This includes blogs, so you have been warned...
Thursday, 26 December 2013
Monday, 27 May 2013
Guy Delisle - Pyongyang (Book, 2004) and Shenzhen (Book, 2000)
I previously wrote with some enthusiasm about Canadian Guy Delisle's excellent graphic novel Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City, and so thought it worth adding how much I've since enjoyed two of his earlier works, Pyongyang and Shenzhen.
All three books are similar in format and style, covering Guy's stays in the titular cities. His brand of self-deprecating humour ensures that the often-stark, strange environments, which are so different to the Western world, are viewed with friendly curiosity and bewilderment.
The main benefit of the graphic novel format is its visual nature: as the old saying goes, a picture paints a thousand words. Jerusalem brought back many wonderful memories for me, and although I've never been to North Korea or China, in some small way I feel I now have. I'd wager that there is as much information in Delisle's 175 pages or so of drawings as there would be in as many pages of solid text, albeit the latter would be considerably less amusing. Pyongyang in particular could have been a thoroughly depressing book, but instead it is quite oddly affectionate (and never less than thoroughly fascinating).
My only sadness is that I have just one of Delisle's books remaining - Burma - but I suppose all good things must come to an end. Here's hoping that his travels will continue!
Sunday, 5 May 2013
Seasick Steve @ Manchester Ritz - Review
I'm still a bit undecided, but last night's Seasick Steve gig at the Manchester Ritz on 4th May might well be my favourite gig of all time.(Can it really push out the White Stripes...? Maybe not, but it's damn close.)
Steve's music is always better live, not just because that's the way blues should be heard but because he's such a great personality: walking up and down the stage, peering into the crowd like he's looking for someone, cracking jokes and making humorous observations... He's a bona fide entertainer, the likes of which are so rare these days amongst the sour-faced miserables of modern "rock".
Last night's gig was all the more remarkable for the unbilled presence of a certain John Paul Jones (he of the great Led Zeppelin) on bass, mandolin, slide guitar - well, you name it, he played it. The smiles that frequently crept across his lips showed just how much he was enjoying playing with Steve.
The three men on stage - including outstanding drummer Dan Magnusson - must have had a combined age of over 200 but they blew the crowd away with all the gracious confidence of musicians half their age. The set list was perfectly constructed, incorporating old and new material, flowing from loud, raucous blues (Down at the Farm, Thunderbird) to quiet soulful acoustic numbers (including a stunning cover of Cathy's Clown) and back again.
There were no egos on display; Steve thanked the crowd numerous times, Paul and Dan simply got on with the business of playing. Near as I could tell, there was not a single disappointed attendee: one lucky gal even got plucked from the crowd by Steve so that he could sing Walkin' Man to her.
All in all, it was an amazing night. You can't teach an old dog new tricks? Pull the other one, Steve.
Steve's music is always better live, not just because that's the way blues should be heard but because he's such a great personality: walking up and down the stage, peering into the crowd like he's looking for someone, cracking jokes and making humorous observations... He's a bona fide entertainer, the likes of which are so rare these days amongst the sour-faced miserables of modern "rock".
Last night's gig was all the more remarkable for the unbilled presence of a certain John Paul Jones (he of the great Led Zeppelin) on bass, mandolin, slide guitar - well, you name it, he played it. The smiles that frequently crept across his lips showed just how much he was enjoying playing with Steve.
The three men on stage - including outstanding drummer Dan Magnusson - must have had a combined age of over 200 but they blew the crowd away with all the gracious confidence of musicians half their age. The set list was perfectly constructed, incorporating old and new material, flowing from loud, raucous blues (Down at the Farm, Thunderbird) to quiet soulful acoustic numbers (including a stunning cover of Cathy's Clown) and back again.
There were no egos on display; Steve thanked the crowd numerous times, Paul and Dan simply got on with the business of playing. Near as I could tell, there was not a single disappointed attendee: one lucky gal even got plucked from the crowd by Steve so that he could sing Walkin' Man to her.
All in all, it was an amazing night. You can't teach an old dog new tricks? Pull the other one, Steve.
