Rik Mayall 1958 - 2014

Sadly earlier this month one of my favourite comedy actors Rik Mayall died, I'd like to take this opportunity to say some rather nice things about him. I first came across Rik in the TV show Bottom, tucked away on BBC2 back in the early 90's when BBC2 was a power house of comedy giving us shows like Bottom and Red Dwarf. Along with his partner Adrian Edmondson Bottom was a rather filthy show about a pair of saddo's containing puerile and slapstick comedy. A very underrated TV show (inspired by Waiting for Godot) Bottom lasted for three series and spawned five live shows that Mayall and Edmondson toured throughout the UK.

A few years later I would discover the show the generation before me associated with Mayall - The Young Ones. I can only describe this show as a wonderfully chaotic show which didn't just break the rules of TV it put them in a corner and poked them with sticks until they became a gibbering wreck. Also featuring Edmondson along with Nigel Planer and Christopher Ryan, Rik was firmly at the head of things playing the obnoxious poet Rick. Rik was also known for performances such as Alan Beresford B'stard in the New Statesman and Lord Flashheart in Blackadder.

Away from TV Rik also was a stand up comedian and was a regular live performer - most of the lead characters from The Young Ones are inspired by the actors live characters. His film career is a strange read, bit parts here and there, a Bottom spin off, British films that weren't exactly hits and edited out of the first Harry Potter film Rik is a performer we will always associate with TV and the theatre. I'd like to leave you lady and gentle readers with a video of a live performance at Comic Relief, billed as a performance by The Young Ones but its firmly Rik holding court and relishing a live audience:

A day with your album collection

I write this blog on the evening of 17/06/14, today I woke up feeling tired and not knowing what to do with myself, after a lazy lie in and morning trip to town I suddenly had an urge to hear a song I hadn't played in ages. Due to a house move move of my album collection is located in two chests (the non mp3 download section of it that is) and in digging the out the album I found a shed load of stuff I hadn't heard in ages and had forgot I had.

To my surprise I own two Idlewild albums - I thought I only had one single of a particular track I liked but no they were one of those bands I took a risk with and it didn't pay off. I also found I owned Too-Rye-Ay by Dexys Midnight Runners which has a classic live version of Come on Eileen which has been played very loudly this afternoon.

From the recent stuff I think my most relistened to albums of the past ten years or so are Lungs by Florence and the Machine and Late Registration by Kanye West. Although there is a good chance Ladyhawke by Ladyhawke will overtake them.

Also looking at the recent purchases there is a lot of 90's stuff I didn't get at he time like Cassanova by The Divine Comedy and Odelay by Beck.

Anyway ladies and gentle readers to the point of this blog, every so often if you love your music you've just got to take a day and geek out to your record collection. I sign off this entry to the blog with a video of my favourite live track in my collection:

It was the night before the world cup

Twas the night before the world cup, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The wall charts were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that Sepp Blatter would never be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of Ronlado free kicks in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just sky plussed all her soaps to be watched while I had a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed fearing the arrival of Sepp Blatter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen dew
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects in view.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny football players.

With a little old driver, so confused ready to annoy,
I knew in a moment it must be St Roy.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
Over an upside down map and called them by name!

"Now Rooney! now, Gerrard! now, Barkley and Jones!
On, Baines! On, Henderson! And on Smalling decked in head phones!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of balls, and St Hodgson too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little boot.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Hodgson came with a bound.

He was dressed all in tweed, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with spilled red wine and soot.
A bundle of England shirts he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a Del Trotter, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the hair on his head was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had visions of the 2010 season with which to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
He handed me a shirt along with a flag, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew away in the direction of Partick Thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘as he flew out if sight,
"A good World Cup to all, and to all a good-night!"

D Day

So at quarter past two in the afternoon I sat down at my lap top to have a wonder around the interweb and stretch my online retail skills. Lo and behold on checking the BBC News sight I saw three stories down that it was D Day.

Seriously three stories down under Birmingham school kids not being protected from extremist views and the ECB cutting interest rates by 0.15%?!?!?!?!?!?! What the hell is wrong with this country? What the hell is wrong with the media in this country? A footballer sleeps with a prostitute and their all over it but this is the anniversary of one of the greatest military campaigns in history to end a war that many of our grandparents fought in to end the atrocities perpetrated by the Natzis.

On top of that its also the 70th Anniversary of D Day, not 68th or 37th or some obscure number and at times it genuinely feels like nobody cares that they don't live in a fascist state. I've been out and about today and in town there were banners commemorating the world cup about to start but nothing else. I didn't see any soldiers parading, no school children's choir singing - absolute nothing.

I'm aware that the BBC had a lengthy feature on the news channel this morning but personally I don't think its enough.

The Big Finish Catch Up: May 2014

In my ongoing mission to catch up with Big Finishes monthly releases here's what I listened to last month:

The Council of Nicea

This story featured the 5th Doctor, Nyssa and Erimem and is a fully historical story set in 325 AD at the titular Council that was set up by the Roman Emperor Constantine. In short this is a story that I have to give 5/10 as everything technical about the story from a production point of view is fine, however I got little enjoyment and found it dull. I'm so pleased that Big Finish don't feel pressured into doing pseudo historicals and are doing these types of fully historical stories however this story lacks flair, focus and I came away infuriated. There's a good little plot for Erimem here but its very wishy washy, its decent stuff but more effort was required from all involved.



The Juggernaughts

Now this however is Big Finish at it finest, featuring the 6th Doctor, Mel and Davros The Juggernaughts is a story to behold. I try not to give spoilers on these reviews however this story is reminiscent of Colins TV Dalek story as it feels like Big Finish rather like the TV show at the time are in the mood to do something different with the Daleks. This is a story which throws you in at the deep end presumably at the conclusion of an unseen adventure and the early part of this story is dealing with the consequences of this conclusion. The relationships and "sides" in this story are not quite what you would expect them to be - a factor this story handles better than The Council of Nicea. All in all a good solid story and highly recommend as Big Finish do what they do best with another rip roaring story.