Street Fighter

Someone from Granada Reports quoted a source from Salford Council saying that ‘they would throw a street party’ if the Government announced it was cutting back on its cutbacks to local authorities. I am, of course, in favour of cutting back on the cutbacks. I can just think of better ways to say it will be a good thing. It hardly seems like the actions of someone who should be involved in budgeting in any way. “Yeah loads of people have been laid off and we’ve had to reduce some services below acceptable standards – but if we get our old budget back we’re right down ASDA and bringing back a van full of Fosters and gin and getting out of our fucking melons.”

 Brits-ish

I was planning on doing an elaborately long blog about the Brits. But I stopped taking notes after about 20 minutes as I was bored as fuck. And tired after a run – after my running misadventure the other day I can relax everyone’s fears; my new trainers put in a solid performance on a four-and-a-half miler.

I knew the Brits might be a bit uninteresting when Chris Martin’s voice sounded ok. I don’t mind Coldplay. I don’t love them. I don’t think they are the best English band, let alone best in the world. But I don’t think they are offensive or boring. And because they attract such venom from many people I end up defending them because I think a lot of people don’t like them because it’s so fucking easy to slag them off. That said EVERY time I have seen Martin sing live (on television) I think his voice sounds – how can I put this nicely? Shit. And then here were Coldplay opened up the ceremony and his voice sounded ok.

I then thought James Corden might annoy me. But after his early doors gibberish gambit, about Adele’s 21 that  “It’s the biggest selling album of the 21^st century so how fitting is it that the title is 21?” Corden never really raised or lowered his game: sticking to standard Brits presenting of saying facts and figures.

The biggest controversy of the night was that Adele was not allowed to finish her acceptance speech for receiving Best Album. She stuck her middle finger up in a huff and Twitter exploded with rage that they had not got to see her finish her speech. It’s definitely a sign of the times when someone not being allowed to trot out some platitudes of a ceremony held to give awards to the best-selling music releasers is held up as some kind of beacon for human spirit being crushed.

I could be wrong but I have seen Adele accept quite a few awards – as well as having the misfortune of spending Christmas Day watching her live DVD – and I am sure she has nothing new to say on the matter. I have heard her banging on about the relationship/break-up inspiration for the album for about 18 months now. It’s all well and good saying you admire her openness and her honesty but if this was someone in your office still saying the same thing about someone who had dumped them 18 months later, admittedly with a great voice and pleasant melody, you would be wishing she was dead. So, forgive me if I am not that bothered that she was cut short and we got to listen to Blur instead.

I’ve got nothing against Adele, honestly. As discussed previously I would love a bit of her and don’t mind some of her songs. But, it’s not my fault her throat broke and she had to disappear from the public eye. I suppose that these ceremonies would be happening now anyway so I can’t pin that on her completely. I suppose I got used to not having to hear about the songs and the background to them every day. She definitely deserves the acclaim, money and celebration she has got. If she could just tone down talking about the lad and the break-up a bit it would be fine. He must be bored to fucking tears of it.