Clenched Soul

an appropriately melancholy poem by Pablo Neruda. reminds me of a quote in Margaret Atwood's Cat's Eye - I'm as happy as a clam, firmly closed.

things are never as they seem, people put on appearances because everyone's supposed to be happy.

even if they're not.

We have lost even this twilight.
No one saw us this evening hand in hand
while the blue night dropped on the world.

I have seen from my window
the fiesta of sunset in the distant mountain tops.

Sometimes a piece of sun
burned like a coin in my hand.

I remembered you with my soul clenched
in that sadness of mine that you know.

Where were you then?
Who else was there?
Saying what?
Why will the whole of love come on me suddenly
when I am sad and feel you are far away?

The book fell that always closed at twilight
and my blue sweater rolled like a hurt dog at my feet.

Always, always you recede through the evenings
toward the twilight erasing statues.

2011 in review, with a heavy heart

I haven't posted here since the Stone Roses reformed (no North American dates YET, those wankers), and that was a long time ago (over 2 months ago) but I've been busy.

• starting at the end of October 2011 TGTF became the Guardian Music-endorsed TGTF, showing up regularly on their "Best of the Music Blogosphere" blog roll. (at the time of this writing, my Top Gigs of 2011 is still sitting on their blog roll, which is pretty cool for Casiokids, Dutch Uncles, White Lies, the Joy Formidable and the Coronas, b/c they got attention I'm sure they weren't expecting.) in early December I was asked by two members of Delphic WHY I was still hawking TGTF badges on my holiday in Manchester and the answer was, "we are now the Guardian-endorsed TGTF, I have a reputation to protect!" this included making sure we had plenty of not just content but GOOD content for them to choose from. which meant many, many late nights for me.

• speaking of that holiday, I was away for my birthday in England for 16 days but was ill for 14 of them. so my plans to do a lot of poetry and songwriting went by the wayside of trying to stay in as physically fit as possible state for 10 gigs, hanging out and drinking with friends and colleagues, a lot of sightseeing-related walking, and travel between 3 different English cities. to say I was wiped by the time I returned is an understatement. somehow though I managed not to take a single day off work since I returned. (yes, I am such a good little employee.)

if you were wondering what those 10 gigs were, they were:

• Dutch Uncles Now Wave show (Fiction supporting) - 02.12.11 - Deaf Institute, Manchester, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• Example (Fenech-Soler supporting) - 01.12.11 - Apollo, Manchester, England
• Exit Ten (A Thousand Autumns, Tomorrow We Radio, and Fei Comodo supporting) - 29.11.11 - Fibbers, York, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• Billie Butterfly fund 'Magic in the Air' charity show featuring Everything Everything, I Am Kloot, and Badly Drawn Boy - 28.11.11 - Comedy Store, Manchester, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• City Reign EP launch (Stella Marconi and Modern Alarms supporting) - 26.11.11 - Gulliver's, Manchester, England
• Blonde Louis homecoming show (Monaco Bears and Camus the Cat supporting) - 25.11.11 - Plinston Hall, Letchworth, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• Cashier No. 9 (Kowalski supporting) - 24.11.11 - XOYO, London Old Street, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• Pete and the Pirates (The Catcher 9 supporting) - 22.11.11 - Buffalo Bar, London Islington, England
• City Reign (Wire Trees and Ulysses supporting) - 19.11.11 - Bull and Gate, London Kentish Town, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• I Dream in Colour single launch show (Heroics and Anchor and the Dove supporting) - 18.11.11 - Bull and Gate, London Kentish Town, England - my There Goes the Fear review

• I got to interview Marc Riley for TGTF inside the new BBC in Salford and who should walk in but Stuart Maconie?!? hugs and photos ensue. I never could have predicted that happening. I'm still amazed thinking about it. and he remembered me from my letters and me Tweeting him? what are the odds of that?


• going back to the Guardian coverage, we suddenly had a lot more interest from potential writers. I am finding this good and bad. it's great to have interest. but gee whiz, if you plan to contribute somewhere, be sure you respond to your editor's emails. I can only assume you don't care or you're too busy to respond - and therefore not a good fit - if I don't hear from you. that has been pretty frustrating: maybe because I'm a woman, some people think I'm a pushover. not in your life. but I've picked up at least one good writer who is a friend of a regular contributor, so that's good...


• but I can tell, it's a tough road ahead in 2012. I'm trying to not let this spectre of being tops in the Guardian's books hang over my head...like it already is. it is hard being me. I don't think anyone realises how much I put into the blog, how I sometimes lie awake at night thinking about how to make the site better, how to help my writers achieve their dreams, how I'm going to start a new campaign to promote a fledgling band I believe in and how exactly I plan to do that. I didn't mean for it to happen, but the blog has become my life. I'm not whinging: I'm very proud of what TGTF has become under my leadership and we still have leaps and bounds to grow and become even better. it's like when Elvis was saying he was jealous of the Beatles being a group: when you're the person running something big, you can have lots of supporting players, but no one but you knows the pressure of keeping things in tip top shape. and it is a lot of pressure.


• it's become very clear that one important thing has to happen before I can even *think* about leaving America for England. and that thing - something that could actually happen, versus something that will never happen, like me getting cured - is not going to happen anytime soon, so I think I can kiss my dream of living in England goodbye. and surprisingly, I'm okay with that. I had such a violent shock to the system on this trip that I'm not really sure when I'll return. if I do, I'm guessing it will have something to do with my dear friend Matt Abbott, whose presence I miss daily.

I'm going to work on trying to post more here in 2012, starting with one of those a "song a day" memes. I already know it's going to be tough work - not for the posting aspect, but for the choosing of the songs.

I learned something important this year, which I should have already predicted from the pain I experienced some 399 days prior. something still weighs so heavily on my heart, after the knife went in and then was twisted. it is so big it threatens my mental acuity, my health, all my future relationships. I can be in a public place, in the middle of a crowd, on an airplane, in an elevator...and I will start to cry. it's not right. everyone says I'm so strong; if only they knew. this is me, after years of fighting like my father said I would always have to. sometimes I am tired of fighting and being the strong one, I need someone to lean on. and the one person I want to lean on...I can't. he has no idea...and I have no way to tell him.

sometimes I feel like it is going to engulf me like a huge, oncoming wave with no warning: cold, painful, unrelenting. and sometimes I don't care that my life would end if it did. sometimes I just pray at night that my eyes will not open again, because then I could be sure all the pain would dissolve.

you can have all the right words prepared. but they are useless if you're never given the opportunity to say them.

triumphant return of the Stone Roses?

