In an interview in Allt om Stockholm, http://www.alltomstockholm.se/start/article2544021.aos one of our favourite Swedish artists Oskar Linnros has revealed that he plans a change of direction in his music and he will no longer be playing the soul-pop style of music which has brought him so much success since 2010. Oskar will play a concert at Gröna Lund on 01.09.2011 and this will bring the first phase of his solo career to an end. Oskar said in the interview that he doesn't want to reveal what he will be doing next musically, and he doesn't know when he will release any new music although he is writing all the time - but that he will be changing direction away from soul-pop.
I'm looking forward to hearing what he does next, as he is an extremely talented artist, but I can't help feeling a little sad that he is ditching his current musical style, which is both credible and accessible. Although I'm sure that Oskar will not let us down!
Sunday, August 07, 2011
The Square-Eyed Couch Potato: July 2011
My July viewing was totally dominated by the Tour de France, which was totally fabulous this year from beginning to end, spoiled (IMHO) only by the eventual winner. However one thing we can all agree on is the brilliant coverage of the race by ITV4. Their established team of Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen, Chris Boardman, Ned Boulting and Gary Imlach is knowledgeable and authoritative, whilst always making the race as accessible as possible to the viewing public. The only gripe I have is Phil's Cadel Evans obsession, but again that's just me I guess. It's a very rare occasion where I have a reason to praise ITV but I will say well done ITV4! And thank you for another month of superb broadcasts and also the daily iTunes podcasts too!
Firstly, it’s not big or clever, but we’re still enjoying "ODD ONE IN" (ITV1, Saturdays) which is perfect viewing for these summer Saturday nights with its (increasingly bonkers) identity parades!
I always enjoy music documentaries, especially as there is so little music on TV now. "SECRETS OF THE POP SONG" (BBC2, Saturdays) was a short series taking a look at how three types of songs are written - the ballad, the breakthrough hit and the anthem - and provided a very interesting insight into the songwriting process with hit songwriter Guy Chambers collaborating with three different artists. Unfortunately I don’t remember the breakthrough hit or the anthem, but the Rufus Wainwright ballad collaboration "World War III" with its "don’t bore us, get to the chorus" hookline (that line always makes me think of Roxette) is still stuck in my brain. And I don’t even like ballads, but that’s the power of Rufus!
We’re still catching up with a recorded backlog of episodes of "THE RESTAURANT INSPECTOR" (Channel 5, Mondays) which is just like The Hotel Inspector only with a bloke, and with restaurants instead of hotels. Yes, the formula on all these shows has gone stale with little new to offer, but we continue to lap it up.
It’s like a more refined, British equivalent of "RAMSAY’S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES USA" which is into its umpteenth series and continues to follow the same format: restaurant in trouble, Gordon Ramsay shouts a lot, people cry, Gordon Ramsay shouts a lot, restaurant gets a makeover, success/failure/success, people cry again (with happiness this time) and chef Ramsay rides off into the sunset having helped yet another struggling restaurant back to life. Voila!
"CORONATION STREET" (ITV) is going through a bad patch, I think we’ll all agree. Even those of us who have watched the show since the year dot are now seriously considering reaching for the off button, with one sensationalist storyline after the other. Not so long ago, former EastEnders actress Michelle Collins, who played Cindy Beale for many years, was brought into Corrie as new Rovers manager Stella. The press was full of controversy about a southerner playing a northerner, and the criticism regarding her accent soon spun out of control, to the point that she is now unfairly being made a scapegoat for the show's decline. It's not her fault, but the fault of the producer and script/storyline team who have taken the show further and further away from what we used to know and love, and which has lost so much of its trademark humour and likeable characters. The decline of Corrie was brought into focus even more by "THE CORRIE YEARS" (ITV, Wednesdays) a clip show which took a look back at the most headline-grabbing and influential stories over the years. Or it should have been called "The Barlow Years" as it seemed to focus on the adventures of Ken and Deirdre and their offspring. What was controversial and unique back then, now seems to be a weekly occurrence and the show is all the worse for it. Please bring back the humour and ditch the disasters and serial killers - thank you!
Food is, of course, the subject of "THE GOOD COOK" (BBC1, Fridays) which I inevitably forget to watch every week and have to watch on BBC iPlayer instead. Anyway, it does what it says on the tin (makes me think of Jim from The Apprentice) and delivers some nice recipes, beautifully filmed with a very nice musical soundtrack.
Being on this little blog-break meant that I hadn’t written about the outcome of the latest series of "THE APPRENTICE" (BBC1, Wednesdays) so I’d better mention it now....geeky inventor and all-round nice guy Tom Pellereau upset the odds and walked away with Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment, when everyone expected hot favourite Helen Milligan to win. Maybe if the show had stuck to the old format, Helen would have run away with it, but she was let down by her business idea and stood no chance against an already established inventor, which was just perfect for Lord Sugar. Anyway well done Tom! Proof that the nice guys don’t always finish last.
"THE LIFE OF MUHAMMAD" (BBC2, Mondays) was a landmark documentary series, which was informative and respectfully presented by Rageh Omaar, with knowledgeable input from various Islamic scholars which I found very enlightening, as I knew nothing about the origin of Islam nor the Prophet himself. It was an informative change from the usual coverage of the Islamic world which we usually see on TV, and was also beautifully filmed too.
Season 8 of "ONE TREE HILL" (E4, Mondays) continues, and I’m still of the view that its best days are behind it. Too much time spent on Quinn and Clay, not enough of the original cast and I’m also missing some of the older characters/parents too. Even evil Dan....
Teatimes are just not the same anymore, if you live in Scotland. For the last couple of years, "THE HOUR" has been required telly viewing in the ‘captive audience’ 5-6pm slot. Usually for all the wrong reasons of course, and the daily "what is she wearing??" analysis of presenter Michelle McManus' fashion sense has become a sport of almost Olympic proportions in this part of the world. Yes if you ever wondered what has happened to the former Pop Idol 2 winner, she has become a TV presenter. Anyway the decision was made to end the show in its Monday-to-Friday format. It was great fun to knock The Hour, and I never thought I'd say this, but I'm missing STV’s attempt at the daytime TV format with chat, food and drink, fashion, filmed items and the occasional acoustic number from a musical guest. But wait...The Hour will be resurrected in the autumn in a once-weekly prime time slot. And guess what? Michelle McManus will still be the presenter, so we will once again be able to sit in judgement of all those fashion faux pas :) Hope you get a better stylist this time round Michelle - you deserve it!!
Still on the subject of local TV, BBC4 took the opportunity to take a look back at the golden days of "REGIONAL TV - LIFE THROUGH A LOCAL LENS" when the TV regions got the opportunity to make their own low-budget but occasionally legendary programming.
Finally season 5 of "DEXTER" (FX, Fridays) continues....however I’m not 100% impressed with the emphasis on the Lumen character this time, maybe that’s to do with the fact I’m not really keen on Julia Stiles and might have preferred another actress in the role.
All of the above pictures come from various internet media sources too numerous to mention. If you wish any of these pictures to be removed please contact me and I will do so.
Firstly, it’s not big or clever, but we’re still enjoying "ODD ONE IN" (ITV1, Saturdays) which is perfect viewing for these summer Saturday nights with its (increasingly bonkers) identity parades!
I always enjoy music documentaries, especially as there is so little music on TV now. "SECRETS OF THE POP SONG" (BBC2, Saturdays) was a short series taking a look at how three types of songs are written - the ballad, the breakthrough hit and the anthem - and provided a very interesting insight into the songwriting process with hit songwriter Guy Chambers collaborating with three different artists. Unfortunately I don’t remember the breakthrough hit or the anthem, but the Rufus Wainwright ballad collaboration "World War III" with its "don’t bore us, get to the chorus" hookline (that line always makes me think of Roxette) is still stuck in my brain. And I don’t even like ballads, but that’s the power of Rufus!
We’re still catching up with a recorded backlog of episodes of "THE RESTAURANT INSPECTOR" (Channel 5, Mondays) which is just like The Hotel Inspector only with a bloke, and with restaurants instead of hotels. Yes, the formula on all these shows has gone stale with little new to offer, but we continue to lap it up.
It’s like a more refined, British equivalent of "RAMSAY’S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES USA" which is into its umpteenth series and continues to follow the same format: restaurant in trouble, Gordon Ramsay shouts a lot, people cry, Gordon Ramsay shouts a lot, restaurant gets a makeover, success/failure/success, people cry again (with happiness this time) and chef Ramsay rides off into the sunset having helped yet another struggling restaurant back to life. Voila!
"CORONATION STREET" (ITV) is going through a bad patch, I think we’ll all agree. Even those of us who have watched the show since the year dot are now seriously considering reaching for the off button, with one sensationalist storyline after the other. Not so long ago, former EastEnders actress Michelle Collins, who played Cindy Beale for many years, was brought into Corrie as new Rovers manager Stella. The press was full of controversy about a southerner playing a northerner, and the criticism regarding her accent soon spun out of control, to the point that she is now unfairly being made a scapegoat for the show's decline. It's not her fault, but the fault of the producer and script/storyline team who have taken the show further and further away from what we used to know and love, and which has lost so much of its trademark humour and likeable characters. The decline of Corrie was brought into focus even more by "THE CORRIE YEARS" (ITV, Wednesdays) a clip show which took a look back at the most headline-grabbing and influential stories over the years. Or it should have been called "The Barlow Years" as it seemed to focus on the adventures of Ken and Deirdre and their offspring. What was controversial and unique back then, now seems to be a weekly occurrence and the show is all the worse for it. Please bring back the humour and ditch the disasters and serial killers - thank you!
Food is, of course, the subject of "THE GOOD COOK" (BBC1, Fridays) which I inevitably forget to watch every week and have to watch on BBC iPlayer instead. Anyway, it does what it says on the tin (makes me think of Jim from The Apprentice) and delivers some nice recipes, beautifully filmed with a very nice musical soundtrack.
