Expensive togs Mr E...

Playlist

Various – 1970’s Music on Shuffleplay

Wings – Band on the Run

David Fathead Newman – The Soulful Mr Newman

Telemann – Parisian Quartets

Ars Nova – Fear and Anxiety

Brian Eno – An Ending (Remix)

Golden Earring  - Together

Roedelius - Lustwandel

A bright winter's day

At lunchtime, I took a stroll down to Stockbridge for a look around the various charity shops down there...

Shelter usually has a good selection of classical stuff but disappointed today while, in general, I find Oxfam's prices to be a bit steep - ok it's for charity but they get their stock for nothing...

However, today I found a very respectable Hungaroton disc of some of Herrr Telemann's Parisian Quartets - just the sort of delightful baroque fayre that floats Mr CBQ's proverbial boat...

Back up the hill...

The beast was about its business on the Dean Bridge...



Back home beyond sunset...



...and some now forgotten telly was enjoyed before I retired upstairs no doubt to carry out some, also now forgotten, pointless task...

Whilst surfing the net - and ordering a CD of saxaphone music which included compositions by Eno and Bowie, I also perused this video interview with Mr Eno (sent there by the King Crimson DGM Live site)...

As usual, very insightful...

I liked his attire too and took a look at the items for sale on the website...

Hmmm, £200 for a polo shirt and £6,000 watches - not much of interest for a man who likes to spend 99p on a CD...

Ordered some new black t-shirts form a more friendly to the wallet site and moved on...

On Rolling Stone's site, an article by one Andy Greene which seemed to have involved some reading of my mind re annoying things people do at live gigs these days...

"1. Taking pictures the entire freaking show.

I get it. You want to show all your friends on Facebook and Twitter that you saw a cool concert. Fine. Take a photo. Take five if you want! But please, don't take 77. You always manage to hold your camera right in my line of sight. You don't even look like you're enjoying the show while you're doing this. All your attention is on the photos. And you know what? Those photos are all going to look like shit. Every single one of them. You're too far away. You'll probably never even look at them. Also, you see those guys right in front of the stage with the giant cameras? They're taking great professional pictures. There's really no need for yours."

...mind you, I was guilty of this very crime at the recent Alice Cooper gig - many of my pics turned out well though and I don't concentrate on the shots, much more on what's on stage...

That hardly excuses it though...

Then, exactly what happened to me at Sparks re my very annoying audience neighbour...

"2. Checking e-mail, Facebook and Twitter every couple of minutes.

Unless you're a surgeon or a firefighter, everything can wait. Live in the moment. Enjoy the show. You paid good money to be here. You can e-mail your friends when you get home. Also, that cellphone emits a very harsh and distracting glow. For the love of God, just turn it off."

...and a very annoying bugbear indeed - why do these people even bother going to the show?

"3. Incessantly talking to your friends.

You might not like whatever song is playing. You may be bored with the show in general. You may have been dragged here against your will. But you've been chattering the entire show, and I can hear every word. It's driving me crazy. Please shut up. Please. I can't tell you how many shows I attend where the two people in front of me are yelling in each others' ears the entire night. Not only is my sightline blocked when their heads come together, but I can hear them. Maybe go to a coffee shop when the show is done. Lie under an oak tree and talk until the sun comes up. I don't care. Just quiet down so I can enjoy the show."

...and I witnessed this at a Depeche Mode concert in Glasgow - surely it's better watching the stage with your own eyes than viewing the entire gig through your phone?

"9. Filming the entire show on your iPhone.

This distracts people even worse than taking pictures, and usually results in an equally horrid product. The sad irony is that people tend to film their favorite songs, but the smiles on their faces are gone when all their concentration goes into capturing these moments on film. Tomorrow morning, YouTube will be cluttered with crappy cellphone videos of every song from whatever show you're seeing. There's no need to add to that. You paid good money to see a show, and you're joylessly watching it through a tiny screen on your iPhone. It just doesn't make any sense."

Anyway, surfing over, it was off to bed...

Highlight of the Day : Eno interview - nice threads, man...