Twitter and the blogosphere was alight with excitement upon the rumour that the legendary Stone Roses are going to reform for some gigs in 2012.

if this all goes the way Clash (link here), Louder than War (link here) and other outlets have described what should happen - a press conference in Manchester next Tuesday announcing a few reunion gigs to take place in Manchester - these could be the hottest selling tickets of the new year.

I mean, I'd sell a limb to go see them. in Manchester of all places! I already did it for Morrissey...why not? now that I play bass, I have a lot better appreciation for Mani's bass playing and I for one would not want to miss the chance to see the master at work.

Elbow sold out for the second time in 2 years

I saw Elbow for the second time in 2 years at the 9:30 Club last Thursday. great performers, and it was a welcome injection of joy from Manchester that has basically been absent from the DC area since last autumn.

the crowning moment of the night was the set closer, 'One Day Like This'. this song has probably the stupidest video ever, but I figure this way more people can hear this song, in case they haven't already. (which is criminal!)

read my review of the gig here on There Goes the Fear; coming soon is my interview feature with guitarist Mark Potter on This is Fake DIY.

you'll be my master, I'll be your fever

I'm mourning the fact that I've only seen Villagers once, and that didn't really count b/c it was solo Conor J. O'Brien. enjoy this video of 'The Pact', one of the best songs from their 2010 Mercury Prize-nominated Domino debut, 'Becoming a Jackal'.

the sound of Merseyside

this is a nod to the British Invasion, which occupied my brain for many of my formative years...

this is a live performancedby the Searchers, and their famous hit 'Needles and Pins'. or known to my dorky brother as 'Needles and Pinsa'...

Emmy the Great - 'We Almost Had a Baby'

I first heard this song, Emmy the Great's 'We Almost Had a Baby', on Radcliffe and Maconie (back in their Radio2 days), it didn't mean anything to me personally. I loved the fact that Emma-Lee Moss is Chinese (well, half-Chinese: close enough) and making her dream of being a singer come true. more so, I was struck dumb by the beauty of her voice (in particular, the last couple notes that swirl in the air and tug at the heartstrings), as well as the strength of the songwriting. if the story is taken from her real life / is true (and from what I've seen on the Web, it sounds like it is?), it's amazing.

somehow she's managed to compartmentalise a fling with a Ricky Nelson-type 'Travelin' Man' that included a night of heated passion with someone who meant so much to her and still means so much to her, yet he could care less now. she recalls how she thought that after a night of unprotected sex, she was so worried she was pregnant. yet, the wistfulness is painful - she knows that if there had been a baby, it would have been their baby. so many times in film we see women thinking they can use having a baby as a trump card in keeping a man, and instead of this idea being a cheap ploy in this song, it's heartbreaking. she's despondent. perhaps there's even a part of her that wishes she had been pregnant, because maybe he would have stayed.

the next time I saw you
out on the road
I'd have something to say
other than "pay me all of the money you owe"

I would have liked to
to have something above you
to have something to hold
and know I could choose to grow

I would've called you
and I'd have said "hey
you know I'm in control
I'll let you know if you have to come and choose a name"

she also paints, in one brief verse, the very picture of lost innocence. pretty sure she lost her virginity to this man (cue the waterworks):

well, I am a woman
and you know I'm a woman
but before I met you
I was only a kid
you know
when you thought you would break me
but you wanted to take me
so you did

and later:

I'm not the girl you remember from the start
I was only a baby
now I'm what you made me

she admits to wanting to give up everything to prove to him she was worthy of his love:

and once you left me in the spring
and twice you left in fall
and once I tried to make a life
to keep myself in yours

also, it's painfully obvious that this man is a musician, who flitted into her life when it was possible and flitted right back out (fits the profile of a touring musician):

do you think of me when you are playing
the one and five in four?
is country music
what your life is for?

I don't think men fully realise that that when it comes to love / sex / having babies, it's us women who carry the majority of the brunt of the consequences. there's a reason why there are more male "playas" and male serial flirters than women: the stakes are higher for women. if we sleep around, don't use protection and birth control, we're the ones that get pregnant and have to live with the potential unsettling, life-changing outcomes of unsafe liaisons.

hmm. it just really hit home today. when you're in love with someone, that someone is your whole world. for women, often times we're the ones having to give sex, because the men in our lives expect it, and we think that is enough to prove our love for them. but if there is ever a point when that someone stops loving you, especially after you've given them the most precious gift in the world, it's impossible to comprehend. it's not a question of forgiveness. it's not simple at all. it's like you're a drifting boat, left to drift forever, staring out into the horizon and wondering where the hell you're going.

so I've spent the entire afternoon listening to the song, bawling. like a baby. predictably.

Delphic - Acolyte, live in Arras (July 2010)

I've discovered that the sound quality on my video feature of my new Panasonic camera sucks. I guess I should have tested it some but oh well :( it's not like you can really test gig quality in an electronics store. the photos are a lot better than my current Sony, so I guess I have that going for me...

anyway, I have been trying to find a video that does Delphic's live performance of 'Acolyte' justice. the problem: I cannot find one that has the sound AND visual aspects equally as good. this one is the best visual wise (except no exciting light show - the colouring was better at Roskilde :( ) and pretty good sound, from a festival in Arras, France last year. I'm working on mastering the bass line for this song, I love how the song's melody is essentially played on bass, with everything else secondary. please please let them keep this in the live set, even with album #2. (still terrified about album #2....)

it's exactly what I imagine heaven would sound like.

♥♥♥

radio mockery #1

I often think the radio stations, here in DC and in England, are somehow tuned into my brain, b/c they often will play songs that fit my mood at that one given time.

one example, when I was feeling especially low last week on the way home from work and crying, this first came on (INXS - 'Never Tear Us Apart'):



it was then followed by this (OMD - 'If You Leave'):



seriously, how many cars do they want crashed on the side of the road as the result of playing those songs back to back?

Brother visiting on Tuesday

not my own brother. that almost never happens. (my brother lives on the other side of the country.)

no, I mean, Brother, aka Viva Brother, aka Brother UK.

I have considered taking joke-suggestive photos with these boys. that is all.