Being on this little blog-break meant that I hadn’t written about the outcome of the latest series of "THE APPRENTICE" (BBC1, Wednesdays) so I’d better mention it now....geeky inventor and all-round nice guy Tom Pellereau upset the odds and walked away with Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment, when everyone expected hot favourite Helen Milligan to win. Maybe if the show had stuck to the old format, Helen would have run away with it, but she was let down by her business idea and stood no chance against an already established inventor, which was just perfect for Lord Sugar. Anyway well done Tom! Proof that the nice guys don’t always finish last.
"THE LIFE OF MUHAMMAD" (BBC2, Mondays) was a landmark documentary series, which was informative and respectfully presented by Rageh Omaar, with knowledgeable input from various Islamic scholars which I found very enlightening, as I knew nothing about the origin of Islam nor the Prophet himself. It was an informative change from the usual coverage of the Islamic world which we usually see on TV, and was also beautifully filmed too.
Season 8 of "ONE TREE HILL" (E4, Mondays) continues, and I’m still of the view that its best days are behind it. Too much time spent on Quinn and Clay, not enough of the original cast and I’m also missing some of the older characters/parents too. Even evil Dan....
Teatimes are just not the same anymore, if you live in Scotland. For the last couple of years, "THE HOUR" has been required telly viewing in the ‘captive audience’ 5-6pm slot. Usually for all the wrong reasons of course, and the daily "what is she wearing??" analysis of presenter Michelle McManus' fashion sense has become a sport of almost Olympic proportions in this part of the world. Yes if you ever wondered what has happened to the former Pop Idol 2 winner, she has become a TV presenter. Anyway the decision was made to end the show in its Monday-to-Friday format. It was great fun to knock The Hour, and I never thought I'd say this, but I'm missing STV’s attempt at the daytime TV format with chat, food and drink, fashion, filmed items and the occasional acoustic number from a musical guest. But wait...The Hour will be resurrected in the autumn in a once-weekly prime time slot. And guess what? Michelle McManus will still be the presenter, so we will once again be able to sit in judgement of all those fashion faux pas :) Hope you get a better stylist this time round Michelle - you deserve it!!
Still on the subject of local TV, BBC4 took the opportunity to take a look back at the golden days of "REGIONAL TV - LIFE THROUGH A LOCAL LENS" when the TV regions got the opportunity to make their own low-budget but occasionally legendary programming.
Finally season 5 of "DEXTER" (FX, Fridays) continues....however I’m not 100% impressed with the emphasis on the Lumen character this time, maybe that’s to do with the fact I’m not really keen on Julia Stiles and might have preferred another actress in the role.
All of the above pictures come from various internet media sources too numerous to mention. If you wish any of these pictures to be removed please contact me and I will do so.
Review: "Midnight Tango" - King's Theatre, Glasgow 30th July 2011
It was a sizzling Saturday afternoon in Glasgow. Outside, the temperature continued to rise (yes, believe it or not, we’d had a couple of weeks of very warm weather!) And inside the King’s Theatre we could have done with some air conditioning as the heat became a bit unbearable at times. Then, before the show even started, we were all evacuated after a fire alert! Happily, all was well and we were allowed back into the theatre, with the show’s start time only delayed by 10 minutes.
And it was about to get hotter when Midnight Tango took to the stage!
A few years ago you couldn’t have imagined a tango show selling out theatres all over the country. But now, when you have the pulling power of Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace, the Argentine Tango champions who have wowed us over the years on Strictly Come Dancing, then we shouldn’t be surprised. It was clear that most of the (mainly middle-aged) audience were here to see Vincent and Flavia, but were appreciative of all the performers involved and there was a standing ovation at the end.
Midnight Tango is set in a bar in downtown Buenos Aires, where the natives come to drink and live the passion of the tango, to the sounds of the tango band. In this case, Tango Siempre and singer Gullermo Rozenthuler, a very talented collective. I loved the way they were part of the show, rather than being hidden away beneath the stage. Their presence on stage added to the authenticity of the show. The musical soundtrack is indeed very authentic, with some classic old tango favourites mixed with new material.
The supporting dancers are all Argentine tango specialists, even if they don’t quite have the same speed or sparkle as the two stars. But they certainly create a very busy environment on stage and you even miss some of the dancing as there is so much going on!
There is also a sub-plot involving the bar owners, played by Teddy Kempner and Tricia Deighton. At the beginning, the romance has clearly gone out of their relationship - but it is re-ignited through the power of tango and they get their chance to shine with their own tango number. They were very popular with the audience too, as they provided some comedy moments away from the drama of the tango.
The main plot is basically boy meets girl, they fall in love, along comes the bad guy and then there’s a TANGO FIGHT!! Anyway boy tries to win back girl from the bad guy and you can guess the rest.
It’s Vincent and Flavia’s show of course - they get the best costumes for example - and when they dance together they convey all the passion of the Argentine tango whilst also connecting with the audience. And no offence Vincent, but the absolute star of the show is Flavia. She is an amazing dancer with terrific technical ability, and she looks amazing too. And I won’t spoil it for those who have still to see Midnight Tango, but she also reveals another very surprising talent later in the show!
Midnight Tango is a high-quality product with incredible dancing from beginning to end - which you’d expect when one of the producers is none other than Arlene Phillips - and with a few tweaks and some development, it could potentially develop into a theatrical phenomenon which could do for Argentine tango what Riverdance did for Irish dancing. However it wouldn’t work in massive arenas as the intimacy of the show requires a smaller stage, and the King’s Theatre was a perfect venue. Even if it was too hot!
Midnight Tango has been on a nationwide tour which ended with the Glasgow evening performance on 30th July. The next stop will be London’s West End where the show will be based from January to March 2012, before embarking on yet another nationwide tour. And the good news is that there’s going to be a DVD of the show released on 14th November
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Midnight-Tango-DVD-Vincent-Simone/dp/B005C43G2I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312710726&sr=8-1 so that’s one for the Christmas list this year!
(the above picture is courtesy of www.midnighttango.co.uk)
Saturday, August 06, 2011
Retro Saturday: Cock Robin
Either my search facility is not working properly, or I can't believe I haven't featured this 80s pop classic on the blog before now.
1986 was a very strange year for me, which began with a back injury which developed into a debilitating disease and I couldn't do very much apart from listen to music...happily I recovered by May/June though.
One of the songs which I always remember from those 'sick times' was "The Promise You Made" by Cock Robin. It became a massive European hit and also made an impact on the British charts. Even now, 25 years on, it still sounds pretty fabulous. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pk3A_QSINI&ob=av2e
Lead singer Peter Kingsbery went on to have a big hit in France with "Only The Very Best" from the Starmania soundtrack. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Bf96l01sds
1986 was a very strange year for me, which began with a back injury which developed into a debilitating disease and I couldn't do very much apart from listen to music...happily I recovered by May/June though.
One of the songs which I always remember from those 'sick times' was "The Promise You Made" by Cock Robin. It became a massive European hit and also made an impact on the British charts. Even now, 25 years on, it still sounds pretty fabulous. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pk3A_QSINI&ob=av2e
Lead singer Peter Kingsbery went on to have a big hit in France with "Only The Very Best" from the Starmania soundtrack. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Bf96l01sds
Retro Saturday: Flesh
Another 80s rarity which continues to haunt me...a soulful delight by Flesh, entitled "You Can't Help (Sentimental Sunday)" which at the time screamed hit record, but like so many other great pop songs....it wasn't. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1EFGyWfUYY
Retro Saturday: The Motors
So many destinations, faces going to so many places where the weather is much better....a very topical tune for holiday season I think you will agree!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR_oBTUZYJg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR_oBTUZYJg&feature=related
Thursday, August 04, 2011
Zelmerholt is over :(
I just had to interrupt my blogging break with some sad news from Swedish celeb-land today.
Our favourite Swedish pop couple (apart from Vincent and Agnes of course) - Måns Zelmerlöw and Marie Serneholt - have split up. According to Expressen http://www.expressen.se/noje/extra/1.2516718/mans-och-marie-har-gjort-slut and Aftonbladet http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/klick/article13411990.ab the couple's split is amicable and they will remain friends.
Above: M & M in happier times (picture courtesy of www.posh24.se)
Whilst we're on the subject of Måns, the cynic in me felt that it would only be a matter of time before the Swedish tabloids started their usual carry-on about Allsång, and inevitably, that time has arrived. Viewing figures are dropping, which is usually expected during the hot summer nights, when people have better things to do than watch TV, and then they rise again. But it's not happening this time, and SVT are trying to find a reason...http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/tv/article13417224.ab
Our favourite Swedish pop couple (apart from Vincent and Agnes of course) - Måns Zelmerlöw and Marie Serneholt - have split up. According to Expressen http://www.expressen.se/noje/extra/1.2516718/mans-och-marie-har-gjort-slut and Aftonbladet http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/klick/article13411990.ab the couple's split is amicable and they will remain friends.
Above: M & M in happier times (picture courtesy of www.posh24.se)
Whilst we're on the subject of Måns, the cynic in me felt that it would only be a matter of time before the Swedish tabloids started their usual carry-on about Allsång, and inevitably, that time has arrived. Viewing figures are dropping, which is usually expected during the hot summer nights, when people have better things to do than watch TV, and then they rise again. But it's not happening this time, and SVT are trying to find a reason...http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/tv/article13417224.ab
Monday, July 18, 2011
Summertime: a round-up and a temporary farewell
Firstly an apology.
My plan for 2011 was to take EuropeCrazy right back to its early days, to publish more regular updates etc (especially as Planet Salem has been on a break). I hate breaking promises, but unfortunately I've had to break this one. Due to other commitments, time restrictions, personal circumstances, health problems etc etc, this hasn't been possible.
