Friday, 1 May 2020

Six Music Fans Reveal The Tunes Getting Them Through Lockdown



In these extraordinary times, as we’re parted from our families, friends and everything that keeps us sane, music is, as it always has been, still there for us. It’s the one companion that can’t be torn away. It’s what we use to track our lives, to make sense of what is happening to us. Music is more important now than it has been at any other time in modern history. With this in mind, I spoke to six music fans across the UK about the tunes getting them through these trying times.







Thursday, 23 April 2020

Big Fat Lockdown Quiz: The Beatles Edition


Beatlemaniacs, listen up! Are you tired of fumbling through questions about the Top 40 and last year's X Factor winner in every Zoom quiz? Itching to show off your knowledge of the intricacies of the Lennon-McCartney songwriting partnership?  Then this is the lockdown quiz for you! I've made an easy, medium and hard quiz, so if you're the sort of fan who knows the difference between Hey Jude and Hey Bulldog, you might want to skip 'easy'!

HARD
Q1: Which Beatles song was covered by the Rolling Stones in 1963?

Q2: Which song did Paul McCartney claim to have written about his dog?

Q3: Which of these public figures was NOT featured on the cover of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band: Bob Dylan, Edgar Allen Poe or James Dean?

Q4: Who became a temporary Beatle when he replaced a sickly Ringo on their 1964 tour?

Q5: In 1965, The Beatles became the first British band to release a double A-side single. Which two songs were on that single? (two points available)

Q6: Who produced the Let It Be album?

Q7: Which two Beatles fall over while running away from fans in the opening credits of their 1964 film, A Hard Day’s Night? (only one point available)

Q8: What was the name of the German artist and bass player who designed the Revolver album artwork?

Q9: What is the only Beatles song to feature lead vocals from a non-Beatle?

Q10: Their counterculture anthem All You Need is Love was written for the first ever live international television programme. What was that programme called?

Q11: What was the B-side to She Loves You?

Q12: Brian Epstein was the Beatles most famous manager, but who was their first?

Q13: The music video for Lady Madonna was actually supposed to be for another song. Which song was it?

Q14: Why does a murderous cult attempt to kidnap Ringo in the 1965 film, Help?

Q15: As The Quarrymen, Paul, John and George (with John Lowe and Colin Hanton) paid to record a few songs in a Liverpool studio. How much did it cost them?


A1: I Wanna Be Your Man

A2: Martha My Dear

A3: James Dean

A4: Jimmie Nicol

A5: We Can Work It Out and Day Tripper

A6: Phil Spector

A7: George Harrison and Ringo Starr           

A8: Klaus Voorman

A9: The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill

A10: Our World

A11: I'll Get You

A12: Allan Williams

A13: Hey Bulldog

A14: Their sacrificial ring is stuck on his finger

A15: 17 shillings and 6 pence.


MEDIUM
Q1: Before Ringo Starr joined the band in 1962, who was the original drummer?

Q2: Which 1965 single came to Paul McCartney in a dream?

Q3: Which Beatle was barefoot on the famous cover of Abbey Road?

Q4: Who was the only Beatle to have actually lived on Penny Lane in Liverpool?

Q5: Which of these singles finally broke The Beatles four-year streak of number ones in the UK: Strawberry Fields Forever, Love Me Do or Hello Goodbye?

Q6: Which 1966 Beatles song was both the first song to feature backwards music and the first song to have a music video?

Q7: Which member of the band is actually called James?

Q8: Which scathing song was written about Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who the band studied under in India: She Said She Said, Lady Madonna or Sexy Sadie?

Q9: Who angered the band (apart from John) by moving a bed into the studio during the recording of Abbey Road?

Q10: Which song was inspired by an antique circus poster?

Q11: Why did Paul McCartney get deported from Hamburg in 1960?

Q12: The Beatles famously got rejected by a major record label in what is now considered the greatest mistake in music history. Which label was it?

Q13: With which song did Ringo Starr get his first writing credit?

Q14: Despite famously writing I am the Walrus, who did John later claim was in fact the walrus in the song Glass Onion?

Q15: What city were The Beatles in when they found out they'd got their first American number one with I Want to Hold Your Hand?