I will say this: I wish my birthday was in May and not in November :(...

Delphic - Red Bull Academy Radio takeover

when I was trying to find the source of a photo I'd saved eons ago from Delphic's first performance in Los Angeles in June 2010 (approximately a month before I saw them live), I found this very interesting Red Bull Academy Radio takeover show via the China Shop Mag.



the tracks

Matt's picks:
Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work - Kitsune (BROS!)
Thom Yorke - The Eraser - XL Recordings (not a surprise, as it's Matt. read more here from my chat with him in Boston last year.)
Sebastien Tellier - La Ritournelle - Record Makers
Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come - RCA (yes! Motown! and I looooove Sam Cooke.)

Rick's picks:
David Bowie - Rock'n'Roll Suicide - EMI (not a surprise, as it's Rick. read more here from my chat with him at Roskilde last year.)
My Bloody Valentine - Sometimes - Creation Records (the fact that another one of my band friends adores makes this...weird. as in Twilight Zone weird.)
Outkast - Take Off Your Cool - Arista (this selection blew my mind. I'd never have guessed the Boardman liked Outkast. excellent choice.)
Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill - EMI

James's picks:
Studio - Life's A Beach - Information
Jeff Buckley - Morning Theft - Sony
Deerhunter - Microcastle - 4AD
Bjork - Wanderlust - Wellheart Ltd (not a surprise at all for Delphic)

this week's Roundtable (07/07)

I haven't forsaken you, kiddos. I've been listening to these shows and just not feeling entirely inspired. but I'm forcing myself to review today's show. PS Andrew Collins is deputising for Lammo tonight...

Andrew is joined by comic Isy Suttie, writer Mark Sutherland (isn't he with Billboard?) and presenter Bethan Elfyn.

1. Bombay Bicycle Club - 'Shuffle' - I actually don't like this, TBH. it's kind of disappointing. when I heard BBC was coming back, I hoped for a sound back like their first album, away from their second acoustic (and IMO misstep) 'Flaws'. not pleased!

2. Jukebox Collective - 'The Rise and Fall of Billy the Kid' - not liking this?

3. Rufus Wainwright - 'Down Where the Drunkards Roll' - is where the drunkards should stay. zzzzzz

4. Crystal Fighters - 'Plage' - I like this. I like them. kind of biased!

5. Bjork - 'Crystalline' - I don't like Bjork, much. this is another weird chapter to her already very weird encyclopedia. the best part? the instrumentation. why can't she sing like a normal person?

6. Dennis Hopper Choppers - 'All Could Come True' - another zzzz. not batting too well this week, Roundtable. the name of the band is amazing though.

7. Benjamin Francis Leftwich's new album - as Isy said, it's kind of oversweet. though I suppose if you're in need of getting de-cynicised (that's not a word but I'm making it one), it's a good place to start.

I've listened to the end of this show a couple times and did not discern Collins announcing a winner, maybe I missed it...but assume the winner was not announced.

should we raise the flag for Brother?

today it was announced on NME that Slough band Brother - who the NME, like the Vaccines before them, has supported massively, making you wonder if there's something in it for them beyond just "music journalism" - has had to change their name from "Brother" to "Viva Brother". according to this NME article, the band was served a writ at a show in San Francisco by a Celtic band of the same name.

there seems to be a massive, massive hatred for this band. I don't know where all this vitriol is coming from. granted, I'm generally look at every one of NME's picks with a jaundiced eye. take for example the band Mona. my guess is that the cockiness of Brother did the same thing cockiness did for Mona - it acted as self-made hype when no one else would have given it to them.

how many of these people who purportedly hate the band (some close friends - ?!?), want to beat them up, etc. have actually heard the band play live? (their debut album doesn't come out until 2 August so it's not like you really have that much to go on at this point.) I'm going to see Brother in late July when they're here in DC and see if they're any good. I won't pass judgment until I see them play all their material. Mona is quite good live, but I'm sure there are people who won't even have a listen to their stuff b/c there is so much backlash against them in the media.

music piracy - what does it mean to you

*note: there was no Roundtable this week b/c Lammo is at Glasto (obviously) and you couldn't pay me to listen to who's standing in for him *cough*Andrew Collins*cough* so that's why there is no Roundtable for the week of 19/06. just an FYI.

so last week when I was seeing Noah and the Whale - who BTW had an absolutely blinding performance at the 9:30, I couldn't believe I was seeing the same band! - a girl next to us was asking how I got my photo passes, complaining that staff had confiscated her DSLR and that they were being mean. I held my tongue firmly in cheek and didn't say (though I was perfectly in my right to), "I work hard for them." instead I explained that I ran my own music blog. then she started saying some things that probably common sayings among young people, but I was just appalled.

she was saying that on a journal Web site that shalt not be named she could get free albums from other people and that's where she got almost all her music.

you don't want to know what was going through my mind after that. you don't want to know. really.

I'll say now that I don't *mind* that much if you're trading with your mates your favourites to share music, b/c that's where we get good music tips, your best mates. but very rarely. I don't even do this, even though the number I have is insane (both digital and physical) and there's a legitimate reason why I have these. I don't really buy music anymore, b/c when I want to hear something, I ask for a review copy and review it. that way I've given back to the band somehow.

I think young people don't realise what all this illegal downloading is doing to music. I have this discussion with many of my friends' bands, bands that are not at the level of U2, Coldplay, or whoever else, who depend on album sales maybe not for the actual cash but for survival with their label.

while I can relate to young people being skint - I never got a regular allowance myself - it's called saving up. I didn't have enough money of my own to buy my own albums until I was 10. I suppose theoretically, as long as you're old enough to see the computer screen and click on things with the mouse, you could get whatever you wanted, couldn't you?

and I never stole any music as a kid either. the Web makes it far too easy, unfortunately. I used to say my purpose of being a blogger was to get people to gigs in Washington. but now maybe it is a crusade to get people to realise that the music you're stealing is someone else's baby, the product of their blood, sweat, and tears. how would you like it if someone just walked into your house and took something that belonged to you? and spread it around the world?

Delphic being silly in the countryside

anything I say about this will just detract from its nuttiness...so there you go.

(also, trying to "translate" the Northern accent for my mother: hilarious.)

this week's Roundtable (02/06)

trying to get back into the swing of things for Roundtable reviewing. this week's wasn't particularly glowing (*cough*new Arctic Monkeys*cough*) but I will soldier on...