I need a bit of time out now, so I'm putting this blog on hold for a while. Hoping to be back at the end of September (following my summer holiday). Don't worry, EuropeCrazy is not closing down - I love doing this blog too much! But at the moment I'm just not able to put the hours in to make this blog what it should be.
A couple of things to mention before we go....
The Swedish TV summer extravaganzas are in full swing. And here's my verdict.
1) I'm loving Måns on Allsång, he's great! He is an absolute natural in the presenting role - and has managed to do the impossible and shut up the Swedish press from their usual critical coverage which we expect every summer. Well done Måns!! Great to see him singing on the show too. It helped that this summer's series started on a high, with Danny and September among the guests. It was also very interesting last week to see Veronica Maggio - Swedish music's woman of the moment - make a triumphant return to the show. I remember seeing her on the show back in 2008, and thinking how uncomfortable she looked! Things have changed so much....Allsång is now the show to appear on, and the hottest acts are queuing up.
2) Best thing about Lotta på Liseberg this year? Swingfly, Christoffer Hiding and Pauline. Fab, fab, fab.
3) Let's not forget about Sommarkrysset: Jedward-mania and Christer Sjogren singing "Bad Romance"!
Tour de France: two weeks down, one to go
Crashes, drama, Thor Hushovd in yellow, Wiggins injured, Contador below par, Cavendish winning stages, more crashes, motorbikes running riders over, cars running riders over, more crashes, more injuries, Thomas Voeckler in yellow, Mark Cavendish in green, Team Schleck in waiting.....
Loving every moment of it. The best thing about summer.
OK I'm outta here....have a fun summer everyone and I'll see you all back here in a few weeks.
Laura xx
My plan for 2011 was to take EuropeCrazy right back to its early days, to publish more regular updates etc (especially as Planet Salem has been on a break). I hate breaking promises, but unfortunately I've had to break this one. Due to other commitments, time restrictions, personal circumstances, health problems etc etc, this hasn't been possible.
I need a bit of time out now, so I'm putting this blog on hold for a while. Hoping to be back at the end of September (following my summer holiday). Don't worry, EuropeCrazy is not closing down - I love doing this blog too much! But at the moment I'm just not able to put the hours in to make this blog what it should be.
A couple of things to mention before we go....
The Swedish TV summer extravaganzas are in full swing. And here's my verdict.
1) I'm loving Måns on Allsång, he's great! He is an absolute natural in the presenting role - and has managed to do the impossible and shut up the Swedish press from their usual critical coverage which we expect every summer. Well done Måns!! Great to see him singing on the show too. It helped that this summer's series started on a high, with Danny and September among the guests. It was also very interesting last week to see Veronica Maggio - Swedish music's woman of the moment - make a triumphant return to the show. I remember seeing her on the show back in 2008, and thinking how uncomfortable she looked! Things have changed so much....Allsång is now the show to appear on, and the hottest acts are queuing up.
2) Best thing about Lotta på Liseberg this year? Swingfly, Christoffer Hiding and Pauline. Fab, fab, fab.
3) Let's not forget about Sommarkrysset: Jedward-mania and Christer Sjogren singing "Bad Romance"!
Tour de France: two weeks down, one to go
Crashes, drama, Thor Hushovd in yellow, Wiggins injured, Contador below par, Cavendish winning stages, more crashes, motorbikes running riders over, cars running riders over, more crashes, more injuries, Thomas Voeckler in yellow, Mark Cavendish in green, Team Schleck in waiting.....
Loving every moment of it. The best thing about summer.
OK I'm outta here....have a fun summer everyone and I'll see you all back here in a few weeks.
Laura xx
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Retro Saturday: EuropeCrazy's Sounds of Summer!
OK let's try this one :)
I previously mentioned a few of these songs in my Holiday Hit Lists on here but as it's summer, I thought it might be worth revisiting a few of them.
Amsterdam 2002: K-Otic: Falling
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkSo4YnCwHU
A video which caught my eye thanks to very regular play on the Dutch music TV channels during our summer 2002 trip to Amsterdam. K-Otic were one of the first manufactured 'TV bands' from that Popstars-era, and much loved by the great Acer Ben who was one of my biggest blogging influences. Come back Ben, we miss you!
Biarritz 2002: "En Apesanteur" - Calogero
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO1LqqP9w3I
Extremely saucy video clip! All I will say is, do not get into an elevator with this man, you never know where it will lead..... ;)))
Biarritz 2002: "Come Back To Me" - Cunnie Williams
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiB4dupT2Io
I'd forgotten just how much I love this! A totally fabulous tune which (if you're old enough to remember) totally recalls Barry White's 70's soul hits. And if you're not old enough to remember....well just enjoy it for what it is - a great soul/pop song.
Prague 2005: "On My Head" - Dan Barta
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NByQ2bWgLbM
OK so this isn't a summer holiday song, it's a spring holiday song but I can bend the rules can't I!! This is a nice pop/rock song which got serious amounts of radio airplay at the time. And from what I can guess it's from a film about snowboarding. Now that's not very summery, is it???
Nice 2005: "Love Generation" - Bob Sinclar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0NSeysrDYw
At that time this song was best known as the new theme to Star Academy 5; I became obsessed with it and much later it was eventually played to the point of irritation, when I didn't want to hear it anymore. Yet it remains a fresh, feelgood, summery dance anthem, free of any of the dire ingredients which make today's dance music so formulaic and tedious.
Cologne 2006; "Klar" - Jan Delay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjoZnHyQpso
Long before he reached Eurovision interval-act notoriety, I was watching this on German music channels during my holiday in Berlin and bopping around the hotel room to this extremely funky tune.
Nice 2008: "Comme Avant" - Sheryfa Luna & Mathieu Edward
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKUdRzcxFeo&feature=fvsr
Two products of the French reality-TV-pop system - from Popstars and Star Academy respectively - duetting on a very fine r'n'b pop song which has stood the test of time.
I previously mentioned a few of these songs in my Holiday Hit Lists on here but as it's summer, I thought it might be worth revisiting a few of them.
Amsterdam 2002: K-Otic: Falling
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkSo4YnCwHU
A video which caught my eye thanks to very regular play on the Dutch music TV channels during our summer 2002 trip to Amsterdam. K-Otic were one of the first manufactured 'TV bands' from that Popstars-era, and much loved by the great Acer Ben who was one of my biggest blogging influences. Come back Ben, we miss you!
Biarritz 2002: "En Apesanteur" - Calogero
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO1LqqP9w3I
Extremely saucy video clip! All I will say is, do not get into an elevator with this man, you never know where it will lead..... ;)))
Biarritz 2002: "Come Back To Me" - Cunnie Williams
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiB4dupT2Io
I'd forgotten just how much I love this! A totally fabulous tune which (if you're old enough to remember) totally recalls Barry White's 70's soul hits. And if you're not old enough to remember....well just enjoy it for what it is - a great soul/pop song.
Prague 2005: "On My Head" - Dan Barta
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NByQ2bWgLbM
OK so this isn't a summer holiday song, it's a spring holiday song but I can bend the rules can't I!! This is a nice pop/rock song which got serious amounts of radio airplay at the time. And from what I can guess it's from a film about snowboarding. Now that's not very summery, is it???
Nice 2005: "Love Generation" - Bob Sinclar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0NSeysrDYw
At that time this song was best known as the new theme to Star Academy 5; I became obsessed with it and much later it was eventually played to the point of irritation, when I didn't want to hear it anymore. Yet it remains a fresh, feelgood, summery dance anthem, free of any of the dire ingredients which make today's dance music so formulaic and tedious.
Cologne 2006; "Klar" - Jan Delay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjoZnHyQpso
Long before he reached Eurovision interval-act notoriety, I was watching this on German music channels during my holiday in Berlin and bopping around the hotel room to this extremely funky tune.
Nice 2008: "Comme Avant" - Sheryfa Luna & Mathieu Edward
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKUdRzcxFeo&feature=fvsr
Two products of the French reality-TV-pop system - from Popstars and Star Academy respectively - duetting on a very fine r'n'b pop song which has stood the test of time.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Victoriadagen 2011
Regular readers of this blog will be aware that every year, on 14th July, a special concert is staged in Bornholm to celebrate the birthday of Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria. (Of course you will also remember that it was at this concert, in 2007, where I saw and heard Salem Al Fakir for the very first time!).
The concert is broadcast live on 14.07.2011 on SVT1 at 21:00 Swedish time and will also be available to watch on SVT Play. This year's guest list includes a number of singers/musicians from different musical genres celebrating Victoria's 34th birthday. Swedish pop/schlager fans can look forward to seeing Carola, Eric Saade, Jessica Andersson and Andreas Johnson.
(Picture courtesy of SVT)
Friday, July 08, 2011
Rockbjörnen Live: 31st August!
Make a note in your diaries....Aftonbladet's annual 'people's music prize' is only a few weeks away. Rockbjörnen - a long-established awards ceremony, where the prizes are voted for by the readers of the top Swedish tabloid - will be broadcast in full from Gröna Lund in Stockholm at www.aftonbladet.se on Wednesday, 31st August 2011, and the highlights of the three hour ceremony will be broadcast on Kanal 5 at 23:00 Swedish time, on Thursday 1st September.
You have until 29th July to nominate your favourite Swedish artists every day at http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/musik/rockbjornen2011/
Meanwhile, Aftonbladet's exclusive Livelöpet concerts are back for another series this summer:
11th July: Dead by April
18th July: Takida
6th August: Daniel Adams-Ray
15th August: September
Really looking forward to seeing Daniel and September!
You have until 29th July to nominate your favourite Swedish artists every day at http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/musik/rockbjornen2011/
Meanwhile, Aftonbladet's exclusive Livelöpet concerts are back for another series this summer:
11th July: Dead by April
18th July: Takida
6th August: Daniel Adams-Ray
15th August: September
Really looking forward to seeing Daniel and September!
