Ratings

I’m sure that this comes under “Geekery Unlimited”, but is it only me who finds the Guardian’s “overnights” fascinating reading? (It may need you to register for the Grauniad’s services, but that’s still free) Basically it’s a daily view of who watched what last night on the five terrestrial channels, and I find I read it probably three or four times a week, even for programmes I haven’t watched.

Yes, I think it’s now certain that I really do need to get out more.

Photographica

Following on from the post over the weekend about Sulham Woods, I’ve uploaded some photos from the weekend. Enjoy.

Gay Chorus

Further to Peter‘s comments in this post, and his own thoughts on the subject (Jesus, this is getting all insular and self-referential, isn’t it?) I’ve ended up posting the following comment. There’s a lot more that still wants to be said, but my brain’s currently not stringing the words together overly well on the rest of it.

I agree that the idea of a gay chorus is somewhat segregationist. I know that the argument that’s been thrown about previously when people have said “why is there a *insert specialist section* *insert occupation* group, when there’s not a straight/white/whatever one?” The answer that made most (although still not a lot) sense was that the straight/white/whatever ones had been around for years/decades (the particular context I’m thinking of was about a Miss Black America, a beauty contest for African-Americans (I hate that phrase too)) and had already proved themselves to be segregationist.

However, just because “it’s already been done the other way” doesn’t make it right. I’ve never understood the entire ghettoisation process (is that a word?) where there are areas such as Manchester’s Gay Village – I can understand the need for an area where people can feel safe, but in an ideal world, that shouldn’t be necessary either. But so many of the gay men I know refuse to drink anywhere that’s not in “the Gay village”, which to me just limits the opportunities to get out and have fun.

Unfortunately, Man is a tribal beast, and appears to want to only socialise with “his own kind”, to the exclusion of anyone who doesn’t fit that particular emotional/psychological/sexual template. Pack instinct, it still rules.

As a final point, I’d just like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the performance, not because of their orientation, but because of their talent and enjoyment of the music they were performing. At the end of the day, that’s what matters, not what they do, or what they are – so long as they’re singers and performers (in this context) that is the be-all and end-all.

Day Out

Well, this weekend I’m in Reading. Lucky me. Actually, its been nice so far – spent most of the morning in Sulham Woods (no decent links, but I’ve got shedloads of photos, so they’ll be online after the weekend), among the bluebells and so on. Very pleasant.

And tonight we went out for the debut public performance of the Reading Gay Chorus – who, for a debut performance, were simply stunning. Not a bad day at all…

Getting away with it

Ah, another case of Do as I say, not as I do – Manchester Police’s Assistant Chief Constable (the one in charge of traffic, no less) gets stopped for doing 104mph on a motorway, and gets away with 6 points and a £450 fine. Alright for some, isn’t it?

Chris Rea
Manchester Apollo

Some people just get confused. As we were leaving the gig, someone behind me said

“Why didn’t he play ‘Lady in Red’ ?”

Sorry, pet, wrong Chris.

However, if you knew what you were looking for, this gig was bloody good. Bizarrely, it was my second all-seated gig within 10 days, after donkey’s years without one at all.

A few years ago, Rea was diagnosed with cancer, and allegedly “did a deal with God”, and decided that if he survived, he’d play the music he wanted to, and do blues albums instead of some of the pap he’d done previously. The first two thirds of the gig was exactly that – proper “old-fashioned” blues, like a supercharged bar-room band. Seriously good blues and rock’n’roll type music.

The last third was more a revue of his older stuff, “Let’s Dance”, “Road to Hell”, “Josephine”, and the like, but even then they’d been bluesed-up (if that’s a word) and a lot better than they’d been remembered.

All things considered, a bloody good gig – much enjoyed. And thank fuck, no “Lady In Red”.