Bella Union boss Simon Raymonde, Radio2's "Whispering" Bob Harris and Tom Gray of Gomez

1. Kaiser Chiefs - 'Little Shocks' - it's interesting the reaction to this new one from a band that's known for laddish, shouty rock. I rather like it, even if it doesn't have the immediacy of 'Never Miss a Beat'.

2. the Goodnatured - 'Skeleton' - despite this panel's slating of it, I love this record. I think the problem is...they're all blokes. they don't get what this is. yes, it's suggestive, but that's the point. yet Cheryl Cole, Katy Perry or Gaga can get away with it and you're telling Sarah McIntosh can't? there's always been a bit of subversiveness with Sarah and she's not going to change. "what you see is what you get."

3. Little Roy - 'Silver' - the winner - why do the British love reggae so much? ::fast forwards::

4. Milk Maid - 'Not Me' - this is like surf pop on drugs. the guitars don't do a thing for me, they're too slow.

5. Tame Impala - 'Solitude is Bliss' - I've never been a fan of psychedelia, so when there's a new band trying to do that sound, I have to ask myself, is this any better than what's come before? I'm sorry, this isn't. oh god, go away.

6. the King Blues - 'I Want You' - this is kind of funny. isn't this band supposed to be political? this sounds like something anyone could have written. ummm...? it's ok. I don't hate it. it's just not ringing any bells for me, that's all.

7. Arctic Monkeys new album - why did Lammo choose the worst song, 'The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala' to play? ick.

I'm so sorry

I haven't posted in over a month. apologies. I feel just terrible. I've just been so busy...there's really no one good excuse, so I might as well bring out the whole list...

• three different band interviews that had supposedly been shored up weeks prior were cancelled last minute (which is a pretty bad feeling, let me tell you)
• I couldn't go to a sold out show b/c the manager of one of those bands never touched base with the PR I was working with, so I never got a ticket (fail)
• a schoolfriend's child died (that practically killed me)
• busy sorting materials to give away and organising things for writers at the Great Escape in mid-May
• trying like the dickens to FINALLY get into the print edition of the This is Fake DIY magazine, after having two different pieces not make it in the inaugural issue (:/)
• I've been listening to Steve Lamacq's Roundtables and have not been impressed enough with the songs up for review to write about them

but there has been some good:

• met White Lies, finally (after over 2 years)
• met/interviewed Friendly Fires again (happily this was BEFORE Ed Mac had to be hospitalised :/)
• have been listening to some great albums, like the new ones from Tom Vek, Is Tropical and Wolf Gang and getting inspired
• requested time off in November so I can holiday in England and party with mates over there

hmmm. that doesn't really seem like much of an apology, does it? sorry about that. we'll see if this week's Roundtable fares any better and make this week and maybe I'll write about.

hope you're all well.

M x

We Might as Well Be Strangers - Keane on Jools Holland (a while ago)

I hated this album when it came out. why? 'Somewhere Only We Know' was overplayed to death here in America.

thankfully, I have a better appreciation for it now, years later.

this week's Roundtable (21/04)

Carl Barat, the Bluetones' Mark Morriss, and ...? join Lammo

1. Noah and the Whale - 'Tonight's the Kind of Night' - lovely! what a perfect piece of pop.

2. Tyler the Creator - 'Sandwitches' - next please.

3. Young Rebel Set - 'Lion's Mouth' - it's so scrappy...that's not the feeling I got from their previously released EP. I'll be deliberating on their new album for DIY soon.

4. Thurston Moore - 'Benediction' - the winner - do not like. zzzz.

5. Those Dancing Days - 'Can't Find Entrance' - I like this! it's poppy. not going to change any lives, but catchy.

6. Gomez -'Options' - it's ok but kinda surf poppy?

7. Fight Like Apes' new album 'The Body of Christ and Legs of Tina Turner' - I need to review this for TGTF this weekend. I think it's gonna be good. then again, I expect all albums I receive to be good!

this week's Roundtable (14/04)

Josie Long, Steve Mason, and Sean Forbes of Rough Trade join Lammo

1. Arctic Monkeys - 'Don't Sit Down 'Cause I Moved Your Chair' - I categorically love it, compared to their regular fluff. review on TGTF here

2. Let's Wrestle - 'In Dreams, pt. 2' (currently in Rebel Playlist brawl with Art Brut's 'Lost Weekend' and Frankie and the Heartstrings's 'That Postcard' this week) - all right. wouldn't mind seeing them live.

3. Beastie Boys - 'Make Some Noise' - glad to see them back. good stuff.

4. Rozi Plains - 'Humans' - ok. but what makes it stand out?

5. Art Brut - 'Lost Weekend' - I like the whispering, nice touch. and as usual, great lyrics. (I guess I should point out that Eddie Argos is a friend so I'm biased!)

6. D. Veloped - 'Bring Em Home' - this is ok, but the whistling is kind of annoying.

7. new TV on the Radio including 'Will Do' and 'Repetition' - pretty good but not something I'd go out and buy.

I've listened to the end of this show 3 times and there is NO winner announced. that's odd.

this week's Roundtable (07/04)

Join Lammo as he welcomes his guests journalist Keith Cameron, Jim-Bob from Carter USM and Jim Dale from Goldheart Assembly into the studio to discuss the latest releases.

1. Friendly Fires - 'Live Those Days Tonight' - sounding very 'Kiss of Life', and that's not a compliment. too little guitar in the forefront. :( "a Duran Duran remix after they were good" - ouch.

2. Graham Coxon, Paloma Faith and Bill Ryder Jones - 'Desire' - nice guitars. don't like anything else. (Paloma has a hell of an annoying voice.) the combination is enough to make you ROFLcopter.

3. the View - 'I Need That Record' - not terrible, but man, what a zzzz....

4. Dells - 'Gob' - umm...

5. Kate Bush - 'Deeper Understanding' - the winner - I don't get the British love for Kate Bush (generally exhibited by the male half of the population). whenever I listen to Kate Bush, I don't know why, but I think of a singing cat. (I like cats, so it's not a total slagging off. it's just that the sound she makes doesn't sound human nor do I think we should be applauding her for it, especially since this one sounds like AUTOTUNE...hello...leave that to Kanye West, please!)