The Square-Eyed Couch Potato: June 2011
I know it was screened in May but I didn’t get around to watching the excellent "TWO GREEDY ITALIANS" (BBC2) until last month. Part cooking show, part travelogue, part cultural observation, with lots of humour thrown in. Hope we see a lot more from Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldoas they make a great double act, with a clear love of their old home country.
Another show which I discovered a lot later than everyone else, and which I devoted a previous post to: "NAETURVAKTIN" a.k.a. "THE NIGHT SHIFT" (BBC4). Personnel on the forecourt! Here's hoping that BBC4 shells out some krónur for "Day Shift" and "Prison Shift" but I'm not holding my breath.
Because most TV documentaries seem to be a bit too sensationalist - "Britain's Tallest, Fattest Polygamist etc etc... and these days ITV's idea of a documentary is "The Only Way Is Essex" so it was very good to see something a bit...nicer. "THE WALTON SEXTUPLETS - MOVING ON" was one final trip to the Merseyside sextuplets who have been filmed all the way through their lives - but they've decided to get on with their lives now, out of the spotlight. What was lovely and reassuring was that despite all the publicity, they have remained a strong family unit - something really unique in these days of dysfunctional families, which would usually be the target of a TV documentary of course. (Photo courtesy of the Daily Mirror)
Football films are generally a no-go area. So it's very unusual to find a football-themed film worth watching. After all the good reviews, I expected a lot from "THE DAMNED UNITED" (BBC2) and it was no disappointment. The always excellent Michael Sheen played Brian Clough, the legendary football manager whose self-belief made him the Jose Mourinho of his day, but self-belief unfortunately wasn’t enough to make a success at Leeds United. A fascinating story, and a great film.
No, I didn’t watch the latest series of "BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT" (ITV1) - I didn’t need to, as there were enough people around to tell me what I may or may not have missed. There was some good old publicity-stuntery going on, what with ‘insiders’ alleging that the result may have been a foregone conclusion...of course it wasn’t. The winner, Jai McDowall, may have looked like a rocker but wowed everyone with his terrific voice which should ensure him success in musical theatre. Well done to him, but why did certain sections of the media have to spoil it by going on about the "Scottish bloc vote" - what do you think this is - Eurovision? And in case they didn't notice, there are only 5 million people in this country, whereas there are almost 62 million people in the UK as a whole. Go figure.
Another show which I discovered a lot later than everyone else, and which I devoted a previous post to: "NAETURVAKTIN" a.k.a. "THE NIGHT SHIFT" (BBC4). Personnel on the forecourt! Here's hoping that BBC4 shells out some krónur for "Day Shift" and "Prison Shift" but I'm not holding my breath.
Because most TV documentaries seem to be a bit too sensationalist - "Britain's Tallest, Fattest Polygamist etc etc... and these days ITV's idea of a documentary is "The Only Way Is Essex" so it was very good to see something a bit...nicer. "THE WALTON SEXTUPLETS - MOVING ON" was one final trip to the Merseyside sextuplets who have been filmed all the way through their lives - but they've decided to get on with their lives now, out of the spotlight. What was lovely and reassuring was that despite all the publicity, they have remained a strong family unit - something really unique in these days of dysfunctional families, which would usually be the target of a TV documentary of course. (Photo courtesy of the Daily Mirror)
BBC4’s music documentaries are always well worth watching, and "ANNIE NIGHTINGALE - BIRD ON THE WIRELESS" was no different, despite its trashy title it was just one hour with the Radio 1 legend describing her life in music. A trendsetter, a trailblazer, but still incredibly humble. She is probably one of a dying breed of people to whom the music matters the most - and she is well worth celebrating.
Football films are generally a no-go area. So it's very unusual to find a football-themed film worth watching. After all the good reviews, I expected a lot from "THE DAMNED UNITED" (BBC2) and it was no disappointment. The always excellent Michael Sheen played Brian Clough, the legendary football manager whose self-belief made him the Jose Mourinho of his day, but self-belief unfortunately wasn’t enough to make a success at Leeds United. A fascinating story, and a great film. 
No, I didn’t watch the latest series of "BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT" (ITV1) - I didn’t need to, as there were enough people around to tell me what I may or may not have missed. There was some good old publicity-stuntery going on, what with ‘insiders’ alleging that the result may have been a foregone conclusion...of course it wasn’t. The winner, Jai McDowall, may have looked like a rocker but wowed everyone with his terrific voice which should ensure him success in musical theatre. Well done to him, but why did certain sections of the media have to spoil it by going on about the "Scottish bloc vote" - what do you think this is - Eurovision? And in case they didn't notice, there are only 5 million people in this country, whereas there are almost 62 million people in the UK as a whole. Go figure.
Three of my regular series came to an end in June: "BLUE BLOODS" (Sky Atlantic) ended with the 'Blue Templar' thread which ran through the series being brought to a close. There was nothing particularly revolutionary or demanding about the police/family drama, and people will probably love or hate it for that reason. I wouldn't say I loved it, but it was a pretty undemanding way to pass an hour. I found this Guardian review which I had a good chuckle at. You probably won't enjoy it if you're a Blue Bloods fanatic though....http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2011/may/19/blue-bloods-sky-atlantic It's been commissioned for a second season so there will be plenty more chances to watch Tom Selleck's acting 2make its journey through the hardwoods"..... :)))
Meanwhile over at 5*, "PARENTHOOD" reached the end of season 1, with that great big group hug of an ending. Again, a second season is on the way. I like the show, but the characters all talking over each other is a real annoyance. Even though there's something pretty real about that, so I'll let it go I suppose. Crosby is still a major irritant, and I can't let that go; but I will always love Lauren Graham and she makes the show extra special. Roll on season 2....please please please buy it 5* !
Meanwhile over at 5*, "PARENTHOOD" reached the end of season 1, with that great big group hug of an ending. Again, a second season is on the way. I like the show, but the characters all talking over each other is a real annoyance. Even though there's something pretty real about that, so I'll let it go I suppose. Crosby is still a major irritant, and I can't let that go; but I will always love Lauren Graham and she makes the show extra special. Roll on season 2....please please please buy it 5* !
And so to the long awaited return of "ONE TREE HILL" to E4. Season 8 to be precise, and what would appear to be the penultimate series. You won't be surprised to know that I'm very happy to see it back on our screens...although I could have done without the whole dream/nightmare scenario. After all, I'm old enough to remember the "Dallas" shower scene. I'm really hoping for happier times for everyone in OTH, as there have been too many tragedies over the years :(
Season 1 of "FAIRLY LEGAL" reached its conclusion with a sacking, a pregnancy and enough loose ends to suggest a second season.
Season 1 of "FAIRLY LEGAL" reached its conclusion with a sacking, a pregnancy and enough loose ends to suggest a second season.
Finally, we're in festival season and I'm still wading through BBC's 47,000 hours of coverage of "GLASTONBURY 2011" from a couple of weeks ago. About 46,950 of these mainly consist of irritating presenter links. Just one question: Fearne Cotton - why?
The Playlist: June 2011
(I haven't been able to blog for the past couple of weeks due to some personal stuff but normal service will now be resumed! But firstly, a couple of posts from last month.)
Here's what I was listening to in June...
Solid Ground - Pnau: smooth, breezy pop from Nick Littlemore's band, and sharing the same irresistible musical characteristics as Empire of the Sun - which he was once a part of.
Judas - Lady Gaga: the critics are already airbrushing this one from Gaga history, but it became a Friday night favourite at EuropeCrazy HQ. Now that is an honour.
Call Your Girlfriend - Robyn: more exquisite high quality electropop from the queen of ....high quality electropop.
Battles (Of The Mind) - Kula Shaker: a long forgotten song from a few years ago, which I only rediscovered again recently and it reminded me just how much I liked them. Very 60s influenced.
Kärlekens Tunga - September: her own unique take on the Eldkvarn song, done in her own inimitable style.
Higher - Taio Cruz featuring Kylie Minogue: one of the year's most enduring pop songs, and a cert for a good placing in my year end chart.
Like Suicide - Christian Walz: another one which I can't stop playing, and which (along with "Me and My Drum") was my favourite MF 2011 song.
Rabiosa - Shakira featuring Pitbull: it's catchy, it's silly, it's fun and it's summer. And we'll even forgive her for having Pitbull on it.
We are over halfway through the year (it's flying by, isn't it!) and I've started thinking about my year-end chart. The way things are going, I'm going to struggle to put together a top 50 this year. Or even a top 30, come to that. I need to go back to basics, to the early days of this blog, when I did the work and went looking for the music which I wanted to hear, rather than expect it to fall into my lap. I'm going to put more work into this blog in the coming months and hopefully that will bring some much-needed musical rewards.
Here's what I was listening to in June...
Solid Ground - Pnau: smooth, breezy pop from Nick Littlemore's band, and sharing the same irresistible musical characteristics as Empire of the Sun - which he was once a part of.
Judas - Lady Gaga: the critics are already airbrushing this one from Gaga history, but it became a Friday night favourite at EuropeCrazy HQ. Now that is an honour.
Call Your Girlfriend - Robyn: more exquisite high quality electropop from the queen of ....high quality electropop.
Battles (Of The Mind) - Kula Shaker: a long forgotten song from a few years ago, which I only rediscovered again recently and it reminded me just how much I liked them. Very 60s influenced.
Kärlekens Tunga - September: her own unique take on the Eldkvarn song, done in her own inimitable style.
Higher - Taio Cruz featuring Kylie Minogue: one of the year's most enduring pop songs, and a cert for a good placing in my year end chart.
Like Suicide - Christian Walz: another one which I can't stop playing, and which (along with "Me and My Drum") was my favourite MF 2011 song.
Rabiosa - Shakira featuring Pitbull: it's catchy, it's silly, it's fun and it's summer. And we'll even forgive her for having Pitbull on it.