Wednesday, 1 May 2013
Breaking the Reading Block
Every now and then I suffer quite badly from a hideous affliction: readers block. For some unknown reason, I will be unable to focus on longer pieces of writing. Half a dozen books - fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels - will be left unfinished, their first chapters digested but I won't have any appetite for the rest. It's my experience that the blocks tend to coincide with periods of stress or busyness, but sometimes they occur quite randomly.
Luckily my most recent bout was broken by Walter Tevis's The Hustler, which is a great piece of American fiction. I know very little about pool, but I had seen the excellent Paul Newman film some years ago and this was enough to tempt me when I recently came across the source novel. Tevis was an extraordinarily good write, both precise and evocative, and The Hustler is short enough for even a blocked reader to complete with ease. Since finishing it I've managed a couple of long essays and am currently part way through a good-sized non-fiction book (more on which later...)
As with writer's block, overcoming reader's block is simply a matter of sticking at it until you find inspiration. Do whatever it takes to enjoy reading again - it's worth it.
Luckily my most recent bout was broken by Walter Tevis's The Hustler, which is a great piece of American fiction. I know very little about pool, but I had seen the excellent Paul Newman film some years ago and this was enough to tempt me when I recently came across the source novel. Tevis was an extraordinarily good write, both precise and evocative, and The Hustler is short enough for even a blocked reader to complete with ease. Since finishing it I've managed a couple of long essays and am currently part way through a good-sized non-fiction book (more on which later...)
As with writer's block, overcoming reader's block is simply a matter of sticking at it until you find inspiration. Do whatever it takes to enjoy reading again - it's worth it.
Monday, 22 April 2013
Bahrain: Anything but Boring
Yesterday's Bahrain Grand Prix proved wrong those who dare suggest that Formula 1 is dull. It was a race full of high-speed overtaking and wheel-banging, with plenty of competition on display.
F1 is frequently criticised, sometimes fairly I will admit, as being boring. But each to their own, of course, and what does such sniping matter when the faithful fans get a great race?
The Lotuses were competitive, Mercedes and Force India weren't too far behind, the Ferraris suffered unfortunate mishaps, the McLarens nearly smashed each other off the track like dodgems - and Red Bull took another confident victory...
Thanks to my family I have tickets for British Grand Prix this year, and I'm looking forward to it more than ever. Formula 1 is boring? Pull the other one.
F1 is frequently criticised, sometimes fairly I will admit, as being boring. But each to their own, of course, and what does such sniping matter when the faithful fans get a great race?
The Lotuses were competitive, Mercedes and Force India weren't too far behind, the Ferraris suffered unfortunate mishaps, the McLarens nearly smashed each other off the track like dodgems - and Red Bull took another confident victory...
Thanks to my family I have tickets for British Grand Prix this year, and I'm looking forward to it more than ever. Formula 1 is boring? Pull the other one.
Friday, 12 April 2013
Fireworks at the Chinese F1 Grand Prix?
This weekend’s Formula 1 Grand Prix in China should be interesting. Sebastian Vettel’s act of mutiny against his Red Bull team three weeks ago in Malaysia has been the subject of much scrutiny, and judging by comments made in the past couple of days he’s not as repentant as he first seemed, which is as disappointing as it is surprising.
There are few true racing fans who like the idea of team orders – it is, essentially, a way of fixing results – but it’s an understandable evil when there is a championship at stake. However, Malaysia was only the second race in the F1 calendar, and Vettel defied team orders to overtake teammate Mark Webber purely because of his desire to win. It didn’t matter that he undermined Christina Horner’s authority as Team Principal or that he was screwing over a long-standing colleague who has, contrary to Vettel’s recent suggestions, always supported Vettel and the team when it mattered. Some have posited that Vettel was entitled to go for the win, and indeed it’s true that of the two racers Vettel is the most likely candidate for the championship this year. Webber might not want to admit it, but he has always been Number 2 to Vettel, both in terms of long-term performance and team preference. There are many great drivers who were never quite champion material, and unfortunately Webber is one of them. I suspect he knows this, too. Nevertheless, he has always supported his team, and he did not deserve to be treated in such a manner by Vettel.