6. Alex Metric and Ian Brown - 'Open Your Eyes' - I don't know how I feel about Ian Brown becoming a dance music star! esp since last week's squashed Stone Roses reformation rumours (thanks ever so much Mani)

7. the Kills new album 'Blood Pressure', including 'Satellite' - I like this stuff, but not as edgy as Alison's work with Jack White in the Dead Weather. boo.

seriously good Hurts / Delphic mash-up

just listen to this amazing mash-up of Hurts' 'Wonderful Life' and Delphic's 'Submission'. it's like they were MFEO. (if you've never seen 'Sleepless in Seattle', that means "made for each other".)

this week's Roundtable (31/03)

Lammo welcomes Janice Long, James Endeacott, and Jack Lawrence-Brown from White Lies

1. Justice - 'Civilization' - ? um...

2. Kitty, Daisy and Lewis - 'I'm Going Back' - interesting in the context of Imelda May and other rockabilly acts. they played Kung Fu Necktie 2 years ago (Philly) but they've never been to DC.

3. Odd Future - it doesn't matter what the title is, b/c I didn't like it.

4. Dutch Uncles - 'Cadenza' - I do like Dutch Uncles, they sound so different than everyone else. I think Duncan Wallis is an amazing lyricist.

5. Goldheart Assembly - 'Harvest in the Snow' - the winner - gorge. yay!

6. Carl Barat - 'Death Fires Burn at Night' - ok, this is just weird.

7. the Crookes' 'Chasing After Ghosts' - I'm on the fence. there are some lovely moments - 'Bloodshot Days', 'The Crookes Laundry Murder, 1922' - but I could live with some of the other tracks. read my review on DIY here

Friendly Fires get interviewed by Fuse

I just found this.

it's hilarious.

I honestly do not know what Ed Mac is talking about. he told me in Nottingham 2 years ago how uncomfortable he is singing to the camera, but I think he's got that down pat :)

(has it really been 2 years since I've been to England??? ::whimper::)

hands clean

I have been thinking over the last couple of weeks how apt this song by Alanis Morissette is in my life.

no one knows except the both of us

er, sorta.

this week's Roundtable (24/03)

Andrew Collins stands in for Lammo with guests Michael Legge, Matt Berry and Dave Harper from Frankie and the Heartstrings

1. Guillemots - 'The Basket' - it's dreamy but in a way I don't really like. not sure what else to say?

2. Smith Westerns - 'Weekend' - it's cute, in the sense that Blur were cute in their fey laziness.

3. Yuck - 'Get Away' - ? it's all right.

4. Fleet Foxes - 'Battery Kinzie' - all of their songs sound the same. sorry.

5. Bootsy Collins - 'Hip Hop @ Funk You' - is this a joke? haha. oh dear...

6. Paul Simon - 'The Afterlife' - the winner - bored. they're all afraid of knocking Paul Simon. Paul Simon is doing what he always does. nothing new here.

7. the Vaccines' debut album 'What Did You Expect from the Vaccines' - it took me a while but I came around. ok, this is weird - 'Wetsuit' is like Fleet Foxes...WTF?

just perfect.

the original recording from 'Meat is Murder' is still better than the live versions out there.

I want the one I can't have
and it's driving me mad
it's all over, all over my face

this week's Roundtable (17/03)

1. Gorillaz - 'Revolving Doors' - though Blur has some good tunes, I always liked Oasis more than Blur. and songs like this remind me that Damon Albarn is no Liam Gallagher (or NOEL Gallagher, for that matter).

2. Hollie Cook - 'That Very Night' - why do Brits love reggae so much? I don't like it, no matter how much I was exposed to it in uni. there's never a good time for reggae.

3. Alex Turner - 'It's Hard to Get Around the Wind' (from the 'Submarine' soundtrack) - I guess this is ok. it just kind of oozes around, like wet cement. nothing particularly exciting here.

4. Two Wounded Birds - 'All We Wanna Do' - another surf pop guitar band? zzzzz god the inanity.

5. TV on the Radio - 'Caffeinated Consciousness' - again, ok. it's kind of punky but lacks pizazz.

6. Hiatus - 'Insurrection' - the winner (barely winning over the reggae track) - I have a real problem with dance music that doesn't 'speak' to me. I'm not trying to be a snob. while there are times I can give myself over to dance music that isn't particularly standing out to me from all the rest, a dance track must have 1) a compelling vocal or 2) amazing instrumentation, preferably both. this falls flat on both measurements.

7. new Strokes album 'Angles' - disclaimer: I've never been a Strokes fan. of any size fandom. I don't know what it is. oh wait a minute, I do know what it is. it's all v. derivative. oh god, this is so boring! I know I'm not stupid about music but god, this is a snooze.

Two Door Cinema Club wins Breaking mtvU Woodie

I am so proud of my buds Two Door Cinema Club for winning the Breaking mtvU Woodie. hell, even Friendly Fires didn't manage that 2 years ago.

watch them perform 'What You Know', my favourite song by them, in front of an adoring audience in Austin last night. hells to the yeah.

2011 mtvU Woodie Awards

sorry is the hardest word...

I've been so harried running to and from things and having to travel out to the foreign land known as California for the job that pays all my bills that I've missed the last 2 Roundtables. I feel terrible :/ hopefully I'll be able to review tomorrow's St. Patrick's Day edition (17/03) and somewhat make up for it.

I'm sort of obsessed with this song by the Joy Formidable. they're one of my favourite live bands as of late (seeing them next week at the Black Cat) and this song, 'The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade', sums up pretty much what should be the healthy end of a relationship. but we all know it's more difficult than that. ::frown::

to anyone who's ever suffered a broken heart...this song better than anything I've found shows that you are not alone. and you will come out on the other end of this terrible event in one piece. and stronger.

this week's Roundtable (24/02)

comedian Ed Byrne, singer/songwriter Patrick Wolf and Dave Lorre join Lammo this week

1. Foo Fighters - 'Rope' - I really like this. sure beats the hell out of that snorefest that was 'Wheels' last year. was that last year? I don't even remember. hell, even Pat Smear is back with the Foos. good sign!

2. the Dodos - 'Black Night' - when I heard this the first time, I thought it was Princeton. imagine my disappointment. I keep missing them on tour, I guess I should just hunker down and see them already.

3. the Jim Jones Revue - 'Dishonest John' - not as good as 'Shoot First...' more like a scream fest?

