Thursday, 14 January 2010
C'mon everybody: How Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent changed British music for ever
In terms of popular culture, many commentators start the Swinging Sixties with the Beatles in 1963, but the Sixties started swinging in January 1960 itself with the UK's first rock'n'roll package tour featuring the American stars, Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent. Judging by reports in regional newspapers by inappropriate theatre reviewers, the tour was a Grade A disaster, but of course it wasn't. The audiences loved the shows and more importantly, fledgling British musicians watched closely and determined that this was the way forward. Considering there are now films about relatively unimportant moments in rock history, it is inexplicable that there has not been a film about Cochran and Vincent, especially when the story is so colourful.
In 1956, the impresario Larry Parnes had catapulted Tommy Steele to stardom as Britain's answer to Elvis Presley. Steele played along for a while, but he was not threatening enough to be a Presley and his records made with London jazzmen lacked Presley's commitment. As Steele developed into a family entertainer, Parnes tried again with Marty Wilde and Billy Fury, who were more committed to the new music.
The managers of the American rock'n'roll stars had been reluctant to send their charges to the UK as there was more money to be made in the US. Bill Haley had passed his peak when he visited in 1957; and although Buddy Holly toured with success in March 1958, the rest of the bill was end-of-the pier variety. Lew and Leslie Grade promoted Haley and Holly but they came unstuck in May 1958 when a Jerry Lee Lewis tour was cancelled after he revealed the age of his wife.
There never was a sweet Gene Vincent. In 1956, when he was 21, the curly-haired boy from Norfolk, Virginia had stormed to success with "Be-Bop-A-Lula", but his unpredictable behaviour alienated him from his band, the Blue Caps, who complained to the union. By the autumn of 1959, he was banned from many States and reduced to playing small-time dance halls with pick-up bands. His new manager, Norm Riley, thought European dates were the answer as nobody would know of his problems. The TV producer, Jack Good booked him for ITV's Boy Meets Girl and arranged a guest appearance at Tooting Granada on Marty Wilde's stage show.
Gene was super-polite, saying "sir" and "ma'am" to everyone, and performed very well. Parnes set up some tour dates with Wee Willie Harris in January, while Good worked on his image. He loathed Vincent's vivid green suit with "GV" on the pocket, but loved the intense way he would gaze into the distance while he sang his songs. "Gene wore a leg iron," he recalls, "so he hobbled a bit. I was a Shakespeare fan, so hobbling to me meant Richard III. I even thought of giving him a hunchback, and I'm glad I didn't! Then I thought, 'He can also be moody like Hamlet', so we'll dress him in black from head to toe and put a medallion round his neck."...
Continue reading
James Cameron rejects claims Avatar epic borrows from Russians' sci-fi novels
It has grossed more than $1.3bn (£800m) worldwide, wowed the critics, and spawned a new generation of fans, the so-called Avatards, who have taken to painting their faces blue.
But the film director James Cameron was facing claims today that his 3D blockbuster Avatar owes an unacknowledged debt to the popular Soviet fantasy writers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky.
Cinema audiences in Russia have been quick to point out that Avatar has elements in common with The World of Noon, or Noon Universe, a cycle of 10 bestselling science fiction novels written by the Strugatskys in the mid-1960s.
It was the Strugatskys who came up with the planet Pandora – the same name chosen by Cameron for the similarly green and lushly forested planet used as the spectacular backdrop to Avatar. The Noon Universe takes place in the 22nd century. So does Avatar, critics have noticed.
And while there are clear differences between the two Pandoras, both are home to a similarly named bunch of humanoids – the Na'vi in Cameron's epic, and the Nave in Strugatskys' novels, read by generations of Soviet teenagers and space-loving scientists and intellectuals.
Arkady Strugatsky died in 1991. Last week Boris, the surviving brother, said he had not yet seen Avatar, which – only four weekends after its release – has become the second-highest grossing film after Cameron's Titanic.
Strugatsky, 76, appears to have shrugged off suggestions of similarities between Avatar and his Noon Universe, and denied reports circulated last week that he was accusing Cameron of plagiarism. On Monday, however, the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper devoted an entire page to the affair, and carried out its own close comparison of Avatar with the World of Noon.
