Paranoid Android
“I promised myself I wouldn’t cry.”
Wait.
“I promised myself I wouldn’t apologize.”
That’s better.
I have a half-written post about death which I might upload sometime in the future. Right now, as in, now, that state of mind is dead. Buried. Dead and buried, if you can find it within yourselves to pardon such an easy pun. It’s December, again, also known as “That Time of the Year”.
Oh, it all makes sense now.
In case you’re wondering about GP Bilbao, I scrubbed out miserably. Hey, the writing was on the wall, I just chose to conveniently ignore my gut instinct and not switch decks at the last minute. Turns out my fears were well-founded. Not a mistake I plan on comitting again. At least, until the next time I have a choice.
I went to watch Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang last night, and the fact that this movie is getting such a limited release over in the US is a fucking crime. The movie is amazing: it’s funny, the plot is great, and it features Val Kilmer playing a character called Gay Perry. It also features Robert Downey Jr.’s addicted visage, and them riffing off each other redefines the term “on-screen chemistry”. You might be SOL on this one, but if you get a chance to watch it, do so. It features my Seal of Approval.
I also went to see Coldplay live last week. What can I say? I was underwhelmed. We arrived just as the opening band started playing, and after a song and a half, the power went out for a minute or so. By the time the lights were back on, the band had cleared the stage and the roadies were clearing the stage. I couldn’t give a fuck about Goldfrapp, anyway, but I paid good money for my ticket, and waiting 45 minutes with nothing to do is not kosher. When Coldplay finally got on stage, I was terrified by how lousy Chris Martin’s voice really is. I was hoping for somebody to Lee Harvey Oswald him out of his misery, but I had to suffer the entire 80 minutes.
80 fucking minutes. Talk about not getting your money’s worth. I was so angry I didn’t even buy a t-shirt. So unless you get a Rodney whenever you hear Yellow, stay well away from this sorry excuse for an emo-crap band. You, sir, are no Bono (even if our retarded spanish journalists insist on making the comparison).
I also went to watch Real Madrid vs. Olympique De Lyon at the Santiago Bernabeu. The first 45 minutes were entertaining, but the second half demonstrated that it wasn’t really a football match as much as a face-off between a t-shirt factory and an actual team. This was best exemplified by the pack of hot nubile english girls who left the stadium in disgust when Beckham was swapped out for another player who wasn’t as savagely good-looking as him.
All in all, an entertaining week. No more interesting concerts until next year, unless I succumb to the temptation and buy Danger Danger tickets (80s glam metal > owns me). Gobble gobble.
Chito wrote:
Well, it seems indeed like an interesting week for you.
At least your guts don’t have shit for brains, like our “friend” Rob Gordon. Coldplay, on the other hand, is one of those bands that I’ll only see them live if somebody paid for my ticket. It’s not that I don’t like them, I just don’t care about them. I know what it feels like to go to concert and not even be mildly amused by it. Talking about concerts, last thursday I went to see this Portuguese group called Blasted Mechanism (http://www.blastedmechanism.com/) at the Fabrik in Hamburg, cortesy of my older brother. This is the second time I’ve seen them live. The first time was during the summer in music festival in Germany. The diference this time was I was in front row. And by that, I mean the band was only two meters away from me. Those guys rule to motherfucking hell (as we said back then). I don’t know how to discribe them. They mix so many styles and rythims that’s hard for me to categorize them. All I can say is that they use costumes while on-stage, wich adds a good flavour to the music, like KISS used to (are still) do(ing).
Too bad their set lasted about an hour, but I guess it must be really hard and tired to play with big costumes on.
Posted 28 Nov 2005 at 9:25 pm ¶
alvarete wrote:
Hell, I’d pay 40€ for a good 60 minute show, as opposed to a 90 minute snooze-fest.
Fuck Coldplay!
Posted 29 Nov 2005 at 3:37 pm ¶
blunight wrote:
Somethign`s awfully familiar about this conversation….
Alvarete, i think you have, btu if you haven`t read 31 songs by Hornby…ini there he talks about how you can actually walk out of a concert, movie, theatre, or performance, whenever you want. I can`t believe doing it either, walking out, its just so complicated, the ability to just turn your back…
Suddenly i realize a lot about my life…
He walked out of a Led concert…the bastard.
Posted 29 Nov 2005 at 4:06 pm ¶
alvarete wrote:
I have, as of now, read all of Hornby’s books. Except the last one. You know, that’s not a Nick Hornby book. It’s the written work of a man who whored his talent to the movie industry. Nick Hornby is dead.