Michael Schumacher was another champion who too often did whatever it took to win, no matter how arrogant, callous or damaging his actions might seem. He was a great racer – the sport’s most successful – but his reputation will forever be marred by his not-insignificant lapses of character. I truly hope that Vettel will not fall into the same trap: he’s always come across as a genuine, likeable person, and it would be a tragedy for a triple-World Champion to descend into
There are few true racing fans who like the idea of team orders – it is, essentially, a way of fixing results – but it’s an understandable evil when there is a championship at stake. However, Malaysia was only the second race in the F1 calendar, and Vettel defied team orders to overtake teammate Mark Webber purely because of his desire to win. It didn’t matter that he undermined Christina Horner’s authority as Team Principal or that he was screwing over a long-standing colleague who has, contrary to Vettel’s recent suggestions, always supported Vettel and the team when it mattered. Some have posited that Vettel was entitled to go for the win, and indeed it’s true that of the two racers Vettel is the most likely candidate for the championship this year. Webber might not want to admit it, but he has always been Number 2 to Vettel, both in terms of long-term performance and team preference. There are many great drivers who were never quite champion material, and unfortunately Webber is one of them. I suspect he knows this, too. Nevertheless, he has always supported his team, and he did not deserve to be treated in such a manner by Vettel.
Michael Schumacher was another champion who too often did whatever it took to win, no matter how arrogant, callous or damaging his actions might seem. He was a great racer – the sport’s most successful – but his reputation will forever be marred by his not-insignificant lapses of character. I truly hope that Vettel will not fall into the same trap: he’s always come across as a genuine, likeable person, and it would be a tragedy for a triple-World Champion to descend into
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
Guy Delisle's Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City
I've been on something of a graphic novel kick recently (I blame my local Oxfam's sudden abundance of them!) and would like to take a moment to sing the praises of Guy Delisle's Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City.
I haven't read any of the author's previous works but I certainly will be doing so. Jerusalem isn't much more than a depiction of a foreigner's year in the Israeli city, but it's attractively-drawn pages are full of great observations, gentle humour and subtle poignancy. It's hard to write a book about Jerusalem and not get entrenched in politics and religion, but Delisle does a great job and has produced an uncontroversial account of life in a fraught territory.
The book brought back some great memories (and some that weren't so great too) of my own brief visit to Israel back in 2007, so I feel partially qualified to give it two thumbs up. It makes a nice change from Batman, too...
I haven't read any of the author's previous works but I certainly will be doing so. Jerusalem isn't much more than a depiction of a foreigner's year in the Israeli city, but it's attractively-drawn pages are full of great observations, gentle humour and subtle poignancy. It's hard to write a book about Jerusalem and not get entrenched in politics and religion, but Delisle does a great job and has produced an uncontroversial account of life in a fraught territory.
The book brought back some great memories (and some that weren't so great too) of my own brief visit to Israel back in 2007, so I feel partially qualified to give it two thumbs up. It makes a nice change from Batman, too...
Monday, 8 April 2013
The Death of Margaret Thatcher
Goodness me, there seems to have been a wide spectrum of reaction to the passing of Margaret Thatcher, ranging from the predictable overblown Tory tributes to the equally inevitable leftist sneering.
The Guardian raised the very good question of whether "death etiquette" was misguided. It's an interesting debate, perhaps, but somewhat lacking in compassion and humanity. I personally am no fan of Maggie's politics, party or legacy - indeed, I simply don't understand how Tories are even theoretically possible - but perhaps we should all remember that this is an elderly woman who has died from a stroke: a woman who left behind a mourning family.
Of course it's impossible to write about the death of any political figure without mentioning politics, but can grievances not be put aside for just a moment? After all, we have the rest of eternity to argue amongst ourselves...
The Guardian raised the very good question of whether "death etiquette" was misguided. It's an interesting debate, perhaps, but somewhat lacking in compassion and humanity. I personally am no fan of Maggie's politics, party or legacy - indeed, I simply don't understand how Tories are even theoretically possible - but perhaps we should all remember that this is an elderly woman who has died from a stroke: a woman who left behind a mourning family.
