Monday, May 30, 2011
Tackling Temptation: Is It Better to Resist or to Give In?
Pulp's comeback in Barcelona proves they have rediscovered their touch with the common people
Jarvis Cocker's band play their first gig in a decade in the Parc del F�rum and live up to the billing ? after relearning their songs by watching cover acts on YouTube
Pouting, politics and proposals: it's what being a rock star is all about. Welcome back to the day job, Jarvis.
When Pulp announced in November that they were reuniting after almost a decade, a little preparation was required. Jarvis Cocker revealed that the band were relearning their songs by watching cover versions on YouTube. They invited fans to upload their interpretations of the hits to pulppeople.com.
The result? A celebration of dippy fandom. From the kooky Spanish cover of Common People on ukulele and xylophone ? filmed in a market to the bemusement of shoppers buying fruit and veg, to the uncanny Jarvis imitations, the global contributions show the excitement which the return of one of the greatest British bands has generated.
"Is this a hoax?" was the question posed by words projected onto the curtain covering the stage at Barcelona's Primavera Sound festival. Waiting in the crowd at the futuristic Parc del F�rum for Pulp's first concert since 2002, it was an irresistible suspicion.
And, at 1.45 on Saturday morning, the curtain of cryptic questions was swept away before an audience bristling with anticipation. Cocker, resplendent in suit and tie announced, 'Tonight we are going to make history.' As the opening notes of Do You Remember The First Time? began and a singalong broke out, it really felt like they might.
In his break from the band Cocker may have struggled to remember some of the songs but he never forgot his twitching, pouty dance moves. By the second song, Pink Glove, he was clambering on to rigs, gasping and crooning into the crowd, his imposing stage presence accentuated by a pair of impressively wedged shoes. Ever the charmer, he asked the audience's permission to remove his jacket and tie while sipping red wine. The rest of the band eschews such showmanship but it's evident how happy they are to be back on stage, doing what they do best.
Formed in 1978, Pulp rose to fame in the Britpop era, although their caustic observations and melancholy lyricism set them apart from their more youthful, sometimes yob-like chartmates. At Pulp's peak in 1995, Different Class spent 64 weeks in the album charts and saw a last-minute Glastonbury set which is still hailed as one of the best performances in the festival's history. Since 2002, however, Pulp have never shown an interest in reforming.
On Thursday guitarist Mark Webber told BBC 6 Music that the reunion ? the classic Pulp lineup of Cocker, Webber, Nick Banks, Candida Doyle, Steve MacKey and Russell Senior ? was prompted by the death of a mutual friend and the realisation that opportunities should be taken while they are still possible.
Although any band can make political statements, it was a poignant touch that the anthem Common People was dedicated to the unarmed protesters beaten and shot at with rubber bullets in the city's Pla�a de Catalu�a last week . They kept their promise to play fan favourites, and performed them with an assuredness gained from years of live experience, the forceful bass and undulating synth driving tracks such as Babies and Disco 2000 to dizzying heights. Of all the songs only Sorted For E's & Wizz sounded dated; clearly 90s rave culture was left behind in a field in Hampshire.
However, it is only a great band that is asked to officiate a marriage proposal. Carrying a mini camera, Jarvis left the stage for the front row where he asked Shane and Michelle from Athens, Georgia, to introduce themselves. He then told Michelle that Shane had something to ask her, filming it on his camera for the audience to see. A ring was produced, a yes was pronounced, Jarvis got back onto the stage and launched into Underwear. It's all in a day's work.
Dripping with sweat as they closed with Razzmatazz Cocker thanked the crowd for being "so gentle and responsive", revealing that they had been nervous before coming on stage. Pulp don't promise any new songs, and there are no plans to tour: they are simply a band having fun doing what they want to do, and they've earned the right to do it. They've warmed up nicely for shows in the UK.
Their next gig is the Isle of Wight festival on the 11 June. They then play the Wireless Festival and T in The Park before Reading and Leeds on the August bank holiday. These summer shows might not be quite all Pulp have to offer, especially if they continue to receive such a rapturous reception, but make the most of them now ? otherwise you might have to wait another 10 years.
