Thursday 12 June 2014
Notes on The Sun
Thursday 5 June 2014
Glastonbury 2014: Should Metallica face the axe?
It's been a turbulent month for Glastonbury festival organiser Michael Eavis. Having been bombarded with criticism for the booking of ageing American rockers Metallica as headliners, he's now facing fresh controversy with the news that singer James Hetfield is set to narrate The Hunt, an 8-part TV series documenting the killing of Kodiak bears in Alaska. With the concept of big game hunting being completely at odds with the political ideals of the festival, is it time for Eavis to act?
The news of Hetfield's narration role has sent shockwaves through the musical community, as Metallica now not only musically contrasts the traditional hippy image of Glastonbury, but is also juxtaposed in ideals. As a well known supporter of groups promoting animal rights such as Greenpeace, Glastonbury seems the festival least suited to a Metallica performance. Surely Eavis, a political activist and animal rights campaigner himself, can't condone a group which promotes the senseless slaughter of endangered species. Bear in mind, this is not a programme about killing for food or survival. This is murder for the sake of entertainment.
But let's give the band a fair trial. Although Hetfield's actions appear unforgivable, what of the rest of the group? Certainly, the other three members of the band have never shown the slightest interest in hunting, so banning the band from the festival would likely be punishment overkill. Then there's the practical issues with axing the band to contend with; Eavis would need a replacement headliner with the festival less than a month away, and last-minute ticket resales would have to be organised for those disappointed to miss the band. It's unfortunate that the brave move to book the festival's first ever heavy metal headliner has been so disastrous for Eavis and co, as they spectacularly pulled off their first headline rap performance with Jay-Z in 2008. Despite been one of the best live acts around, it seems unlikely that anything but a career-defining performance will make up for the storm of controversy the booking of Metallica has caused.
Perhaps Hetfield has underestimated the political stance of the festival he's set to front, but his actions seem undeserved of a total ban despite a 25,000 strong petition to drop his band from the lineup. An apology would likely be sufficient, but Metallica should stand as a warning to future performers: Glastonbury is a national institution, and not one you should cross.
The news of Hetfield's narration role has sent shockwaves through the musical community, as Metallica now not only musically contrasts the traditional hippy image of Glastonbury, but is also juxtaposed in ideals. As a well known supporter of groups promoting animal rights such as Greenpeace, Glastonbury seems the festival least suited to a Metallica performance. Surely Eavis, a political activist and animal rights campaigner himself, can't condone a group which promotes the senseless slaughter of endangered species. Bear in mind, this is not a programme about killing for food or survival. This is murder for the sake of entertainment.
But let's give the band a fair trial. Although Hetfield's actions appear unforgivable, what of the rest of the group? Certainly, the other three members of the band have never shown the slightest interest in hunting, so banning the band from the festival would likely be punishment overkill. Then there's the practical issues with axing the band to contend with; Eavis would need a replacement headliner with the festival less than a month away, and last-minute ticket resales would have to be organised for those disappointed to miss the band. It's unfortunate that the brave move to book the festival's first ever heavy metal headliner has been so disastrous for Eavis and co, as they spectacularly pulled off their first headline rap performance with Jay-Z in 2008. Despite been one of the best live acts around, it seems unlikely that anything but a career-defining performance will make up for the storm of controversy the booking of Metallica has caused.
Perhaps Hetfield has underestimated the political stance of the festival he's set to front, but his actions seem undeserved of a total ban despite a 25,000 strong petition to drop his band from the lineup. An apology would likely be sufficient, but Metallica should stand as a warning to future performers: Glastonbury is a national institution, and not one you should cross.
Wednesday 4 June 2014
Are books doomed: the rise of the Kindle
There's something about books, isn't there? The unforgettable crackling of the turn of a page, the feeling of a finger tracing the spine, that smell of must and epiphany which still haunts a novel years after publication (in the words of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Rupert Giles, "learning should be smelly"). We've always known that there's more to the experience of reading than mere words; the book itself has power to conjure feelings beyond even those held by the text inside. And yet, figures released today suggest that sales of e-books will outweigh those of printed text by the year 2018 as we turn to our iPads and Kindles for our reading. This is a startling idea; the page has forever been our source for reading; so is it really possible that book readers will eventually become a minority?