That said, I know I can walk out of a shitty show whenever I want. For the Coldplay concert, I had 42 pretty fucking powerful reasons to stay. If this was a perfect world, shows would be free, and you’d buy a couple of ghastly overpriced t-shirts on the way out to show your appreciation. As it is, once I pay 42 bones for a ticket, I’m staying even if a suicide bomber goes off on stage. In fact, had that happened at the Coldplay show, with the bomber taking out Chris Martin’d shitty existence, I would’ve bought the fucking t-shirt!
Posted 29 Nov 2005 at 6:25 pm ¶
blu wrote:
Its weird to be writing here….anyway, i wanna say one small thing about Hornby, and then kill the topic. In High Fidelity, the book, he says in his top five books that one would be any William Gibson book and Douglas Adams´Hitchhiker`s. The guys a geek. They made him “COOLER” for the film, i mean Rob Gordon, and the geek beign Hornby. Anyway….
Posted 30 Nov 2005 at 7:57 pm ¶
Chalito wrote:
I don’t get why people hate Coldplay cuz they are “very fukin popular”. I don’t, love the band, but I definately don’t think they suck. Yes, I do smile when I look back at the day when i bought Parachutes in the USA and nobody here knew who they were…and I do hate it when an airhead bimbo comes up to me to chat about the greatness of Coldplay, when that same bitch didn’t like them when I played it to her 5 years ago….still, despite all that, I can’t say they are bad.
Their last record is extremely good, however, i do agree they’re probably not a great live act…come on, they are the perfect working music, something you can simply ignore….what did you expect???
now to the good stuff: I just lived the most expensive weekend of my life, I took a couple days off work, got on a plane to Argentina and saw Pearl Jam Live…fukin amazing!!!
Best experience of my life time, even better than gettin head while driving (yes, also a proud moment in my life).
They were awsome, they sounded perfect, the band was obviously happy to be there…but most of all, the fans ruled!
You either love or hate argentinians, well, either way, I tip my hat to the bastards. The whole soccer field was jam packed and they kept jumping up and down like crazy. Eddie Vedder said it was definately the best and most energetic audience he’d play for in his carrer.(hard to lie since they release every freeekin concert they do).
The most touching moment came when he dedicated “I beleieve in miracles” to Johnny Ramone and after seeing everyone singing alone, he actually broke into tears.
i always thought U2 live would be the top of my list (haven’t been there yet), but after PJ, I doubt anything will top it.
Ole ole ole ole, Pearl Jam, Pearl Jam!!!!
“You gyus rule, nobody else ever sings along to the guitar solos for christ sakes!”
Eddie Vedder, Buenos Aires (After the song Black)
Posted 01 Dec 2005 at 2:24 am ¶
Chalito wrote:
BTW, the PJ concert lasted 2 hours and 20 minutes!
Posted 01 Dec 2005 at 3:35 pm ¶
Chase Ransom wrote:
Coldplay isn’t terrible. I dont consider them good. They are definitely one of the most overrated bands in history. Coldplay is crap. They have the longevity of an almost ripe banana and about as much talent too.
The problem is that today everything is blown out of proportion. One catchy tune and you are considered the proverbial shit. Has nobody learned anything from the one-hit wonder era (also known as the 80’s)?
Chalito - I would ommit your the comments on your pride of spreading the gospel of Coldplay in third world countries prior to it becoming massively-commercially popular, because it basically says that at least at some point in time you thought they were the shit. Doesn’t say much for your taste in music.
Which raises an interesting question: What came first? Bad taste in music that makes crap popular, or the gimmick and publicity that makes crap popular and thus makes people believe its good and then, forever corrupts good taste in music. Perfect example today? REGETON (however you spell that crap).
People used to love the sound of music, and then in some cases there was an image that came with that sound. Today ppl love the image and simply listen to any shit sound that is attached to it.
CHALITO THIS MEANS YOU LOVE CHRIS MARTIN - George Michael look out.
I still only love the music.
F it
Posted 01 Dec 2005 at 6:44 pm ¶
Chalito wrote:
Chase, I do agree with you about the image problem in music today (I think we’ve talked about this b4), however, I don’t think Coldplay can fall into a one or two hit wonder band, because once you listen to their albums, you realize that the non-singles are way better than the singles, maybe not as pop but way better (again, I’m not trying to defend coldplay, just trying to be fair).
About spreading the gospel in the third world, it was a different time. When Coldplay came out I was just getting into british bands (discovered the Stereophonic around the same period), so then, i did think coldplay were tha bomb, simply cuz their sound was completely diferent from everything else in my market…however, after a few years and getting into bands along a similar line but way more talented and creative (like Elbow, Doves, Embrace and Travis), I’ve arrived at the rigth terms with Coldplay’s music:
Good - yes, Likeable: yes, Overrated: offcourse, Top ten brit band today?: not by far!
Anyway, to answer your final inquiry of what came first….i’ll answer it in 1 word: MTV.
Yes, they are guilty for all the debacle not just in music but in society as we know it.
