HOW TO BRING A SONG TO LIFE - A LESSON IN TALENT SHOW SNOBBERY

HERE'S an example of American Idol contender Phillip Phillips proving that real musicians can be uncovered on such shows.

This is the original Usher song Nice and Slow - scroll to 4.20 to see the matching segment.




And here's what Phillip Phillips did to it...




I don't buy talent show snobbery.
I'm quite happy to judge alongside the rest of them, often despairing at song choices.
But I aways find a favourite I love almost enough to want to stay in on a Saturday night - almost but not quite, there's always online catchup TV...
Granted, there's the inevitable sinking feeling that once the chosen one has been anointed, whatever it was that made them original will be filed away to nothing by the time their first overproduced single is released.
But that is the fault of others and, often, the runners-up end up having highly successful careers, sometimes credible even.
So next time you find yourself in a state of despair, think of Phillip Phillips...

NOBODY CANNA CROSS IT - A POSITIVE TAKE ON A SERIOUS SITUATION

I'm a bit late to this one but for those who haven't already seen it, here's a video to make you smile - a light take on a difficult time.
It was some time ago and not intended to mock the destruction caused by flooding at Mavis Bank in Jamaica last year. If anything, it'll have raised some awareness.



For the curious, the link below chronicles the history of the clip.

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/nobody-canna-cross-it

CAMDEN CRAWL - ARE YOU READY? ESSENTIAL SURVIVAL KIT TIPS

THE hour is approaching – the Camden Crawl Festival, our annual ramble through territories familiar and not so, begins tomorrow and we’re doing a reverse rain dance in anticipation.

While some are still recovering from the London marathon, we Camden types are in training for our very own Camden-style athletic challenge – a 3-day test of endurance comprising miles walked, queues joined, decibels tolerated, venues visited, pints drunk and all in skinny jeans and suspension-averse ballet shoes. Bring on the gold medal.

Headliners Glasvegas

There’s not enough room to tell you every name, venue or activity programmed so here are the basics. A weekend ticket can buy to Saturday and Sunday (May 5 and 6), hundreds of singers, artists, comedians and the first ever Crawlternative Media Expo at St Michael’s Church. Ghetts, Admiral Fallow, Clock Opera, Glasvegas, Lady Leshurr, The Futureheads, Alabama 3, Gaz Coombes and so, so many more will feature over the weekend, while the full list of artists, venues and details of the Crawl’s daytime programme can be found at www.thecamdencrawl.com Tickets for Friday’s launch headlined by Death in Vegas at Koko, can be bought separately.

To help you on your way, here’s my Camden Crawl survival kit.

1) Phone charger. Pack one for times when you want to check out SBTV’s Electric Ballroom urban takeover while your gig buddy would rather check out the record fair at St Mark’s Church or an acoustic act way down the other end of Camden High Street. If your phone has the misfortune to have a short iPhone battery, take every opportunity to charge it along the way – or risk spending the rest of the Crawl alone, or worse, unable to tweet.

2) Plan your timetable. Some acts, like Baxter Dury and Ellen and the Escapades play both days while there’s only one chance to catch others.

3) Plan for queues. You can’t always see everything, so be realistic. If there’s a real must-see band, get there early.

4) Comfy shoes – two days trekking up and down Camden High Street will leave even the most hardy feet feeling battered and bruised, perhaps finally an excuse to dig out that unwanted Christmas foot spa?

5) Layers and light waterproofs – We don’t want a repeat of the great Camden washout of 2010 when every inch of every layer of our clothing was drenched before the (cold) sun had gone down.  

6) Waterproof eyeliner / guyliner / mascara – there’s no shortage of heavy make-up in Camden, just make sure it’s of the waterproof variety, so it can withstand both the sweaty heat of a mosh pit and any potential torrents sent to try us.

7) Research the line-up – you can’t possibly have heard of every band on the line-up. Look up the unfamiliar ones, find the hidden gems lurking in the small print, they may be the next big thing. That’s how we saw Florence and the Machine some time back and Rizzle Kicks last year.

8) Keep your eyes open, listen out for the buzz and monitor Twitter. There are always surprises, guest appearances and random musicians – usually called Pete Doherty – wandering the streets.

FAREWELL MCA - BASTIE BOYS' ADAM YAUCH RIP

WHILE those in the know will today be taking stock of Beastie Boy Adam Yauch's contribution to music, I'll be remembering his effect on the formative years of my skateboarding friends. Their older albums were favourites but it was the era of Ill Communication that seemed to be composed to our lives. Sabotage was a masterpiece, Sure Shot's flute intro a crystal signal to action and The Beastie Boys' ensuing energy daring us to match them. Adam, or MCA, was not yet 50 and although his illness was not new, his loss remains a shock. Farewell MCA - the many tributes already posted online are fitting.



and the classic Sabotage...