Totteridge

Monday morning and I got the chance to visit my mate Dan who is currently undergoing chemo. So not the best circumstances, but he is bearing up really well. Main issue after the initial nastiness of a chemo session is that he gets tired quickly.  So we went for a walk in Totteridge Valley near where he lives. He has rekindled an interest in bird watching so off we went in search of something interesting. Of course inevitably when you take someone all the interesting birds disappear.. We did see some lapwing in a field at a distance which quite challenged my binoculars. But just as we got back we came across a Dunnock on the path. Quite pleased with that as I had never knowingly seen a Dunnock before. I say knowingly because as Dan pointed out, its a small brown bird which can easily be dismissed as just another small brown bird. (the pink legs are apparently the giveaway.)

So, no photos of birds, but I did snap a woodland butterfly. This is a Speckled Wood. Quite pleased with this.

This landmark was pointed out to me by Dan. It's Mike Ashley's mansion.

The walk takes in Darlands Lake.

 Ok not exactly Ullswater, but a pleasant enough diversion, although sadly devoid of all but the most commonplace of birds. Below Mallard (with head obscured by perfectly placed out of focus leaf!) with moorhen in the top right, sitting on a branch rather than in the water. Not going to get wildlife photographer of the year with that one.

The Good the Bad and the Queen

This was a choice of my mate Andy rather than mine. 

The Good the Bad and the Queen are the latest project of Damon Albarn from Blur. They have actually produced two albums, and are somewhat of a supergroup of oldies including former members of the Clash and the Verve. But it was a somewhat odd evening.

Good start as we ate at an upmarket Indian restaurant in Mayfair called Bombay Bustle. My prior experience of upmarket Indian restaurants has always been poor compared to local curry houses. For once this was not. Much higher price tag, but at least we felt we had got genuinely good food for it.

But the odd thing to start with in the gig was not just that it was the London Palladium but that we were sat up in the Royal Circle. Normally I would turn up my nose at that, but actually it was ideal. The Stalls were still seats, but  people crowded to the front so it would have been just uncomfortable standing with obstacles. But we got an excellent view from the Circle with comfortable seats. (Well more comfortable for me with restricted leg room than my 6 foot 5 companion.)

The opening act was distinctly odd, an elderly gentleman who apparently plays the organ in Blackpool, doing a medley of pop like Queen and Abba. Take your pick - fun and quirky, or in Andy's words, "What's the point?"

 And then onto the main course. There will be those (Andy amongst them) who think Damon is a genius and indeed he has an impressive back catalogue when you listen to Blur and the Gorillaz. For some therefore he can do little wrong. There were a lot of women of a certain age at the front who clearly just wanted to touch the great man's hands as if they could heal leprosy.

For me, well some of his output as Good the Bad and the Queen is good, but some is just pretentious crap. Bits are effectively his pretence at something like beat poetry over music which has no melody and is little above audio-doodling. In his mind I am sure there is profundity in his lyrics. But just in his mind. When he talks he is surprisingly inarticulate.

By far the most impressive parts of the evening were those where his "backing singers" came into play. A few times the curtain at the rear would rise to reveal the Penarth Male Voice Choir. They were tremendous, and added so much to the songs. Not just my opinion - you should have heard the applause when they finished.

Two Door Cinema Club at the Oval Place

I was fortunate enough tio be invited to this gig by a mate of mine who had found this gig in Bethnal Green. Actually I had seen it too, but while n Egypt and was sold out before I had the chance to buy. The venue is a small one, I understand usually used for raves rather than gigs, especially not for artists of the calibre of Two Door Cinema Club. I had also seen the main support before, Circa Waves, and have an album of theirs, so this was a treat.

Made more so by the fact that the first support, Anteros, of whom I had never heard, were way better than an opening support act has the right to be. Truly excellent lead singer - looked the part, attractive, magnetic, with a very fine voice, not shrill like many blond lead vocalists who are put up to be pretty, but strong and yet nuanced. Just very good.

Circa Waves were promoting a new album. They are an underrated band. Good as an afternoon slot at a festival.

 

 And then we got the main act. Two Door Cinema Club also have a new album coming out and this show had some new stuff along with their incredibly upbeat early indie stuff. They can do little wrong in my book. Have a very youthful following too, so their new stuff is equally popular. I will happily take every opportunity to see them live. Just such a good set of songs to pump out.