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Weekly Address: Resurgent American Auto Manufacturers Signal an Economy on the Rise
WASHINGTON – In this week’s address, Vice President Biden highlighted the resurgence of the American automobile industry. This week, Chrysler Corporation repaid its U.S. government loans six years ahead of schedule, and GM announced its Detroit Hamtramck plant was taking on three shifts for the first time in its 26-year history. In a visit to a Chrysler dealership in Manchester, NH, the Vice President spoke with the hard-working Americans who have helped rebuild one of America’s great manufacturers. And as Memorial Day approaches, the Vice President encouraged all Americans to thank the servicemen and women of past and present who have sacrificed so much for our country. During a time when many Americans are overseas, it’s vital we let our troops and their families know how much they mean to us all.
Remarks of Vice President Joe Biden
Weekly Address
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Washington, DC
Hello, everyone. I hope you’re having a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend. I’ve got some good news for us today. Not only is our economy overall growing, but one of the important sectors of our economy is on the rise again: the American automobile industry.
Just a few days ago, on Tuesday, Chrysler Corporation announced that they were repaying the taxpayers for the loans we gave them when we came into office.
And this announcement came six years ahead of schedule – and just two years after Chrysler Corporation emerged from bankruptcy. You know, and it’s a sign of what’s happening throughout the American automobile industry.
It’s not just Chrysler. Also this week, GM announced that its Detroit Hamtramck factory will run three shifts for the first time its 26-year history. You know, that’s 2,500 more good, paying jobs.
In the words of Don LaForest, of the UAW – and I want to quote him – he said, “It’s mind-boggling that we can go from near-extinction to full employment in two years.”
What you didn’t get to hear in my rendition of his quote is the tone of his voice: It was full of pride. Genuine pride. Because I can tell you he knows – as my dad used to say - that a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It’s about dignity. It’s about respect.
And I heard the same pride, and the same feeling of dignity, when I called the Jefferson North Chrysler plant in Detroit the day Chrysler paid back its debt. I talked to a UAW worker – her name was Frances – a line worker, who said her dad had worked on that line before, and that she had been out of work for two-and-a-half years before she was hired a year ago back to the plant.
I got the same sense when I went to Bonneville and Son, a Chrysler dealership in Manchester, New Hampshire a couple days ago. 85 employees came out, stood out there in the lot with me. 85 people. All of whom knew and said, had Chrysler liquidated, had we not helped them, they wouldn’t have a job.
When President Obama and I came into office, we faced an auto industry on the brink of extinction. Total collapse.
At the time, many people thought the President should just let GM and Chrysler go under. They didn’t think the automobile industry was essential to America’s future.
The President disagreed – and, in addition, he wasn’t willing to walk away from the thousands of hardworking UAW members who worked at GM and Chrysler – and in many cases, not only all their lives, but as second and third generation employees. And he certainly wasn’t going to abandon an industry that had meant so much to our economy, and so much to so many for so long.
So, he said if GM and Chrysler, and their management, and all their shareholders were willing to do the difficult work of making themselves more competitive, we would support giving them another chance.
And because of what we did, the auto industry is rising again. Manufacturing is coming back. And our economy is recovering and it’s gaining traction.
But the thing is this: even for a lot of people with jobs, their wages aren’t keeping pace with prices of everything from gas to groceries to health care and college tuition.
That’s why the President and I remain focused on, not just recovering from this recession. We’re focused on making sure that if you work hard, play by the rules, you’ll be able to get ahead, put your kids through college, retire with dignity and security.
Before I sign off, I just want to mention once again Memorial Day and remember what this holiday’s all about. You know – we still have thousands of troops deployed in harm’s way. In days past, on Memorial Day, we remembered heroes from former wars – but I think it’s absolutely essential that we all remember today that thousands of names have been added to those memorials in the wars that are still continuing.