We are over halfway through the year (it's flying by, isn't it!) and I've started thinking about my year-end chart. The way things are going, I'm going to struggle to put together a top 50 this year. Or even a top 30, come to that. I need to go back to basics, to the early days of this blog, when I did the work and went looking for the music which I wanted to hear, rather than expect it to fall into my lap. I'm going to put more work into this blog in the coming months and hopefully that will bring some much-needed musical rewards.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Næturvaktin...missing you already.
Last night I finally finished watching "The Night Shift" on BBC iPlayer. Although I was aware that there was an Icelandic (black) comedy series running on BBC4, I hadn't made any attempt to watch this and it was only thanks to the always wonderful Rachel that I discovered a rare gem.Næturvaktin (The Night Shift) was not so well received by British media critics, but has gained a small but very devoted fan following. It is not a conventional comedy series in any sense - no irritating laughter track for example, and documentary-style camera work - in the beginning I thought it owed a lot to the brilliant "Flight of the Conchords" with Georg as a more extreme version of band manager Murray, who never takes responsibility for the consequences of his actions. (Some critics also compared the show to "The Office" although I can't comment on that one, as my extreme aversion to Ricky Gervais means that I've never been able to sit through more than one episode of that particular show).
Every great comedy series has well-rounded characters with particular traits and Næturvaktin already established these in its first 30 minutes: manager Georg Bjarnfreðarson - a Sweden-obsessed Marxist with (count them) five university degrees (including that all-important pedagogy!) and an obsession for making money out of recycling cans; Ólafur, the likeable but extremely gullible wannabe band manager who is always the butt of Georg's wrath; and Daníel, the new employee, an anxious college dropout who develops a growing relationship with Ylva ('kiosk girl' as she's known over at Digital Spy!). And let's not forget the emotionally abused Flemming Geir....
Of course every great comedy series needs its catchphrases and this one's no different - Georg's "personnel on the forecourt!" and "it was just a misunderstanding" may not sound obviously funny but you have to watch it to understand. Georg is a classic, grotesque, memorable character and this is one of the best TV series I've seen in years. Now all they need to do is release the DVD over here, failing that I'll just have to do what everyone else has done and buy it on import!
Sommarkrysset 2011: the line-up
Whilst the two competing Allsång shows get all the attention in the Swedish media, there's one more Swedish summer TV show which is a must-see event for me, if only for its weekly musical guests. Like the other two shows, it's an open-air event (this time from Stora Scenen at Gröna Lund in Stockholm) so let's hope the rain stays away and the sun shines this summer in Sweden!
"Sommarkrysset" (TV4) boasts a pretty impressive line-up of guests for its summer 2011 run which starts next Saturday night. Here's what we can look forward to in the coming weeks.
25th June: Eric Saade, Sahara Hotnights, Patrik Isaksson
2nd July: The Ark, Jessica Andersson & Magnus Carlsson, Loreen
9th July: Brolle, Jedward, Kikki Danielsson
16th July: Christer Sjögren
23rd July: September, The Moniker
30th July: Eric Amarillo, Sanna Nielsen
6th August: Martin Stenmarck, Swingfly
13th August: Danny
20th August: Rolandz with Robert Gustafsson
"The Voice" goes international
With Simon Cowell's TV talent show formats taking over the world, it's nice to see a talent show format, born on the European continent, going international which doesn't have Mr Cowell's fingerprints on it.
No, in this case it's the other king of international TV formats - John De Mol - who is responsible for "The Voice", which started off life as "The Voice Of Holland" and is now spreading across the globe. The first Dutch series was won by British-born soul singer Ben Saunders.
The unique selling point of this show is that auditionees are judged purely on their voices alone, which is a nice change from the image-conscious Idol/Talent/X Factor franchises. The show is currently running in the USA and has been successful enough to return next year for a second season. What particularly impresses me about the show is the involvement of the coaches, which is bringing back nice memories of Star Academy/Fame Academy - and they also have a bit of singing to do every week. The other notable thing is that the coaches are all pretty credible/talented performers - the USA show has Christina Aguilera, Cee-Lo Green and Adam Levine, for example - and the forthcoming Australian version also has the mouthwatering prospect of Tina Arena, Darren Hayes, Delta Goodrem and Shannon Noll. So, basically, talented singers are "in" - please bear that in mind BBC, rather than going for the easy option of, say, a pretty girl who is better known for her miming rather than singing!
Yes, the format has been purchased by the BBC who will screen a British version of the show in 2012. (I'm just speculating here, but if it was shown in the spring, could this be linked to Eurovision, with the winner going on to represent the UK in Baku? No? Just wondered). 2012 will also bring versions of the show in France (TF1) and Sweden (TV4).
Yes, the format has been purchased by the BBC who will screen a British version of the show in 2012. (I'm just speculating here, but if it was shown in the spring, could this be linked to Eurovision, with the winner going on to represent the UK in Baku? No? Just wondered). 2012 will also bring versions of the show in France (TF1) and Sweden (TV4).
Another country taking up the show is Flemish-speaking Belgium. "The Voice van Vlaanderen" will feature four coaches, who are all established stars in their own country - Alex Callier (of Hooverphonic), Jasper Steverlinck, Natalia Druyts and last but not least, Clouseau lead vocalist Koen Wauters. VTM will screen the series from this autumn and their website is already up and running with news, info and audition videos.
I'm hoping that the various versions of the show will produce something different from the norm, although can we please please please have a break from Adele songs, if those audition videos are anything to go by?
Although over recent years I've grown very tired of TV talent shows - with the exception of Swedish Idol of course - but I will be following the Flemish, French and Swedish versions of the show and writing about them on this blog.
I'm hoping that the various versions of the show will produce something different from the norm, although can we please please please have a break from Adele songs, if those audition videos are anything to go by?
Although over recent years I've grown very tired of TV talent shows - with the exception of Swedish Idol of course - but I will be following the Flemish, French and Swedish versions of the show and writing about them on this blog.
Fête de la Musique 2011
It will soon be time for France's (inter)national day of music. Fête de la Musique is celebrated on 21st June every year with a number of concerts/musical activities inside and outside l'hexagone.
Check out the official site at http://www.fetedelamusique.culture.fr/ for more info.
If you have access to the TV5 channel, don't forget to tune in on Tuesday night at 21:00 French time (20:00 UK time) for a Taratata special - a big outdoor concert from Brussels, featuring the following artists: Asa, Ayo, Louis Bertignac, Aloe Blacc, Brigitte, Chico and the Gypsies, Colonel Reyel, Julien Doré , Jessie J, Claire Keim, La Fouine, Nolwenn Leroy, Christophe Maé, Ziggy Marley, Yael Naim, Yannick Noah, Julian Perretta, Sexion d'Assaut, Martin Solveig, Stromaë, Selah Sue, Elisa Tovati & Tom Dice and many more. (info courtesy of http://www.tv5.org/)
If you live in the UK, you can find TV5 on channel 799 on Sky Digital.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
This year's "Sommar i P1" speakers
It's an annual summer tradition on Swedish radio P1 - and the list of speakers were announced today. Music fans might want to check out the following dates...
29th June - Jason Diakité
4th July - Nanne Grönvall
9th August - Daniel Adams-Ray
19th August - Petra 'September' Marklund
29th June - Jason Diakité
4th July - Nanne Grönvall
9th August - Daniel Adams-Ray
19th August - Petra 'September' Marklund
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Allsång på Skansen 2011: let the battle (of the sexes) begin!
You'd have thought that the Swedish media would have nothing to write about, after spending recent years debating about whether Anders Lundin's time as presenter of Allsång was up. Then Måns Zelmerlöw got the job...end of story.
But no. Because the ink had only dried on the guest list and the press were already screaming from the rooftops about the uneven gender balance of this year's performers. "There are twice as many males as females!" they groaned, and rounded up some female singers to support their argument.
You won't hear any complaint from me though. In a time when the world's charts and airwaves are dominated by female artists - Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Adele, Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry etc etc - it's about time someone tipped the balance in favour of the boys. And especially in a country like Sweden which has always had so many great male artists.
The Allsång line-up is always a mix of who's got a record out/newcomers/established favourites so why are there so many complaints this year? September and Veronica Maggio are arguably the two most successful female Swedish artists of the moment (apart from Robyn of course) and they're on the bill. Shouldn't the guest list be about quality rather than gender/quantity/quotas?
You can make your own mind up by watching this year's series which starts on 28th June. Here is the week-by-week guest list.
28 June: Benny Anderssons Orkester, Lunds Studentsångare, Danny Saucedo, September.
5 July: Håkan Hellström, Miriam Aïda, Siw Malmkvist, Ulrik Munther, The Moniker, Hasse Andersson.
12 July: Elisa’s, Veronica Maggio, Per Andersson, Eric Amarillo, Sara Varga, Kjell Lönnå.
19 July: Bo Kaspers Orkester, Petter, After Shave & Anders Eriksson, Vocalettes, Pernilla Andersson, Malena Ernman, Lena-Maria Klingvall.
26 July: Hoffmaestro, Eric Saade, Caroline Wennergren, Marika Willstedt, Angelica Alm, Carl Norén, Östen med Resten.
2 August: Timbuktu, Patriks Combo, Fredrik Kempe, Svante Thuresson, Hans-Erik Dyvik Husby, Linda Bengtzing, Eva Eastwood.
9 August: Lena Philipsson, Albin Flinkas, Fredrik Meyer, Staffan Percy, Sven-Ingvars.
16 August: Sveriges Radios Symfoniorkester, Anders Berglund, Björn Skifs, Peter Jöback, Loa Falkman.
I'm looking forward to the new series which is just over two weeks away and the first show should be a cracker with both Danny and September on the bill. In the great tradition of this blog, I'll be reviewing the show every week of course.
Review: "Evita" - King's Theatre, Glasgow 11th June 2011
In recent years, the show's co-composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has kept a high profile with a number of casting shows which have kept his latest productions in the spotlight. In the meantime, one of his most enduring hit shows has continued to tour the world and has returned to the UK for its latest theatre tour.