Both Pandoras were "warm and humid", and densely covered in trees, the paper remarked. It conceded that in the Strugatsky books two humanoid species live on Pandora, a health resort. In Avatar there is only one species.
Writing on Monday in Russia's leading liberal newspaper Novaya Gazeta, the author and journalist Dmitry Bykov pointed out there were a lot of similarities. St Petersburg's communists, meanwhile, have condemned Avatar as a gung-ho rip-off of Soviet science fiction.
"The Na'vi are unequivocally reminiscent of the [Strugatskys'] Nave,' Bykov wrote. Speaking to the Guardian, though, Bykov said: "My point is that the film is harmful for western civilisation."
Cameron has defended himself from accusations that he has borrowed from other writers in the past, a claim made after the release of his Terminator films and Titanic. He insists the idea for Avatar is an original one. He wrote an 80-page screenplay for the film back in 1994.
Today one film critic said there would inevitably be similarities between Avatar and the Strugatskys' intellectually demanding novels as both were anti-utopian fantasies. The brothers' work sold millions of copies, with many reading their intricate fantasies as a thinly disguised satire on the KGB communist system.
"Avatar is a great technological leap forward. It's a very clever, multi-layered film, and politically highly relevant," a film critic, Yuri Gladilshikov, said. "It depicts the fate of indigenous minorities in countries such as Peru or Venezuela. And there are associations with Vietnam and the war in the jungle."
Asked about the Noon Universe cycle, he said: "In any genre you can find plenty of parallels. Of course there are similarities between the Strugatskys and Cameron. But I think in this case the parallels are marginal."
The Strugatskys' science fiction has inspired several high-profile movies – notably Andrei Tarkovsky's 1977 Stalker, loosely based on the brothers' novel Roadside Picnic. Another Strugastky work, The Inhabited Island – in which a 22nd-century space pilot crashes on an unknown planet, was made into a two-part film in 2008.
There was no comment today from 20th Century Fox, the UK distributors...
The Never-Ending Horror of Pat Robertson by Michael Rowe
Last night, as I was updating my Facebook status, I briefly considered a post wondering how long it would take before Pat Robertson made some monstrous insinuation about the earthquake in Haiti being God's will. I remember thinking, No, even Pat Robertson wouldn't exploit a tragedy of this magnitude--a tragedy that, as of this writing, has claimed over 100,000 lives. Even Pat Robertson would have seen the pictures of the broken and mangled bodies of children, their limbs bloodied, crushed by fallen concrete. Even Pat Robertson, T-1000 Pharisee though he might be, would have a vulgarity threshold he wouldn't cross. Surely a natural disaster in one of the poorest countries on earth would be beyond the pale, even for him, especially given Christ's edicts relating to the blessedness of the poor.
As it happens, I should have taken bets on "when" instead.
On the 700 Club today, Robertson did what he does best: he perverted a tragedy to suit his religious agenda. In his best creepy Evangelical wizard voice, he intoned that the people of Haiti had brought this catastrophe on themselves by compacting with the Devil.
"Something happened a long time ago in Haiti and people might not want to talk about. They were under the heel of the French, you know Napoleon the Third and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the Devil. They said 'We will serve you if you will get us free from the Prince.' True story. And so the Devil said, 'OK it's a deal.' And they kicked the French out. The Haitians revolted and got something themselves free. But ever since they have been cursed by one thing after another."In the aftermath of 9/11, CBN aired a dialogue between Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell in which Falwell asserted that the ACLU, abortionists, feminists, gays, and the People For the American Way, were responsible for the devastating attacks on the Twin Towers. Robertson concurred with Falwell, and offered up a prayer, flagellating Americans for--you guessed it--bringing 9/11 on themselves.
"We have sinned against Almighty God, at the highest level of our government, we've stuck our finger in your eye. The Supreme Court has insulted you over and over again, Lord. They've taken your Bible away from the schools. They've forbidden little children to pray. They've taken the knowledge of God as best they can, and organizations have come into court to take the knowledge of God out of the public square of America."Robertson would say something similar when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. He proposed that then-Supreme Court nominee John Roberts "could be thankful" that the tragedy had "done him some good" by providing a backdrop that would intimidate Democratic senators who might otherwise question Justice Roberts' views on abortion and other conservative deal-breakers.