A1: Pete Best

A2: Yesterday

A3: Paul McCartney

A4: John Lennon

A5: Strawberry Fields Forever

A6: Rain

A7: Paul McCartney

A8: Sexy Sadie

A9: Yoko Ono

A10: Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite

A11: He nailed a condom to the wall and set it on fire

A12: Decca Records

A13: What Goes On

A14: Paul McCartney

A15: Paris


EASY
Q1: Which Beatle married Linda Eastman in 1969?

Q2: What was the name of the Liverpool music venue where they made their name?

Q3: Which iconic song was written by Paul McCartney to comfort Julian Lennon after the divorce of his parents?

Q4: Which Beatles song shares a name with a famous novel by Haruki Murakami?

Q5: Which song contains the lyrics ‘close your eyes and I’ll kiss you/tomorrow I’ll miss you’?

Q6: Which Beatle shared an ex-wife with Eric Clapton?

Q7: Which Beatle was rumoured to have died in 1966 and subsequently been replaced by a lookalike?

Q8: Which song was inspired by Mia Farrow’s sister, Prudence Farrow?

Q9: The band’s 1968 album The Beatles is more commonly referred to as: A) The Blue Album B) The White Album or C) The Yellow Album?

Q10: Which of these songs was NOT written by George Harrison: Yesterday, Piggies or Here Comes the Sun?

Q11: In which song did Paul imagine his future grandchildren would be named Vera, Chuck and Dave?

Q12: Why did fans throughout the American 'Bible Belt' burn Beatles albums en masse in 1966?

Q13: Which was the last Beatles album to be released?

Q14: What was Ringo Starr's real name?

Q15: In which Californian city did the Beatles play the final show of their last ever tour?


A1: Paul McCartney

A2: The Cavern Club

A3: Hey Jude

A4: Norwegian Wood

A5: All My Loving

A6: George Harrison

A7: Paul McCartney

A8: Dear Prudence

A9: The White Album

A10: Yesterday

A11: When I'm 64

A12: John claimed The Beatles were 'more popular than Jesus'

A13: Let It Be

A14: Richard Starkey

A15: San Francisco

Monday, 13 April 2020

Monday Music: Dreamy


Tuesday, 7 April 2020

Smear: Poems for Girls published in US



The new expanded edition of Smear: Poem for Girls, which features my poem 'Dust', is now available in the US! Greta Bellamacina is such a beautiful poet and I've admired her work for a while, so it was a great honour to be included in her anthology.




Five bingeworthy TV shows

With a third of the planet currently in enforced lockdown, just about everyone has a lot more time on their hands than they did a few months ago. While in an ideal world, we'd spend that time learning to speak French or becoming coding geniuses, sometimes there's just nothing better than hitting the sofa with a pack of hobnobs and a good boxset. Here are my top tips for some cracking quarantine viewing.

NORMAL PEOPLE

You. must. watch. this.

The stakes are always high when adapting a beloved book for film or television, but for a novel as big as Normal People, the expectations were immense. Dubbed 'the great millennial love story', we follow on-off lovers Marianne and Connell through school and university in Ireland. One of the rare adaptations that's actually better than the book, Normal People deserves all the praise it's getting and more. Excruciatingly intimate and devastatingly poetic, it's television at its finest. Give it all the awards!

All twelve episodes are available on BBC iPlayer.


ONE TREE HILL

Okay, so no one's claiming One Tree Hill is exactly ground breaking programming, but it's definitely great entertainment. With its notoriously bonkers storylines - like when a stoned dog literally ate supervillain Dan's heart - and more car crashes/stalkers/affairs than you can shake a stick at, this teen drama is a ride from start to finish. Realistic portrayal of American youth, it certainly is not (or at least, I hope it's not) but it's so full of heart you'll be gripped by episode two.

All nine seasons are available on Amazon Prime.


BUZZFEED UNSOLVED: SUPERNATURAL

This internet hit has garnered a huge following, having been buoyed by the infamous 'hey there demons' meme that's been circulating for the past few years. It follows two friends as they hunt for ghosts in some of America's most haunted locations. Interest in the supernatural is not a viewing requirement; the draw of the show is watching hardcore sceptic Shane and believer Ryan bicker, dispute evidence and generally do stupid stuff in creepy houses. As much a comedy as it is a ghosthunting show, this has been one of my favourite discoveries of the year.