Of course it's impossible to write about the death of any political figure without mentioning politics, but can grievances not be put aside for just a moment? After all, we have the rest of eternity to argue amongst ourselves...
Monday, 25 March 2013
Vettel the Villain?
It only takes one race to destroy a reputation, as 3-time Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel proved yesterday in the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Ignoring team orders to ruthlessly overtake teammate Mark Webber, and thus steal a victory, was never likely to impress anyone - not Webber, the rest of the Red Bull team, or anyone else watching.
It's a real shame because Vettel was one of the most likeable drivers, both extremely talented and modest, which are qualities few drivers display together. It just goes to show that you can never underestimate the hunger to win.
Here's hoping Vettel has learned his lesson and won't repeat the selfishness to become another Michael Schumacher...
Ignoring team orders to ruthlessly overtake teammate Mark Webber, and thus steal a victory, was never likely to impress anyone - not Webber, the rest of the Red Bull team, or anyone else watching.
It's a real shame because Vettel was one of the most likeable drivers, both extremely talented and modest, which are qualities few drivers display together. It just goes to show that you can never underestimate the hunger to win.
Here's hoping Vettel has learned his lesson and won't repeat the selfishness to become another Michael Schumacher...
Thursday, 31 January 2013
HD Happiness
I'm glad to see that purchasers of certain Blu-rays that come supplied with additional iTunes digital downloads are finally being given HD copies - about time!
It made little sense that a high-def disc would come with a grainy, washed out standard definition digital copy, but films such as Prometheus, Ted, The Bourne Legacy, E.T, and ParaNorman have reversed the trend and this can only be a good thing.
Now, if only we could get the studios to ditch the abysmal UltraViolet system, or at least give all consumers a choice between the rival digital downloads...
It made little sense that a high-def disc would come with a grainy, washed out standard definition digital copy, but films such as Prometheus, Ted, The Bourne Legacy, E.T, and ParaNorman have reversed the trend and this can only be a good thing.
Now, if only we could get the studios to ditch the abysmal UltraViolet system, or at least give all consumers a choice between the rival digital downloads...
Life After Batman
So Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy has concluded - what now? Well, there is life after Batman, perhaps in the form of a Justice League movie to rival Marvel's Avengers success, but there is also a lot of existing Batman stuff to explore.
I've been watching Batman: The Animated Series and it's a great translation of the comic books, capturing the essence of the cowled detective that is so often overlooked in favour of the movies' explosions and attention-seeking villains. The later Batman Beyond series takes a jump forward to the future and sees Bruce Wayne training his replacement and is visually stunning. Then there are the several great animated films from recent years - Mask of the Phantasm, Subzero, Under the Red Hood, Return of the Joker - all of which offer a satisfying slice of the Caped Crusader. Indeed, recent animated adaptations such as The Dark Knight Returns prove that there is still plenty of life left in the old Bat.
So whatever you do, don't make the mistake of thinking Batman is done now that the Nolan era has ended. His was just one (admittedly great) interpretation, and the dawn never truly rises in Gotham City. There will always be a need for the Batman.
I've been watching Batman: The Animated Series and it's a great translation of the comic books, capturing the essence of the cowled detective that is so often overlooked in favour of the movies' explosions and attention-seeking villains. The later Batman Beyond series takes a jump forward to the future and sees Bruce Wayne training his replacement and is visually stunning. Then there are the several great animated films from recent years - Mask of the Phantasm, Subzero, Under the Red Hood, Return of the Joker - all of which offer a satisfying slice of the Caped Crusader. Indeed, recent animated adaptations such as The Dark Knight Returns prove that there is still plenty of life left in the old Bat.
So whatever you do, don't make the mistake of thinking Batman is done now that the Nolan era has ended. His was just one (admittedly great) interpretation, and the dawn never truly rises in Gotham City. There will always be a need for the Batman.
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Prometheus
Watching Prometheus again today only confirmed to me just how underrated the film was. Of course I understand that many people felt let down by the hype regarding a new "Alien", but I actually consider it to be up there with the original 1979 film. Good sci-fi isn't easy to come by, and Prometheus has everything: a thoughtful story line, strong characters, amazing special effects. What more did people expect?
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