Haiti is one of the poorest countries on earth, and its heroic survival in the face of horrors--the likes of which Pat Robertson could only imagine enduring in his worst nightmares--has been nothing short of awe-inspiring. Haiti was the site of the only successful slave revolution in human history. Between 1791 and 1804, Haiti's slaves threw off the shackles of French rule, a rule whose barbarous cruelty shines even in the annals of slavery. Their history in the two hundred-plus years since they were emancipated from France has been fraught with extreme poverty and internal turmoil.
The estimated death toll from the magnitude 7.0 quake that rocked the country on Tuesday continues to soar even as I write this. It's reported that both the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, Joseph Serge Miot, is among the dead, as reportedly is the chief of the UN mission in Haiti, Hedi Annabi. Aid organizations, both religious and secular, have mobilized the world over, recognizing this as a human catastrophe on par with the tsunami of December 2004. Most people of genuine faith are turning to prayer at this moment, and hopefully to their pocketbooks as well.
What's Pat Robertson doing? Writing horror stories in the blood of innocent victims of a monstrous natural occurrence--again. While women scream for their dead children, Pat Robertson is telling apocryphal tales about how the Haitians are suffering unimaginable pain and despair because they "swore a pact to the Devil" in order to be freed from the horrors of slavery under "you know, Napoleon the Third and whatever."
In the same way that social pundits have suggested that the revelations of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's unfortunate use of the word "Negro," in expressing his support of then-Senator Barack Obama's presidential candidacy, might possibly herald an open and honest discussion on the reality of race in America, perhaps we can hope that this latest obscenity from Pat Robertson might herald an open discussion on the caustic effects of religion in America.
Perhaps in the aftermath of yet another grotesque pronouncement from this man who claims to speak for God, while blaming victims of a natural horror for their own misery, it might be time for America to take a long, hard look at the multi-billion dollar religion industry (which is largely tax-exempt) and ask itself if it still wants to invest people like Pat Robertson and his evangelical corporation with anything but jaundice.
It's too much to expect Robertson's millions and millions of followers to share the outrage we feel over his comments about Haiti. It's too much to expect them to immediately cease funding his enterprise and send their money instead to an aid organization. Imagine the many millions of dollars for Haitian aid that would generate.
It's too much to expect them to recall what their own Bible says about false prophets, or to see Robertson in the context of Isaiah 29:13: The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men."
But of those of us who are outraged by Robertson's foulness chose to give an extra ten dollars to Oxfam or the Red Cross as an expression of that outrage, perhaps some small good can come out of it.
Because now is not the time for anything but goodness.
And then, when we've really done all we can, perhaps we can finally have that honest discussion about religion, and the role of people like Pat Robertson in American popular culture. And perhaps then we can discover who's really made a pact with the Devil. Lets hope it isn't us.
Massive aid effort begun for Haiti quake victims
Sniffer dogs, high-energy biscuits and tons of emergency medical aid were heading to Haiti on Wednesday as governments and aid groups launched a massive relief effort for the estimated 3 million people reeling from a devastating earthquake.
Aid officials in the impoverished Caribbean nation worked to clear rubble from roads, build makeshift hospitals and remove bodies from the rubble despite transportation problems and broken phone lines.
Wintry weather in Europe added to the challenge, with snow temporarily delaying a British aid flight with 64 firefighters and rescue dogs at Gatwick Airport.
As it struggled to gauge the full scale of the catastrophe, the United Nations said it was rushing food, personnel and medical supplies to alleviate the "major humanitarian emergency." It also confirmed at least 140 members of its own staff were missing under flattened roofs in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince.
"We'll be using whatever roads are passable to get aid to Port-au-Prince, and if possible we'll bring helicopters in," said Emilia Casella, a spokeswoman for the U.N. food agency. Its 200 staff in Haiti were trying to deliver high-energy biscuits and other supplies, despite looting and the threat of violence in a nation long plagued by lawlessness.
Humanitarian officials said the proximity of the quake's epicenter, only 10 miles (15 kilometers) from Port-au-Prince's sprawling slums and hilltop villas, as well as Haiti's crumbling infrastructure, meant it was difficult to estimate how many people might be dead or injured.