Posted 02 Dec 2005 at 12:20 am ¶
Blind Willie wrote:
Reggeton has made such a splash simply because it’s a let’s-go-fuck-dance. Shy?, insecure?, don’t have a pick-up line?, who cares, get in the dance floor, rub your thing against her thing for half an hour without saying shit, and the Pearly Gates will open for your.
Then again, what do I know, I’m only happily married.
MTV…won’t waste my time making any comments about it.
Posted 02 Dec 2005 at 3:19 pm ¶
edipa wrote:
it´s like you read my mind the other day I was listening to a coldplay song that only has a piano and Martin singing, and I though these man has taken his experiments with his voice too far.
I don´t care about Coldplay I mean, there´s so much music out there do I must have an opinion for everysingle band?
But I read somewhere Martin saying that he was taking voice lessons, is not the first time that I heard a singer get worse after voice couching.
I wonder why that might be…
Posted 02 Dec 2005 at 9:48 pm ¶
Chito wrote:
“People used to love the sound of music, and then in some cases there was an image that came with that sound. Today ppl love the image and simply listen to any shit sound that is attached to it.” Chase wrote and I could’t agree more.
Since I’ve arrived to København, I’v spent a lot of time waliking around, trying to know my way around, and everytime I see people with those big Senheizer headphones walking around, with poker faces, I wonder what they’re listening to, ’cause they don’t seem to be enjoying the music. I say that because when I put on my headphones and go out to the street I “sing” the lyrics, kinda walk in the rythim of the song and even “play” the guitar solos and shit. I wonder, am I the only one that does that when they listen to music while walking (and look incredibly stupid while doing it)? or… shit, I lost my train of thought. Well I guess y’all know what I’m trying to say: Are there only a few of us who really enjoy music left? Or am I just crazy?
Posted 03 Dec 2005 at 1:23 pm ¶
alvarete wrote:
I really enjoy music, and I try to listen to new stuff all the time. Let’s just say that there’s a huge difference between listening to the new Gorillaz Cd and Frank Zappa’s orchestral sessions. Some music demands concentration, which is why I’ve given up on putting anything that requires attention on my morning commute iPod playlist…
Posted 04 Dec 2005 at 12:35 pm ¶
Chase Ransom wrote:
Just for the record: I also sing, play the solos, drum my feet and chest like there is no tomorrow, etc. I a walking orchestra when I am listening to music with headphones. In some cases I do focus and basically dont move, but that is with like, one out of 50 songs - and even then, at some given point in the song I just let go and thrash some riffs on my imaginary guitar.
Also, just so you can be sure of it, WE DO LOOK LIKE TOTAL IDIOTS. But, then you have to ask yourself - how much of a shit do you give in regards to other people’s perception of you on the subway.
Like my sign-off says….
F it
Posted 04 Dec 2005 at 5:15 pm ¶
Chito wrote:
It’s good to know that I’m not alone in this world of manequins. Thank you!
Also, on other note, I saw Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang. the other night and I must say that I loved it. It’s true what Alverete said that Mr. Kilmer and Mr. Downey redifine the term on-screen chemistry. I laughed out loud the entire movie. The funniest part has to be, hands down, the “Russian Roullete” part. I think that the next time I Deer Hunter I’ll just laugh out loud during the “RR” scene. Now I only have three more movies to watch before King Kong: A History of Violence, Lord of War and The Wedding Chrashers.
Favel
Posted 04 Dec 2005 at 6:43 pm ¶
Chalito wrote:
I can relate….I rarely use headphones, yet I get weird looks all the time at red lights…cuz I’m always singing my lungs off while driving.
Posted 05 Dec 2005 at 3:54 pm ¶
alvarete wrote:
Chalito:
That’s because you’re gay.
Posted 05 Dec 2005 at 6:06 pm ¶
Chase Ransom wrote:
Here Here.
Posted 05 Dec 2005 at 8:35 pm ¶
Chalito wrote:
FU
Posted 06 Dec 2005 at 1:06 am ¶
Chito wrote:
LOL
Posted 06 Dec 2005 at 1:28 pm ¶
Chase Ransom wrote:
Actually, in all fairness yesterday I was sampling the musical stylings of James Blunt and quite frankly I may be a woman by now. One ballad after another, I could feel my pipi just shriveling up and eventually falling off. Somebody buy me a sundress.
Which makes you wonder…is James Blunt SO WHIPPED in reality that all he freaking sings about is his feelings and chicks and how empty he is without? Or is it that musically speaking that is the only thing he is good at?
Also makes me wonder how is that the falsetto became so massively popular amongst singers these days. I dont mind it but I hope it doesnt catch on TOO much and then get abused.
F it - Chalito is still as gay as a picnic basket
Posted 06 Dec 2005 at 2:39 pm ¶