I refer of course to "Evita" which has been running for over 30 years and still pulls in the crowds. This was certainly true this weekend, as the matinee show played to a very appreciative audience in a packed King's Theatre in Glasgow. This is the second time we've seen this show at the King's which is an absolutely gorgeous and traditional old theatre which is currently in the middle of an ongoing restoration programme.
Unfortunately I forgot to buy a programme so had to do some research for my review. Whilst doing this I came across a review site and couldn't believe some of the bad reviews I read about this year's production. Yes certainly there were some minor flaws - the tango singer was too young, and the actor playing Che had a nervy start and didn't always match the narrator role's required sarcasm - but these are only very minor flaws and didn't detract from the show as a whole.
Apart from the political/historical narrative, "Evita" is always relevant and topical due to its main character's portrayal as a fame-hungry wannabe actress who slept her way up the ladder of success and ensured she caught the biggest fish of all - who equally realised that she would be a good asset to his political aspirations ("I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You").
The soundtrack, like the show is fast-moving and timeless - like "Joseph", the whole show is sung rather than spoken, and even thought the rock opera style probably belonged to another era, it still sounds fresh.
There were no big casting-show names in this one, but I researched and discovered that they were a group of experienced and established musical theatre performers. Leading lady Abigail Jaye gave a fine and professional performance as Eva Peron, although was a little high-pitched at times.
Whilst the first half of the show provides lively numbers such as "Buenos Aires" and ends with the rousing "A New Argentina", the second half starts with Evita on the balcony and the show's most famous song "Don't Cry For Me Argentina". Just like all politicians everywhere, the Perons increasingly fail to deliver on their promises and Eva heads off on a European tour with mixed success. On her return home she tries to win favour with the launch of her own foundation but even this is clearly suspect ("And The Money Kept Rolling In And Out"). Che is the glue who binds the show together and represents the voice of the Argentine people. (Of course, as with every performance of Evita, Che always gets the biggest cheer at the end).
Eventually Eva becomes ill and the latter part of the show packs an emotional punch culminating in Eva's death.
Unfortunately, the end of the show has everyone leaving the theatre feeling rather heavy-hearted and emotionally drained from the latter part of the show. Maybe it's totally inappropriate for such a dark ending but dare I suggest that the show could benefit from a discofied megamix, Joseph-style to lift us all up again. A hi-energy Don't Cry For Me Argentina? On This Night Of A Thousand Stars set to a Europop beat? No? OK then.
Purists may sneer at Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber making a song and dance out of Argentinian political history, but you can't argue with their always successful recipe of a true story mixed with good, memorable songs which ensure that this show's success will endure for many years to come. I'm sure that many of those in the audience yesterday afternoon will come back again for more next time round - we certainly will.
Så Mycket Bättre series 2 gets underway!
7 artists from different musical genres and generations have all gathered on Gotland to begin recording season 2 of one of Swedish TV's most successful TV formats of recent years - Så Mycket Bättre.
Or at least 6 of them did, but one was missing. Legendary dance act E-Type was far far away, in the North of Sweden, playing a gig so he missed the start of recording.
This year's artists:
Or at least 6 of them did, but one was missing. Legendary dance act E-Type was far far away, in the North of Sweden, playing a gig so he missed the start of recording.
This year's artists:
Eva Dahlgren
Jason "Timbuktu" Diakité
Martin "E-Type" Eriksson
Tomas Ledin
Lena Philipsson
Laleh Pourkarim
Mikael Wiehe
I was really hoping for Bjorn Skifs and Salem Al Fakir this year, so I'm a bit disappointed by the line-up. It will all be about Lena Philipsson and Tomas Ledin for me, as they are two of my most favourite Swedish artists of all time. I guess it's an interesting mix of artists, however I doubt if anyone will have the 'September-effect' this year. Although E-Type could surprise us all.
It's a simple and fascinating TV format which I think could work in any country. Does anyone know if the format has been sold by TV4 anywhere else yet?
Above: Lena Philipsson arrives at Pensionat Grå Gåsen in her sports car.
Above: Tomas Ledin.
Above: E-Type.
Mikael Wiehe
I was really hoping for Bjorn Skifs and Salem Al Fakir this year, so I'm a bit disappointed by the line-up. It will all be about Lena Philipsson and Tomas Ledin for me, as they are two of my most favourite Swedish artists of all time. I guess it's an interesting mix of artists, however I doubt if anyone will have the 'September-effect' this year. Although E-Type could surprise us all.
The best thing about this show is that there are no panels, no phone-in voting, no eliminations - just a group of singers getting together, having fun and singing each other's songs. The only potential problem is that this year, people are maybe a little more 'knowing' about the potential career effects of the show and it may lose a little of what made it so great in the first place, Or as I like to call it, the "Big Brother Effect". We'll find out later this year when series 2 is screened on TV4.
It's a simple and fascinating TV format which I think could work in any country. Does anyone know if the format has been sold by TV4 anywhere else yet?
Above: Lena Philipsson arrives at Pensionat Grå Gåsen in her sports car.
Above: Tomas Ledin.
Above: E-Type.More at Aftonbladet: http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/tv/article13158299.ab
Photographs courtesy of Aftonbladet.
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
Timoteij are back and they're "Het"!
(That means "Hot" by the way....!)
Anyway the girls are back with their new single "Het", a song for a nice long hot Swedish summer. Thankfully they haven't strayed too far from their musical roots and even throw in a few schlager 'a-ha's along the way.
Of course it's obvious that faithful travelling companion will enjoy this video....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzoRucqYers - another one for the playlist ;)))))
Anyway the girls are back with their new single "Het", a song for a nice long hot Swedish summer. Thankfully they haven't strayed too far from their musical roots and even throw in a few schlager 'a-ha's along the way.
Of course it's obvious that faithful travelling companion will enjoy this video....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzoRucqYers - another one for the playlist ;)))))
Sunday, June 05, 2011
Tomas = king of the castle!
Aftonbladet/Allt om Stockholm reports that Swedish superstar and all-round musical genius of the past 40 years, Tomas Ledin, has bought a castle!
Yes, the 59 year old legendary singer/songwriter - who has been one of my most favourite Swedish musicians of all time - has bought Hesselby Slott (Hesselby Castle) in Stockholm City, together with Torbjörn Blomqvist, for the total price of 50 million kronor. Now Tomas promises to keep it going as a music venue - he'll offer guitar lessons when available, and organise outdoor concerts in the Castle Park which is estimated to hold between 6,000 and 8,000 people.
It's going to be an exciting few months ahead for Tomas: not only will he be appearing in season two of Så Mycket Bättre, but he's also performing a season at Rondo, Liseberg - kicking off on 22 September and running till December 2011. More info at www.ticnet.se.
It's a shame there's no Gothenburg trip for me this year as that would have been a good one :))
Monday, May 30, 2011
Lotta på Liseberg 2011: the guest list
Thanks to Poplight and to Aftonbladet, here is the line-up of guests for the new season of Lotta på Liseberg which starts on 20th June on TV4.
20/6 Alexander Rybak, Orup, Loa Falkman, Sanna Nielsen.
27/6 Christer Sjögren, Thomas Di Leva, Ola, Jörgen Mörnbäck.
4/7 Malena Ernman, The Poodles, Swingfly feat Pauline.
11/7 Jessica Andersson, Charlotte Perrelli, Linda Pritchard, Alcazar.
18/7 Jenny Silver, Jack Vreeswijk, Ann-Louise Hansson, Josefin Glenmark, Brolle.
25/7 Lill Lindfors, Ulrik Munther, Martin Rolinski.
1/8 Danny, Arja Saijonmaa, A Friend in London, Paradise Oskar, Stella Mwangi.
8/8 Eric Saade, Tomas Ledin, Thomas Pettersson, September.
A pretty impressive line-up - and I'm particularly looking forward to seeing Martin Rolinski as he launches his career as a solo artist.
20/6 Alexander Rybak, Orup, Loa Falkman, Sanna Nielsen.
27/6 Christer Sjögren, Thomas Di Leva, Ola, Jörgen Mörnbäck.
4/7 Malena Ernman, The Poodles, Swingfly feat Pauline.
11/7 Jessica Andersson, Charlotte Perrelli, Linda Pritchard, Alcazar.
18/7 Jenny Silver, Jack Vreeswijk, Ann-Louise Hansson, Josefin Glenmark, Brolle.
25/7 Lill Lindfors, Ulrik Munther, Martin Rolinski.
1/8 Danny, Arja Saijonmaa, A Friend in London, Paradise Oskar, Stella Mwangi.
8/8 Eric Saade, Tomas Ledin, Thomas Pettersson, September.
A pretty impressive line-up - and I'm particularly looking forward to seeing Martin Rolinski as he launches his career as a solo artist.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Stop/start.
My original blogging plan for 2011 was one month off, two months on. This has worked quite well so far, however I'm changing it slightly over the summer. Instead of blogging through June and taking July off, I'm going to take at least the next two weeks off and see how it goes.
There are some very boring but necessary jobs at home that I need to do over the summer, particularly in the next couple of weeks, now that I'm in a period of recovery from extreme back pain so there won't be much time to blog. Therefore, things may be a bit stop/start over the summer on this blog, so bear with me :)
There will of course be coverage of this summer's big Swedish TV event - Allsång på Skansen which starts on SVT on 28th June and runs through till 16th August - more news to follow about this year's artists, and of course all eyes will be on Måns Zelmerlöw in his first year as presenter of the show. Lotta på Liseberg is also back on 20th June so I'll write about that too - Le Kid will be performing with Orup on that date so that's something to look forward to.
This blog will return on 14th June, but there will of course be the occasional post between now and then!