4. the Low Anthem - 'Boeing 737' - uhhhh... these are the same guys that put out 'Ohio' and 'Charlie Darwin', right?

5. the Primitives - 'Rattle My Cage' - too twee for me. there's no direction, as there is for, say, Camera Obscura.

6. Cashier No. 9 - 'Goldstar' - interesting. they're Northern Irish but this sounds very...'60s British Invasion? but the synths remind me of Pains of Being at Heart...

7. Radiohead album 'King of Limbs' - not gonna touch this one. sorry!

oh bugger, I missed who won again. for cryin' out loud. oops.

February 2011 Delphic teaser vids

when Rick Boardman told me last summer they were going shock some people ("It will still sound like Delphic I think, but I think it’ll shock some people. A lot of people really" - read more here) he wasn't kidding.

posted 03/02/2011 (featuring a very strange...er...just watch it)


posted 23/02/2011 (rumba beats, piano chords and what appears to be Boardman, not James Cook's voice...intriguing...)

Paul Epworth says 'Pala' is a "real game changer"

6music's Adrian Larkin spoke to producer Paul Epworth about Friendly Fires's new album 'Pala' and the new direction they've gone into...

I'm actually more excited about Friendly Fires's new material more than I am about this supposed Delphic weirdo-direction new material because the St. Albans' blokes' stuff is actually going to be released this spring versus who knows when...

off the wagon

sorry. no Friday amusement. you could say I'm not in the mood?

this is the only Vaccines song I can stand / doesn't sound like a Ramones rip-off. enjoy.

oh when you love somebody but you find someone,
and it all unravels and it comes undone

this week's Roundtable (17/02)

Kai Fish of Mystery Jets, ex-Pipette Rose Elinor Dougall , and BBC Radio1 presenter Edith Bowman join Lammo

1. the Human League - 'Never Let You Go' - oh goodness. autotune? I'd never in a million years would have put Human League and autotune in the same sentence. awful. categorically awful.

2. the Dum Dum Girls - 'He Gets Me High' - the problem with all these bands - Dum Dum Girls, Warpaint, the Like...they all sound the same, and they all sound like the Gogos. boring. someone please explain to me how these are "groundbreaking".

3. Roddy Woomble - 'Roll Along' - uhhhh this is ok. the brass is kind of weird? I thought it'd be nice, smooth, singer/songwriter kind of thing. and it's overorchestrated. people don't seem to understand less is more.

4. John Foxx and the Maths - 'Evergreen' - oh dear. this sounds like English blokes trying to be Kraftwerk! ::giggle:: giving it a pass.

5. Anna Calvi - 'Blackout' - the winner - I still don't get this woman. she sounds ok but it's not mind-blowing. as usual, I'm very cynical about female singers...

6. Moby - 'Be the One' - hahahaha Lammo was thinking exactly what I was thinking. this ain't no Jack Penate!

7. Gruff Rhys's solo album 'Hotel Shampoo' - this is ok. he's got a bit of a humdrum voice.

3 videos for a much needed battery recharge

1. pretty anticlimactic film, but this is probably my favourite song off Keane's 'Perfect Symmetry'. they never play it live, so I find it weird this is a performance video.

I have this crazy dream that one day Tim Rice-Oxley will write a song that I can duet on with Tom Chaplin. but until that day, I find solace in that there is something better, bigger than what you're doing right this v. moment. it might not feel that way, but get inspired!

you can hang your hopes on the medicine
you can put your faith in the phone-in
you can tell yourself you're doing your best
you can do so much better than this



2. this Vertical Horizon video for 'Everything You Want' takes me back quite a bit. I remember thinking, how the heck did they delay the guitars like that? (now I can fathom a guess: an effect pedal or an effect put in production later on, I'm sure.) I didn't understand what it meant then - I was a naive little kid - but I get it now.

you're waiting for someone to put you together
you're waiting for someone to push you away
there's always another wound to discover
there's always something more you wish he'd say

and yes, everything you want is not everything you need. usually.



3. I take it as a good sign that I can listen to 'Magic' by the Cars and not break down (haha no pun intended). watching the video and noting how pointy Ric Ocasek is? that really helps.

the '80s were such thrilling years for music. everything since has been redux/remake/remodel of something that's come before. or electronically produced to be such.

'Perfect' and 'Love is Like Oxygen' for Valentine's Day

two features for today.

1. the video for Smashing Pumpkins's 'Perfect' makes no sense. (if you feel the need to watch it, go here.) but the song is, no pun intended, perfect, especially the lyrics. so follow them on the video below. I've also included a live telly appearance from several years back.

anyone who has loved and lost can relate to this...

strangers down the line
lovers out of time
memories unwind...
so far, I still know who you are
but now I wonder who I was...
angel, you know it's not the end
we'll always be good friends
the letters have been sent on...

is it hopeful? is it regretful? what do you think?





2. the Sweet's 'Love is Like Oxygen' has somewhat silly lyrics, but the more you listen to them, they make more sense. especially if you've been loved. and been hurt.

love is like oxygen
you get too much, you get too high
not enough and you're gonna die

'Fireworks' demo

this is a demo of 'Fireworks' by my dear friend Matt Abbott (aka Skint and Demoralised). sure beats that Katy Perry rubbish.

"the only way to love myself is spending my time with you..." good work mate!

two good friends have a birthday today - ♥ you, hope you're enjoying your day.

Delphic - old 'blog video' 04/03/09

to this day I still have no idea why Rick Boardman does not have biceps like a gorilla's. he should be as ripped as Dan Hadley. WHAT.

watch this (drumsticks flying) and see what I mean...

and be a gymnast. see 1.09. an outdoor climbing wall? REI has never come up with anything so cool. (BTW, best wishes son...)

and Dan. ohhhh Dan. LOLZ slave to the rhythm at 3.10, completely oblivious to what's going on around him. LOVE IT ::snicker::

this week's Roundtable (10/02)

with NME's Kristi Murrison, Miranda Sawyer, and Simon Raymonde

1. the Strokes - 'Under the Cover of Darkness' - I've never been a huge Strokes fan. this just sounds like generic guitar rock to me. yes, I know to be ready for a stoning.

2. Flats - 'Never Again' - the winner - too screamy. blech. are you shouting "ELLA! ELLA! ELLA! ELLA!" ???

3. Jon Fratelli - 'Rhythm Doesn't Make You a Dancer' - this isn't as bad as everyone is saying it is. it sure is better than the one that followed it...