Folks, all I ask you to do is, what my wife Jill and Michelle Obama ask, to reach out to those families who have someone deployed, in your community. Let them know you know. Let them know you know the sacrifice they’re making. Engage in – as my wife would say – a single act of kindness.
Maybe invite them to your barbecue this weekend. Mow their lawn. Offer to mow their lawn next week. Make it known that you appreciate their sacrifice and you’re willing to lend a hand.
As I said, that’s what Jill and Michelle Obama are doing through their Joining Forces initiative. And that’s what I hope all of us will do every day as long as we have a man or woman deployed in harm’s way. Thank you for listening and enjoy the holiday.
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Clyburn protests McClatchy article on Obama and race
Filed under: Politics
From McClatchy:
WASHINGTON - House Assistant Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn objected Thursday to coverage of his views on the impact of President Barack Obama's race on assessments of his performance in the White House.
In a letter to the editor of The State newspaper in Clyburn's hometown of Columbia, S.C., the No. 3 House Democrat said an article published Thursday had sensationalized his perspectives on the ties between Obama's race and his work as president.
"I have always abhorred the word 'racism,' " Clyburn said in the letter. "I never use it. I believe it is a lethal term, and I am offended that my honest responses to a reporter's clearly designed agenda would be distorted in such a manner."
The article was published in The State, in other South Carolina newspapers and on dozens of McClatchy and non-McClatchy websites around the country.
There were more than 1,100 comments about the article within 24 hours of its posting on www.mccclatchydc.com and more than 450 comments on www.thestate.com in the same period.
"You know, I'm 70 years old," the article quoted Clyburn as saying. "And I can tell you; people don't like to deal with it, but the fact of the matter is, the president's problems are in large measure because of his skin color."
Read more:
Advice for Arnold Schwarzenegger on dealing with divorce on Twitter
Stay classy, Arnie. Albeit belatedly.
I bet you miss the good old days, Arnold Schwarzenegger (@Schwarzenegger), when you were the self-styled governator of California, family by your side, bouncing between parties with Gorbachev ("Great party. Even at 80, Mikhail Gorbachev is still rocking") and bike rides with Boris ("Loved riding Boris Bikes in London with the man himself, Mayor Boris Johnson.") Good times.
Sadly your wife finding out you have a 10-year-old son with the housekeeper was bound to dampen the mood. Dealing with a divorce on Twitter is a very modern problem and you are going to need a few pointers. So, listen up, Sperminator.
Stay classy
You've kept very quiet since the whole secret son thing blew up. Your family, however, have been more forthcoming, with wife Maria Shriver (@maria shriver) already landing the first blow in the battle for the hearts of the twitterati, tweeting "Thank you for all the kindness, support and compassion. I am humbled by the love. Thank you." Your son Patrick (@PSchwarzenegger) changing his Twitter profile name to Patrick Shriver has got to sting a bit too.
Rule of thumb: when dealing with a Twitter divorce, watch what Peter Andre (@mrpeter andre) and Katie Price (@miss katieprice) do and do the exact opposite. No online spats over the children and no rubbish ITV2 "I can make it on my own" TV series. Stay classy, Arnie. Albeit belatedly.
Beware of Sinitta
There are few things that will promote solidarity among The Sisterhood more than mutual dislike of a hound dog. Eighties popstar Sinitta (@sinittaofficial), in particular, is baying for your blood. Last week she couldn't even concentrate on American Idol, tweeting in the middle, "Thank God Oprah is by Maria's side! Sisters. On side . . ." I don't even think being "so macho" is going to get you out of this. Watch your back.
Hook up with old friends
Remember when you did the film Twins with Danny DeVito (@DannyDeVito) and it was so funny because he was so small and fat and you were so tall and muscular but you were playing TWINS? Oh, we laughed. Why not in touch with Danny and bring back funnies? You're going to need a distraction.
Hasta la vista, baby, @scouserachel
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Integrity and Your Goals
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Review: The 5 Lessons a Millionaire Taught Me
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