There are some very boring but necessary jobs at home that I need to do over the summer, particularly in the next couple of weeks, now that I'm in a period of recovery from extreme back pain so there won't be much time to blog. Therefore, things may be a bit stop/start over the summer on this blog, so bear with me :)
There will of course be coverage of this summer's big Swedish TV event - Allsång på Skansen which starts on SVT on 28th June and runs through till 16th August - more news to follow about this year's artists, and of course all eyes will be on Måns Zelmerlöw in his first year as presenter of the show. Lotta på Liseberg is also back on 20th June so I'll write about that too - Le Kid will be performing with Orup on that date so that's something to look forward to.
This blog will return on 14th June, but there will of course be the occasional post between now and then!
The Playlist: May 2011
Silhouettes - Avicii featuring Salem Al Fakir: You won't be surprised to see this on my playlist! A cracking dance track by Tim Berg, and the vocalist's not half bad either :))) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtQBFmdjLtg
Higher - Taio Cruz & Kylie Minogue: Yes I know I was late to this one, but it's one of the best things he's done in ages and not even the hideous Travie McCoy can spoil it.
Walking In The Rain - Flash & The Pan: a forgotten old obscure gem restored to my memory thanks to it being used in a car ad.
Without You/Walking On A Dream - Empire of the Sun: rediscovering them once again. Actually, forget that, because I never stopped listening to them.
Don't Know Why - Soundgirl: very clever use of Carly Simon's "Why" sample. It's got 'summer hit' written all over it: now all we need is the weather.
Love In Rewind - Dino Merlin
New Tomorrow - A Friend In London
So Lucky - Zdob zi Zdub
Coming Home - Sjonni's Friends
Get You - Alexey Vorobyov
Angel In Disguise - Musiqq:
All the songs I played after Eurovision was over.
Lifeline - Jamiroquai: heard it a lot in Pisa and realised I liked it more than I initially did.
Indestructible/Hang With Me - Robyn: still liking these.
Give A Little - Hanson: ooh look they've grown up into big grown-up men now!! This is a nice catchy pop song.
Bullets - Rebecca & Fiona: no, I'm still not tired of this one.
Higher - Taio Cruz & Kylie Minogue: Yes I know I was late to this one, but it's one of the best things he's done in ages and not even the hideous Travie McCoy can spoil it.
Walking In The Rain - Flash & The Pan: a forgotten old obscure gem restored to my memory thanks to it being used in a car ad.
Without You/Walking On A Dream - Empire of the Sun: rediscovering them once again. Actually, forget that, because I never stopped listening to them.
Don't Know Why - Soundgirl: very clever use of Carly Simon's "Why" sample. It's got 'summer hit' written all over it: now all we need is the weather.
Love In Rewind - Dino Merlin
New Tomorrow - A Friend In London
So Lucky - Zdob zi Zdub
Coming Home - Sjonni's Friends
Get You - Alexey Vorobyov
Angel In Disguise - Musiqq:
All the songs I played after Eurovision was over.
Lifeline - Jamiroquai: heard it a lot in Pisa and realised I liked it more than I initially did.
Indestructible/Hang With Me - Robyn: still liking these.
Give A Little - Hanson: ooh look they've grown up into big grown-up men now!! This is a nice catchy pop song.
Bullets - Rebecca & Fiona: no, I'm still not tired of this one.
The Pisa Diaries: Day 4 - Friday 6th May 2011
Another beautiful morning in Pisa. For some reason there's been a demonstration going on, lots of red flags and drumming. It's all very peaceful despite the police presence.We're doing something a bit less revolutionary after breakfast - having a cappuccino. If you check out the picture above, you'll notice a stunning dark red building, which contains the Caffe Dell' Ussero. This is a coffee house dating all the way back to 1775. Find out more about it at
http://www.ussero.com/inglese/default.php
(Faithful travelling companion's done his research and it would appear that it would really be revolutionary to have a cappuccino after 12.00 noon in Italy. It may be etiquette, but I don't like it: few things beat a late-afternoon cappuccino on holiday).
Today's piece of gratuitous food photography comes from the window of Pasticceria Salza in Borgo Stretto. There are fruit tarts and there are Salza fruit tarts. Pretty awesome....and with a pretty awesome price tag to match. 22 euros for a cake!!!!!
For lunch, it's back to our favourite pizzeria on Borgo Stretto. This is currently my wallpaper/background on my computer at work: you will probably wonder....why is she torturing herself so much???? A question which I cannot answer. Just enjoy the porcini mushroom topping.
Today's just about hanging out and visiting which have become old haunts by now. Needless to say the Piazza dei Miracoli gets another visit. There's something which keeps pulling us back there, and in the absence of any squares/green spaces, it's probably the main gathering-place in the city. There's also a chance to pick up some more last-minute souvenirs too: I particularly love those Venetian masks which I remembered being on sale at unaffordable prices in a shop in Nice - but they are a lot more affordable in Pisa, and you get them in all shapes and sizes.
I buy a smaller one (pictured below) which is now hanging on my bedroom wall.
Lots of wooden Pinocchio souvenirs on sale here too, so needless to say we buy these too.
The heat and the shopping has worked up our thirst for some gelato. I love lemon ice cream!!!
After our afternoon adventures we go back to get ready for tonight's meal. We dine out at a wonderful little pizzeria where you can watch the chef preparing the pizzas for cooking in the wood-fired oven. We don't have pizza though - one per day is enough!! - but there are more porcini mushrooms, this time in my pasta. I'm getting a taste for this delicious treat.
After dinner we end up back at "student square" for one last time. It may be Friday night, and lots of young people are drinking....but no-one's getting drunk, no-one's fighting, and it always feels safe. Pisa's a great little city and we've had a lovely holiday.
Nothing much to write about Saturday, as we spent most of it travelling home. Took a bus to the airport (10 minute journey) and then eventually left the sun behind, returning home to the usual dark clouds and heavy rain.
So, would I recommend Pisa for a short city break? The answer is a definite YES! Especially if you want a relaxing few days - and it's also a great base for exploring other parts of Tuscany too, if you want to include some day trips in your itinerary.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
The Square-Eyed Couch Potato: May 2011
Over the last few months I've been working my way through each series of "ONE TREE HILL" and have finally made it to Season 7. In Friends-speak, it's "The One Without Two Original Major Characters" (I won't spoil it for anyone in the world who hasn't seen it yet). I particularly miss that female character, as she was my favourite in the show. Anyway there are some new characters joined the show, but they don't seem as interesting as the ones who have left, and the whole style of the show seemed to have morphed into 'the beautiful and the bitchy' style of many other American TV shows featuring younger characters. I still enjoy the show, but it seems to have lost the emotion and the heart which made it so special in the first place. Although it’s still very addictive nevertheless, and I can’t wait for season 8 which will be back on E4 in June.Despite my initial enthusiasm, I parted company with "GLEE" (E4) early into season two. Now it seems that E4 feels the same way: its parent company Channel 4 pulled out of the negotiations for season three and have decided to splash their cash instead on the US remake of hit Danish thriller series The Killing (the original screened on BBC4 but I missed it as there was a lot of other stuff going on at the time, but I digress...)
Talking of BBC4 and Nordic stuff, they’ve started re-runs of the Krister Henriksson season two of "WALLANDER" which, of course, is well worth watching all over again.
I may or may not have said before on here that "WHO DARES WINS", (BBC-1) Nick Knowles' game show which is connected to the Saturday night National Lottery draw, is my favourite game show on the telly. Only because it's not a stupid celebrity panel game, or some stupid incomprehensible psychological nonsense, it’s just guessing lists. However the down side is that the same contestant duos seem to stick around for ever - the current Nat & Euan for example - but at least they’re not as irritating as previous contestant Adam "COME ON!!!!" who was briefly the most annoying man on television.
I’m enjoying season one of "PARENTHOOD" (5*) if only for the reason that Lauren Graham is in it, and I love, love, loved her as Lorelai in Gilmore Girls. She’s playing a similar independent, quirky character and is my favourite here too. It’s just a simple, straightforward, family drama which is a nice change from all the cops, hospitals and sci-fi. It’s very well cast, and could probably go on for at least another six seasons (it’s tipped to return for a third season in the States). Just one minor irritation for me: the personality-free zone that is Peter Krause. But that’s maybe just the character he’s playing, I don’t know, as I haven’t seen him in anything else.
One particular strength that American TV series seem to have over our homegrown counterparts is an ability to go on and on and on, and maintain a very high standard along the way. "GREY'S ANATOMY" (Sky Living) has had its shark-jumping moments over the years but on the whole it remains very addictive viewing, even if the often ridiculous relationship merry-go-round has you shaking your head in disbelief. Season 7 has been more satisfying than frustrating, with the focus on the reunited Callie and Arizona, Meredith and Derek's medical dilemma, and some nice side plots. Good news - it's been renewed for another season, however I’ve read various articles on showbiz sites which suggest that it could be the last one for the series’ major characters...? So enjoy it while you can!
Unfortunately I haven’t been watching season three of "BEING ERICA" (E4) because I can’t forgive that channel for their horrendous scheduling of season two :(
"FAIRLY LEGAL" (Universal Channel) is a nice, lightweight, undemanding way to pass an hour. You won't be surprised to learn that it's yet another American drama import, about Kate, a legal mediator. There's not much else to it really, but it's light-hearted fun. Yes it’s been renewed for a second season - hope we get to see it.
"THE APPRENTICE" (BBC1) is back again - and whilst there’s no Baggs The Brand this time round, there’s always an opportunity for posh wannabes to make fools of themselves. And that’s the real reason we watch it of course - to see them taken down several pegs by Lord Sugar. By the way, you can follow "Siralan" on Twitter - http://twitter.com/Lord_Sugar - loving his 'feud' with "Piersy"!!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The Pisa Diaries: Day 3 - Thursday 5th May 2011
It's a bright, sunny, and slightly breezy morning - perfect conditions for heading out to the coast. As with many other European cities, it's very easy to use the train ticket machine, as it also had instructions in English - I often wonder how non-English speakers would cope with a similar situation in the UK? It must be very difficult.