But the sheer number of dead bodies was expected to pose a problem. The World Health Organization said it has sent specialists to help clear the city of corpses and prevent the spread of disease, and the Red Cross was sending a plane Thursday loaded mainly with body bags.
The Red Cross estimated that 3 million people will require aid, ranging from shelter to food and clean water, and said many Haitians could need relief for a full year.
"There are many, many people trapped in the rubble," said Paul Conneally, spokesman for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies. "We're not optimistic at the moment."...
Continue reading
Nice to see that Brangelina have donated a million too!
Clubbers are 'turning to new legal high mephedrone'
Mephedrone is also known as meph, 4-MMC, MCAT, Drone, Meow and Bubbles The powerful legal high mephedrone is becoming much more widely used on the British club scene, a survey suggests.
One in three readers of dance magazine Mixmag polled for an academic study has used the powder in the last month. The results make mephedrone the fourth most popular substance in the survey.
"Mephedrone has gone from nowhere to the mainstream in under two years," said Dr Adam Winstock from the National Addiction Centre, who led the research.
"For a drug that's been around for a relatively short amount of time, mephedrone has certainly made a big impact on the dance drug scene."
The government has said it is a "priority" to find out more about the dangers of using the stimulant.
Its team of drug advisors has now written to the home secretary warning that substances like mephedrone could have "serious public health implications" and saying it will provide advice "as soon as possible on this important issue".
But a series of resignations from the advisory council linked to the sacking of its then chairman, David Nutt, in November is threatening to hold up the research.
Mephedrone is usually snorted although it can also be taken in pill form, mixed with a drink or, in rare cases, injected. It is sold online through dozens of dedicated websites as a "plant food" to get round the Medicines Act, although it has no known use as a fertilizer.
"The fact it is legally obtainable is absolutely no guarantee [of safety]," said Dr Winstock. "At the moment we just don't have the research to know what it does to people in the short term and long term."
Most users describe the effects of mephedrone as a cross between cocaine and ecstasy.
"I've taken it a couple of times in clubs," said 25-year-old Tina from South Wales. "We always get it from the same place and the experience is consistent. It is very similar to ecstasy."
"I have heard of people with horror stories but anyone who takes drugs accepts there can be negative side effects." The results of the survey were based on an online poll of 2,222 readers of the clubbing magazine Mixmag carried out by researchers at the National Addiction Centre at Kings College, London.
51% of mephedrone users in the study said they suffered from headaches; 43% from heart palpitations; 27% from nausea; and a further 15% from cold or blue fingers.
'Very moreish' "The first thing I noticed was that I couldn't urinate at all," said Danny, 24, from Colchester. "My heart was beating really fast and I was sweating badly.
"It's very moreish and you constantly want to re-dose. I ended up buying five grams and went on a two-day bender on it.
"It's a worry because it's probably putting a lot of stress on my heart and other organs. You can definitely develop a habit from doing it."
Professor Les Iversen, Interim Chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of DrugsWe suspect that mephedrone and five other compounds in the same family are different versions of classical amphetamines and have all the problems associated with that
Almost nothing is known about the long term effects of taking it.
The government's team of drug advisors is now looking into the dangers and health effects of mephedrone.
A report and series of recommendations are likely to be presented to the home secretary before the summer.
"We want to take a careful look at the evidence and we are doing just that," said Professor Les Iversen, the new interim chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD).
"We suspect that mephedrone and five other compounds in the same family are different versions of classical amphetamines and have all the problems associated with that: hyper excitability, aggression, heart problems and a high liability to dependence and addiction.
"We don't know if this is all true for mephedrone and we need to find out."
But five of the scientists originally working on research for the ACMD resigned last November in a political row following the sacking of then Chairman David Nutt.
Former members claim the council will "struggle" to function over the next few months until new scientists can be appointed.
The home office points to the recent banning of the drug GBL as evidence it is committed to cracking down on legal highs if they pose a "significant threat to health".
"Making substances illegal is only part of the solution," said a spokesperson for the home office.
"It is important to understand that just because a substance is legal, it doesn't mean it's safe to consume.
"Last year we launched an information campaign targeted at clubbers to raise awareness of the dangers of legal highs, including mephedrone, when people try to buy them online."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