4. Dr. Dre feat. Eminem and Skylar Gray - 'I Need a Doctor' - what is this. ugh.

5. The Dears - 'Blood' - not my usual thing but it's got a v. cool vibe.

6. Iron and Wine - 'Dream by the River' - is.not.my.thing.

7. the Streets' new album - good stuff. interesting, unlike #4.

Two Door Cinema Club - before they was

this is Life Without Rory, the band Two Door Cinema Club was in before they became...well, Two Door Cinema Club. the presenter says they're 16 years old, which would place this show 5 years ago.

check out Sam Halliday's long locks. and TBH I'm not sure if that's Kev Baird on bass. if it is, it's really weird how he and Sam look like twins. I guess I shouldn't be so surprised:



watch and enjoy a live performance of 'You Missed the Point' by Life without Rory below. (Two Door Cinema Club is a MUCH better band name, isn't it?)

this week's Roundtable (03/02)

Keith Cameron, and who else? not sure...it's not on Lammo's page (sorry)

1. Fleet Foxes - 'Helplessness Blues' - I liked Fleet Foxes when they first appeared on the scene, I really did. then they became the populist favourite, which drove me nuts b/c people were liking them b/c it was 'cool'. this is ok. but boring.

I remember wanting to see them at the Black Cat 3 years ago and of course the show(s) sold out. now they're playing DAR this year, which I think is ridiculous!

2. Cloud Control - 'There's Nothing in the Water' - man, this is annoying.

3. the View - 'Grace' - I know I'm not supposed to like these guys but pretty catchy. now I understand the mainstream appeal.

4. Gil-Scott Heron (reworked by Jamie xx) - the winner - 'I'll Take Care of You' -it's ok. just not my thing.

5. Beth Ditto / Simian Mobile Disco - 'I Wrote the Book' - interesting, didn't they do 'Cruel Intentions' before? it's amazing to hear Beth Ditto's voice again disco, it actually sounds better than her stuff with the Gossip.

6. James Blake - 'The Wilhelm Scream' - I don't really get James Blake. it's ok I suppose but I don't like the sound effects.

7. Chapel Club's 'Palace' - I adore this album. top 10 of 2011, for sure. 'Blind' - GORGEOUS. and I'm not saying that b/c Lewis Bowman personally sent me the lyrics to that song. ::swoon::

Polly Scattergood - 'Please Don't Touch'

my last thing I can remember about Polly Scattergood was standing in a Fopp's in Nottingham in May 2009, looking at a CD display of Dot to Dot artists and wondering if I should buy her album. I didn't - I bought Grizzly Bear (at Friendly Fires' suggestion - mistake), Late of the Pier (Friendly Fires' suggestion again - definite win), and Elbow's 'The Seldom Seen Kid' instead.

I just started thinking about her again today b/c Lammo interviewed her on a "Where Are They Now?" feature on his show today, and she said she's working on a new album. good stuff.

and good stuff indeed - this is 'Please Don't Touch', which seems rather appropriate given my mental state at the moment.

Two Door Cinema Club - ITN interview bites

poor Sam. you can tell by his hands he's sooo nervous! and directly below that, an acoustic version of 'Undercover Martyn' from the same session. loverly.

this week's Roundtable (27/01)

1. Noah and the Whale - 'L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N' - just classic NATW, you get this wonderful feeling inside listening to them (something you can't say every time about Mumford and Sons). I can't wait to see these guys on the road again.



2. Lupe Fiasco - 'The Show Goes On' - oh no. do we really need a song that has stolen Modest Mouse's 'Float On'? I just hope they get tons of royalties.

3. Morning Parade - 'A&E' - I like the swagger of this. never heard of them, going to have to do some research! err...are the Snow Patrol comparisons valid?

4. Jessica Lea Mayfield - 'Our Hearts Are Wrong' - not terribly exciting.

5. Scritti Politti - 'A Day Late and a Dollar Short' - oh dear. this sounds terrible. I think they're messing with their legacy, in a bad way.

6. Dog is Dead - 'River Jordan' - seems like everyone is trying to jump on the religious bandwagon.

7. Adele's new album '21' - it's ok. it'll grow on me for sure. (I'm just so cynical about girl singers ;)

missed who the winner was b/c my mum was yelling at me about the snow...eh, I'll figure this out later...

AH-OH-AH-AH-OH - Two Door Cinema Club rocks out the 9:30 Club

so my favourite Irish boys Two Door Cinema Club were in town last Thursday night to entertain us. along with them were Tokyo Police Club (Canadians from Ontario) and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (Americans from Missouri) but for me, it was all about Two Door.

you see, I've known their music since before xmas 2009. I/TGTF was the first blog to have written about them, that I'm aware of anyway. certainly one of the earliest mentions of 'Tourist History'. I wrote previously about our first meeting in April 2010 here and here. since then they've skyrocketed to fame and it couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of hard-working guys from a little town in Northern Ireland who dreamed of being massive one day.

well, they've arrived. selling out American venues is a big deal for a band from a town thousands of miles away.

PW review (I compare the whole thing to a three-course dinner, including Two Door as the best curry you've ever eaten in your life)

TGTF review

well, 'What You Know' is thoroughly danceable.

I love 'What You Know' an inordinate amount. it's my favourite track from Two Door Cinema Club's 'Tourist History', because the bass line is relentless and the guitar lines are second to none. the lyrics are great too - so true. "I can tell just what you want / you don't want to be alone, you don't want to be alone / and I can say it's what you know / but you've known it all the time, you've know it all the time..." months before we met in person, I just knew there were something special about these guys.

I just sussed the bass line of the chorus of this song last weekend and am feeling rather victorious, but b/c of so much stuff on top of it, I'm having trouble with the verse. so much so that I kind of begged Kev Baird to help me with it. no response as of yet...

oh bloody hell I LOVE THIS SONG ♥ ♥ ♥ ::sob::

*ahem*

I'm so sorry for the I consider these guys my little brothers. watching them gain the success they deserve from all their hard work they've put in brings tears to my eyes.