Despite my book-loving nature, I don't find it difficult to understand why people are attracted to the e-book. Certainly, from a practical perspective they outclass physical books by some distance, as thousands of virtual pages can be transported without any increase in weight. But surely not everyone buys e-books to travel, so why else has the switch to the screen been so dramatic? Perhaps in our tech-dominated society, "newer" has simply become synonymous with "better, encouraging us to invest more the concept. The superb marketing of the products must also be a factor; TV viewing figures would suggest that people are more impacted by advertising than they've ever been before. Then there's the wonderful idea that only you have to know what you're reading, as no one can scoff at you for starting the Harry Potter series now or for reading 50 Shades of Grey (perhaps the novel which can take the most blame for the rise of e-books) if the cover is replaced by a plastic casing.
But, as I mentioned before, there's something about books. The first time I wanted to read The Lord of the Rings, my dad, with a stately reverence worthy of the crown jewels, handed me a dusty collected volume his father had gifted him as a boy. The book demanded respect; Gandalf stared defiantly out of the cover; the pages were yellowing and dog-eared with use and it smelled like the sixties were still swinging on unabated. I'm looking that that book now, and it holds memories not only of the discovery of the beautiful land of Middle Earth, but also of other events in my life which occurred while I was reading it. Now, I ask you, can an iPad capture feelings in the same way? Can a Kindle harbour such nostalgia? I hardly think so.
As I've already stated, reading isn't just about the words, and e-book buyers only receive half the experience. Books, for all their practical imperfections, will remain as essential as the act of reading itself, and the page will never truly be replaced, because we and they simply have too much history together. After all, who could trade the subtle happiness of the feeling of pages and the smell of books for the cold plastic of a Kindle? Not I.
Despite my book-loving nature, I don't find it difficult to understand why people are attracted to the e-book. Certainly, from a practical perspective they outclass physical books by some distance, as thousands of virtual pages can be transported without any increase in weight. But surely not everyone buys e-books to travel, so why else has the switch to the screen been so dramatic? Perhaps in our tech-dominated society, "newer" has simply become synonymous with "better, encouraging us to invest more the concept. The superb marketing of the products must also be a factor; TV viewing figures would suggest that people are more impacted by advertising than they've ever been before. Then there's the wonderful idea that only you have to know what you're reading, as no one can scoff at you for starting the Harry Potter series now or for reading 50 Shades of Grey (perhaps the novel which can take the most blame for the rise of e-books) if the cover is replaced by a plastic casing. But, as I mentioned before, there's something about books. The first time I wanted to read The Lord of the Rings, my dad, with a stately reverence worthy of the crown jewels, handed me a dusty collected volume his father had gifted him as a boy. The book demanded respect; Gandalf stared defiantly out of the cover; the pages were yellowing and dog-eared with use and it smelled like the sixties were still swinging on unabated. I'm looking that that book now, and it holds memories not only of the discovery of the beautiful land of Middle Earth, but also of other events in my life which occurred while I was reading it. Now, I ask you, can an iPad capture feelings in the same way? Can a Kindle harbour such nostalgia? I hardly think so.
As I've already stated, reading isn't just about the words, and e-book buyers only receive half the experience. Books, for all their practical imperfections, will remain as essential as the act of reading itself, and the page will never truly be replaced, because we and they simply have too much history together. After all, who could trade the subtle happiness of the feeling of pages and the smell of books for the cold plastic of a Kindle? Not I.
Tuesday 3 June 2014
Donker Mag review: A dismal third outing for Die Antwoord
It's been six years since the rap-rave trio Die Antwoord exploded out of South Africa with the release of their phenomenal debut album $O$. Since then, they've gained a reputation for stunning audiences across the globe with music that combines effortless catchiness with a passion for experimentation, and in doing so the group have created a style truly worthy of the word unique. They've flirted with controversy, amassed a loyal cult fanbase and smashed festivals all over the word with a powerful live show, and now Donker Mag, their third album, has finally been released. But was it worth the wait?