Today's destination is the seaside town of Viareggio, precisely 21 minutes' train journey from Pisa Centrale. And the train journey through the Tuscan countryside is a treat: it's Tuscany in a nutshell, with those trademark narrow triangular trees, vineyards and mountains along the way. On arrival it's quite a long slow walk from the station to the 'prom' (not that those chic Italians would call it that of course!) and the most noticeable thing is that....you can't see the sea, for most of that long promenade, and for much of it the beach seems to be only accessible through private beach clubs etc. But we find a way, and later discover that there is a central section of the prom with a whole sea view. Viareggio has some fascinating architectural gems on its promenade and is well worth a visit. Going in May means there's definitely a more off-season feel, but it didn't spoil an enjoyable day.
After lunch we head on down to the other end of the prom, past some very classy shops indeed, with the Jimmy Choo shoes and the posh designer jewellery in the windows. You can't buy much though: even the millionaires would go home empty handed if you're trying to shop here between 1.00 and 4.00 pm. Just as in Pisa, the shops are closed for a very long lunch break between those hours. We do manage to buy something we can afford though....gelato. Yum!
It's very hot today - the hottest day of the holiday so far, but that's not a problem. The pace is still relaxing and slow...then we head back to the city and back to the hotel to get ready for another night out. Pisa is very well situated with regards to transport and is in easy reach of other cities, namely Lucca and Florence, which we'd probably visit if we were to return to Pisa for another break in the future.
Dining out at yet another one of those restaurants on Via Santa Maria. Which meant for me another variation on Tuscan Bean Soup. And finally plucking up the courage to ask the question: "can I order two things from the primi piatti"? I worried about the breach of etiquette, the potential culinary faux-pas etc etc. As it turned out this was ok and they said yes, so I didn't need to go into my "I'm almost vegetarian and the only meat I eat is chicken but you don't have any on the menu...." routine. Breathes a sigh of relief.
Today's destination is the seaside town of Viareggio, precisely 21 minutes' train journey from Pisa Centrale. And the train journey through the Tuscan countryside is a treat: it's Tuscany in a nutshell, with those trademark narrow triangular trees, vineyards and mountains along the way. On arrival it's quite a long slow walk from the station to the 'prom' (not that those chic Italians would call it that of course!) and the most noticeable thing is that....you can't see the sea, for most of that long promenade, and for much of it the beach seems to be only accessible through private beach clubs etc. But we find a way, and later discover that there is a central section of the prom with a whole sea view. Viareggio has some fascinating architectural gems on its promenade and is well worth a visit. Going in May means there's definitely a more off-season feel, but it didn't spoil an enjoyable day.
After lunch we head on down to the other end of the prom, past some very classy shops indeed, with the Jimmy Choo shoes and the posh designer jewellery in the windows. You can't buy much though: even the millionaires would go home empty handed if you're trying to shop here between 1.00 and 4.00 pm. Just as in Pisa, the shops are closed for a very long lunch break between those hours. We do manage to buy something we can afford though....gelato. Yum!
It's very hot today - the hottest day of the holiday so far, but that's not a problem. The pace is still relaxing and slow...then we head back to the city and back to the hotel to get ready for another night out. Pisa is very well situated with regards to transport and is in easy reach of other cities, namely Lucca and Florence, which we'd probably visit if we were to return to Pisa for another break in the future.Dining out at yet another one of those restaurants on Via Santa Maria. Which meant for me another variation on Tuscan Bean Soup. And finally plucking up the courage to ask the question: "can I order two things from the primi piatti"? I worried about the breach of etiquette, the potential culinary faux-pas etc etc. As it turned out this was ok and they said yes, so I didn't need to go into my "I'm almost vegetarian and the only meat I eat is chicken but you don't have any on the menu...." routine. Breathes a sigh of relief.
Typical Thursday night: like everywhere else, there are a lot more people out tonight and the bars/restaurants are all much busier.
A couple of other observations about Pisa: I wouldn't call it 'hassle' as such, but those rose-sellers can be persistent, although a 'no thanks' usually suffices. Then there are the guys going round selling fake designer watches/big sunglasses, and scarpering very quickly when a cop car comes into sight. Oh, and there seems to be a serious toilet roll shortage in the bars/restaurants here, so much so that I have had to take my own supply :)))
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
The Pisa Diaries: Day 2 - Wednesday 4th May 2011
The day starts with a little rain, which thankfully doesn't last. However just to be on the safe side, I take my light anorak out with me but end up having to carry it around during what turns out to be a warm day. Having discovered the north side of the river, we cross the Ponte di Mezzo to the other side. Which takes us straight onto the Corso Italia which is the city's main shopping street, where you can find lots of Italian/European chain stores....and Galleria Del Disco, which is a small but well-stocked CD and DVD store. We walk as far as the railway station and then make our way back to Borgo Stretto for lunch at a fab little pizzeria, where I encounter the best pizza I've ever tasted in my life. It's called a Pizza Pinoccoli, it has walnuts, pine nuts and truffle oil, and here is a picture of it.
After that divine lunch it's time to return to the Piazza dei Miracoli to see that tower again (and all those other lovely buildings) in daytime and all its full tourist glory. People-watching is great fun here. What amazes me is how anyone would want to climb up all those stairs to the top of the Leaning Tower...but they do! (We most definitely don't).
There is a lot of building work going on all over Pisa at the moment - notably on the Corso Italia, which is being resurfaced, the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele and in various other parts of the city. But there are some very distinctive and beautiful buildings to look at, like this one which is on the big square not too far from our hotel.
Pisa is a great city to just hang out in. Because it's so walkable, the pace of our holiday has been slowed right down to a level of relaxation which we're not really used to. No dashing from one metro station to another. One particularly nice and unexpected thing is that the drivers aren't as manic as I thought: they actually stop at the red lights and let you cross the road!Dinner tonight at one of the tourist-friendly restaurants on Via Santa Maria. Anyone for gnocchi al pesto?
Following dinner, we hit the road and head for Piazza delle Vettovaglie. By day it's a market square, but by night it is transformed into student-land with lots of cheap bars and eateries all round the perimeter. There's a great buzzing vibe and we enjoyed it so much last night we're back again. Despite being "over-age" we get a very warm welcome. Pisa is a very friendly city indeed.
Following dinner, we hit the road and head for Piazza delle Vettovaglie. By day it's a market square, but by night it is transformed into student-land with lots of cheap bars and eateries all round the perimeter. There's a great buzzing vibe and we enjoyed it so much last night we're back again. Despite being "over-age" we get a very warm welcome. Pisa is a very friendly city indeed.Anyway, in the interest of research, we need to try some Sardinian beer: the cheap and cheerful and very popular Ichnusa!
Olle Hedberg is..."Wonderful"!
Last autumn, regular readers of this blog will remember that Olle Hedberg was my favourite contestant on Swedish Idol. Now he's released his debut single, "Wonderful", which is a cover version of a song released a couple of years ago by British singer-songwriter Gary Go, which got a lot of radio airplay over here two years ago. The song has been used in various movie soundtracks and most recently it was played during the interval of this year's Eurovision Song Contest final (when the televoting phone numbers were displayed on screen). So there's still a lot of life left in the song, and who better than Olle to keep it going?
"Wonderful" was released yesterday and is already no.15 in the iTunes Sweden singles chart.
Check out Olle's official site http://www.ollehedberg.com/ and Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Olle-Hedberg/119189471447567 and of course don't forget to check out his various great cover versions over at YouTube.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
The EuropeCrazy Holiday Hit List: Pisa, May 2011
Or not, as the case may be. Because this holiday was booked at very short notice it meant that I had very little time to familiarise myself with the latest Italian hits, therefore couldn't really identify them from what I heard on the radio.
There was one song (in Italian) which I liked, and which got a lot of airplay, but which I still don't know the title of. (I recorded a clip of it on my phone so I'll maybe put this in a separate post). It's like a guitar band pop/rock song, then goes into rapping on the chorus.
Another song which turned up regularly on the radio was "Eh...già" by Vasco Rossi which I did remember from the Italian charts update on this blog, and one of this year's Sanremo songs, "Arrivera" by Moda featuring Emma, was another regular radio fixture. I finally tracked down an Italian music station, Radio Italia ('solo musica Italiana') and heard lots of nice Italian pop tunes there. Significantly, despite their return to Eurovision after 14 years, I didn't hear Raphael Gualazzi once on the radio.
Unfortunately, like most other countries in Europe, Italy is suffering from the dominant globalisation of music. Switch on the radio and you'll never be more than a minute away from Bruno Mars, or Rihanna, or worst of all the Black Eyed Peas. These were also some of the most played songs of the week...
Set Fire To The Rain - Adele
Bright Lights Bigger City - Cee-Lo Green
Lifeline - Jamiroquai
Something In The Water - Brooke Fraser
Kidz - Take That.
There was one song (in Italian) which I liked, and which got a lot of airplay, but which I still don't know the title of. (I recorded a clip of it on my phone so I'll maybe put this in a separate post). It's like a guitar band pop/rock song, then goes into rapping on the chorus.
Another song which turned up regularly on the radio was "Eh...già" by Vasco Rossi which I did remember from the Italian charts update on this blog, and one of this year's Sanremo songs, "Arrivera" by Moda featuring Emma, was another regular radio fixture. I finally tracked down an Italian music station, Radio Italia ('solo musica Italiana') and heard lots of nice Italian pop tunes there. Significantly, despite their return to Eurovision after 14 years, I didn't hear Raphael Gualazzi once on the radio.
Unfortunately, like most other countries in Europe, Italy is suffering from the dominant globalisation of music. Switch on the radio and you'll never be more than a minute away from Bruno Mars, or Rihanna, or worst of all the Black Eyed Peas. These were also some of the most played songs of the week...
Set Fire To The Rain - Adele
Bright Lights Bigger City - Cee-Lo Green
Lifeline - Jamiroquai
Something In The Water - Brooke Fraser
Kidz - Take That.
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