Friendly Fires returns

the boys from St. Albans were my favourite band of 2009. and they're ba-ack! 26 May 2011 at 9:30 Club, finally returning to DC after 2 years - about bloody time!

read more here on PopWreckoning

Delphic at London Tabernacle, 26/1/2010

this is probably the most beautifully shot amateur video I've seen of Delphic live, at what appears to be a New to Q session gig. the lighting's perfect. I actually prefer this lighter touch than what was seen at Glasto and Reading/Leeds last summer. Matt Cocksedge looks amazingly cool and collected. wow.



and in answer to one of the commenters, NO, James Cook does not look like Adam Levine. none of them do...???

below is my favourite song off 'Acolyte', 'Submission'. I had a nice chat with James before they played in Boston on 29 September 2010 and he said they were going to play it that night. I was pretty excited. but until now I hadn't seen a video of the song played live. (I was too spellbound to capture it myself at Roskilde or Boston.)

this week's Roundtable (13/01)

with Katie Sutherland (Pearl and the Puppets), Eddie Argos (Art Brut) and comedian Mark Steele

1. Pete and the Pirates - 'Winter 1' - I don't really remember what this band used to sound like, but I defo don't remember them sounding so...'80s? the chugging along is annoying.

2. Asian Dub Foundation - 'A History of Now' - oh. my. god. WHY. (I think in this case these are Indians, not Asians in the American sense...)

3. Band of Horses - 'Dilly' - this is more pop than I remember them being. I like. I like whimsical!

4. Reverend Soundsystem - 'Wife Her Up' - this is just. weird. McClure, stick with what you're best at, please.

5. Mogwai - 'Mexican Grand Prix' - the winner - the synths are up too high. hello. where are the guitars?

6. Fixers - 'Iron Deer Dream' - first off, the vocals are grating. ugh. NEXT.

7. Anna Calvi's debut album - everyone else is going crazy over this. I'm not excited. what's wrong with me?

why haven't I thought of this before? best idea for a tour ever...

according to a chat I had with the exceedingly intelligent and lovely Matt Cocksedge of Delphic, Squib Swain does lighting for both them and Two Door Cinema Club.

so last night when I was driving home and listening to 'I Can Talk', I was thinking...why not have...

the AH-OH-AH-AH-OH / AH-EE-AY-OH-AH-EE-EE-AY-OH tour

the posters alone would be amazing. they could get placement on Sesame Street.

this is completely copyrighted by me, 'natch.



disclaimer: there is no such tour planned, though it's not from lack of interest on my part. I've tried my best to get the ball rolling on this!

Two Door 'You Think You Know...' Babysweet documentary

in case you haven't seen it yet, here is the amazing 'You Think You Know, You Don't Know: A film about Two Door Cinema Club' documentary by the Babysweet folks. I honestly thought it was going to be on DVD format with the expanded edition of 'Tourist History' (I reviewed it both for Popwreckoning and TGTF) but no. they decided to let everyone have a watch of it, which, in hindsight, was pretty cool of them. watch it below.

I AM SO PROUD OF EVERYTHING THEY'VE ACHIEVED!

I AM SO EXCITED TO SEE THEM IN 11 DAYS!

I'M GONNA HUG THEM LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW!

ok. I'll calm down now.

This Momentary at Reading, and more

baby, it's cold outside. so why not think of Reading from last summer. this is my bass-playing nemesis. James Cook makes it look so easy! it's the hypnotic bass line that makes 'This Momentary' great. even if I can't suss it. grrrr...lol

interestingly, the BBC accidentally forgot to turn on the country restrictions for Reading that night and I was actually able to watch the whole thing from my computer. I couldn't have been happier :) the energy at the NME/Radio1 tent looked amazing. sometimes I cannot believe I was standing right in front of this band at tiny little DC9 last October.





below are some more vids from some guy who I guess ripped them from telly - 'Clarion Call', 'Doubt', 'Red Lights', 'Halcyon', and 'Counterpoint' . the annoying thing is that banner he's put up at the top. the least he could have done was make it smaller or less blinding. BUT if you haven't seen Delphic live, it's worth the eye strain. I think so anyway. they look nice in suits!

'this performance contains strobe lighting.' uh yeah, YA THINK? haha

first Roundtable of 2011 (06/01)

Frank Turner, Colin Newman from Wire, and Tom Robinson will be joining Steve for Roundtable today

1. REM - 'Discoverer' - not jumping out at me. then again, I thought I'd always hate 'Man Sized Wreath' and ended up loving it. wait for it.

2. Pearl and the Puppets - 'Because I Do' - I thought this was out a long time ago! ::confused:: I love Katie Sutherland's pop sensibility. what is minor hilarity is that she knows this too.

3. Cosmo Jarvis - 'Gay Pirates' - I didn't want to like this song. and then I reviewed it on TGTF and loved it. really jaunty.

4. Bright Eyes - 'Shell Games' - umm. ok. Conor Oberst is like God to some people but he was never for me. ok but not earth shattering.

5. J Mascis - 'Not Enough' - the winner - ugh. I don't like stuff like this when the voice is not melodic at all. American heroics? gag me.

6. Audiobullyz - 'Shotgun' - begins deceptively. hmmm. not as annoying as most of the stuff on the top 40. interesting, shall we say...

7. British Sea Power's new album 'Valhalla Dancehall' including 'Stunde Nell' - ok, I really don't get this. I am getting the feeling that like Radiohead, it's like this big secret that I'm not being let into. it's too bad, b/c I thought with 'Living is So Easy', they were going for a more pop, mainstream sound. but I guess not. thumbs down.

The Script - 'For the First Time'

pop music videos aren't known for much substance. but watch this one of the Script's 'For the First Time' (from their second album, 'Science & Faith') and I challenge you NOT to sob at the end of watching it.

go to it.



I was weeping like a baby.

"I never feel l like I'm mashed enough to watch it" (Rock am Ring 2010 interview)

I know it's not Friday - yet - but it came to my attention that today is a bank holiday in England, so watching this on your day off from work/school is perfectly acceptable.

Delphic and Two Door Cinema Club's lighting man extraordinaire Squib Swain is compared to Squidward of 'Spongebob Squarepants' fame, Rick reveals his former obsession with Melissa Joan Hart as Clarissa in 'Clarissa Explains It All' (seriously, I thought I was on the only one who watched that show religiously, haha), their race with Foals on the Formula 1 racetrack and other topics are explored in this interview at Rock am Ring, conducted interestingly by a Dane (Rock am Ring is in Germany).