Having heard the two pre-released singles, Cookie Thumper and Pitbull Terrier, you'd be forgiven for imagining Donker Mag to exist as some kind of musical holy grail, such was the brilliance of that musical duo. However, it's instantly clear that the rest of the album completely fails to match the quality of its singles. This is most apparent on the first half of the album, which features almost none of the grabby electro hooks which dominated previous efforts, and while the second half picks up the pace, it never quite reaches the same highs. An irritating reliance on short, spoken word tracks also forces the record into a disjointed, forced state, making the piece sound more like a ramshackle collection of beats than a serious album. It's a real shame that there's so much filler, because when Donker Mag is good, it's absolutely incredible (see Cookie Thumper, Pitbull Terrier and Sex). That Die Antwoord made such little effort in songwriting is a huge source of disappointment, because some fantastic yet rare moments suggest that the record could have been a modern classic. Lyrically, Donker Mag sticks to the form of the music: crass, predictable and unpleasant. The lack of imagination in the vast majority of the lyrics is hard to believe, and a ridiculous over-reliance on swearing only numbs the use of the words and makes the group appear childish. Occasional racial slurs are also pointless and slightly embarrassing, while the massive sexualisation of singer Yo-Landi simply furthers the impression that the trio are sexist, racist and promoters of discrimination. Of course, Die Antwoord still sound like nothing else on earth; those scathing beats and angry vocals are still the cutting edge of modern music. But aside from a decline in the strength of the songs, Donker Mag sounds almost identical to the band's two previous albums, a lack of evolution totally out of character with a group so musically dynamic and diverse.
Die Antwoord may claim to possess a sound that is completely their own, but Donker Mag shows that it's no good having a unique style if you can't accomplish the more basic achievement of writing good songs. It's not without its moments, but this record lacks ambition, creativity and innovation, and revolves around an overused style the group have had nailed since their debut album. It's no exaggeration to say that Donker Mag could be the most disappointing album of 2014.
4/10
Having heard the two pre-released singles, Cookie Thumper and Pitbull Terrier, you'd be forgiven for imagining Donker Mag to exist as some kind of musical holy grail, such was the brilliance of that musical duo. However, it's instantly clear that the rest of the album completely fails to match the quality of its singles. This is most apparent on the first half of the album, which features almost none of the grabby electro hooks which dominated previous efforts, and while the second half picks up the pace, it never quite reaches the same highs. An irritating reliance on short, spoken word tracks also forces the record into a disjointed, forced state, making the piece sound more like a ramshackle collection of beats than a serious album. It's a real shame that there's so much filler, because when Donker Mag is good, it's absolutely incredible (see Cookie Thumper, Pitbull Terrier and Sex). That Die Antwoord made such little effort in songwriting is a huge source of disappointment, because some fantastic yet rare moments suggest that the record could have been a modern classic. Lyrically, Donker Mag sticks to the form of the music: crass, predictable and unpleasant. The lack of imagination in the vast majority of the lyrics is hard to believe, and a ridiculous over-reliance on swearing only numbs the use of the words and makes the group appear childish. Occasional racial slurs are also pointless and slightly embarrassing, while the massive sexualisation of singer Yo-Landi simply furthers the impression that the trio are sexist, racist and promoters of discrimination. Of course, Die Antwoord still sound like nothing else on earth; those scathing beats and angry vocals are still the cutting edge of modern music. But aside from a decline in the strength of the songs, Donker Mag sounds almost identical to the band's two previous albums, a lack of evolution totally out of character with a group so musically dynamic and diverse. Die Antwoord may claim to possess a sound that is completely their own, but Donker Mag shows that it's no good having a unique style if you can't accomplish the more basic achievement of writing good songs. It's not without its moments, but this record lacks ambition, creativity and innovation, and revolves around an overused style the group have had nailed since their debut album. It's no exaggeration to say that Donker Mag could be the most disappointing album of 2014.
4/10
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