darth Vader voice] Join us … come over to the Dark Side of the Tuner … join us … [/Darth Vader voice]
Generally I only listen to Radio 5. Most of the time I stick with my trusty CDs and word-of-mouth recommendations (recent highlight: Lemon Jelly; less convincing: The Streets).
The really scary thing is that I’ve started to enjoy turning both the TV and the radio off and just reading a book quietly. I’m off shopping for a pipe and slippers this weekend.
Idiots like Louis Walsh and Simon Fuller are ruining the music industry. It gets harder and harder to be a musician.
That said, I see more aqnd more teens going to live gigs, and consequently, more live gigs, whish is good.
This time last year there were 3 places in Dublin that would put on live bands. Now there are about 14.
the fightback has started. Tonight I’m sharing a gig with an accoustic singer songwriter and a punk band who like to kick seven shades of shite out of each other on stage.
the fightback is underway
The Cheeky Girls are Romanian sisters with no talent whatsoever. Pete Waterman labelled them “The worst act I have ever seen”.
I’ve been having visions of combining Fame Acadamy, Popstars the Rivals and the film “Battle Royale” into creating a real “Survivor” type programme. That would be interesting.
I’d like to stick up for the charts. Three contentions:[ol][li]They’ve always been shit, with the odd diamond hidden in the poo.[]Our memories selectively dump all the dross of years past. We retain the Beatles, Abba, Bob Marley, and we (try to) forget Joe Dolci, the Birdy Song, Jonathan King.[]We’re now mature enough to realise contention 1.[/ol]Personally I like pop music - not exclusively, but I have catholic tastes. [/li]
Now you’ll pardon me while I get back to my aserejé ja deje dejebe tu dejebe deseri iowa a mavy an de bugui an de güidibidi a sereje ja deje dejebe tu dejebe deseri iowa a mavy an de bugui an de güidibidi.
I’m slowly but surely turning into my Dad. I still try and catch Top of the Pops when I can, but it renders me speechless more and more. I think I’m becoming addicted to Radio 4, regularly falling asleep to the soothing voices on the Shipping Forecast…
I only really started listening to Radio 4 at the start of this year, when I was pretty much confined to bed for seven weeks. It is astonishing the variety and intelligence of the programmes on there. Only regret not listening in years ago.
I do listen to pop music ( though I don’t follow the charts), but I would follow Steve Wright in recommending that you give Radio 3 a try. It’s mainly classical music, of course ( and it offers an infinitely greater range of that than Classic FM) but they also have a number of Jazz programs and the wonderful Late Junction on weekday evenings. LJ is the only program I know where you can get Thomas Dowland, Tim Buckley and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan all within the space of 2 hours.