All six seasons are on both YouTube and Amazon Prime.


LUTHER

Okay, so I was massively late to the party with this one. Pretty much everyone has seen this already, but I'm giving it a shout out just in case you missed it. DCI John Luther investigates some of the most evil crimes in London with the occasional help of Alice, a psychotic killer he failed to convict. In the meantime, he finds himself pursued by the law for his sometimes unorthodox methods of catching a criminal. At times terrifying, this is one of the darkest police dramas on television - and it's utterly captivating.

All five seasons are available on Sky, and the first four are available on Netflix.


THE O.C.

I was an obsessive O.C. fan in my early teens, but I didn't think I'd enjoy re-watching it as much as I have. It's definitely aged a lot since it premiered in 2003 and some of the performances aren't quite as #Emmyworthy as I thought they were first time round, but it's still a lot of fun. Whether it's the nostalgia value or the voyeuristic opportunity to see how the other half live (although why the Cohens' huge McMansion doesn't seem to have a third bedroom for Ryan baffles me to this day), a cheeky O.C. rewatch is the perfect escapism we all need right now.

All four seasons are available on Amazon Prime.


Monday, 30 March 2020

Big Fat Lockdown Quiz: General Music Edition


Impress your friends with this music quiz next time you assemble on House Party for your weekly pub quiz. It's split into three difficulty levels, so choose which you feel is most appropriate for your group or mix and match to create your own. Good luck!


HARD


Q1) The most famous version of Twist and Shout was released by The Beatles in 1963, but who recorded the original?

Q2) Which famous Indian musician is the father of singer Norah Jones?

Q3) Which flamboyant male singer was responsible for assembling the groupie girl band The GTOs?

Q4) In which year did Adam and the Ants release their debut album, Dirk Wears White Sox?

Q5) How many Grammys has Lana Del Rey been nominated for?

Q6) Which famous ex did Nick Jonas write Wedding Bells about?

Q7) Which rocker was declared clinically dead for two minutes in 1987 before being revived by paramedics?

Q8) Which iconic rock anthem was named after a brand of deodorant?

Q9) Which folk singer’s life inspired the Coen Brothers’ 2013 film, Inside Llewyn Davis?

Q10) What colour bus is calling Jim Morrison in the song The End?

Q11) In which year did Wu-Tang Clan form?

Q12) Which song was the first to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1958?

Q13) Which Hollywood starlet released an album called Anywhere I Lay My Head in 2008?

Q14) Name the four legendary musicians who formed the short-lived supergroup The Dirty Mac in 1968 (one point for each member).

Q15) Singer Christopher Edwin Breaux is better known by what moniker?




A1) The Top Notes

A2) Ravi Shankar

A3) Frank Zappa

A4) 1979

A5) 6

A6) Miley Cyrus

A7) Nikki Sixx

A8) Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana

A9) Dave Van Ronk

A10) Blue

A11) 1992

A12) Poor Little Fool by Ricky Nelson

A13) Scarlett Johansson

A14) Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Mitch Mitchell and John Lennon

A15) Frank Ocean




MEDIUM

Q1) On which legendary American crooner was the character of Johnny Fontane in The Godfather supposedly based?

Q2) Who was the lead vocalist of both Whitesnake and Deep Purple?

Q3) Who sang the theme tune to the James Bond film, Quantum of Solace (2008)?

Q4) What was the name of The Who’s rock opera released in 1969?

Q5) Which song did Rolling Stone proclaim the greatest of all time?

Q6) Who is the bassist of American band, Pearl Jam?

Q7) Which jazz singer released an autobiography titled Lady Sings the Blues in 1956?

Q8) Which British band released the song Telegram Sam in 1972?

Q9) Which of these iconic singers DIDN’T die in a helicopter crash: Otis Redding, Buddy Holly or Little Richard?

Q10) Which famous musician played the guitar solo on the Beatles’ While My Guitar Gently Weeps?

Q11) What was the most expensive music video of all time?

Q12) In which area of South London was David Bowie raised?

Q13) Which Rage Against the Machine song became Christmas Number One in 2009 as a result of a campaign to end the X Factor’s domination of the festive charts?

Q14) Martha Reeves was the lead singer of which 1960s girl group?

Q15) Which band inspired Daisy Jenkins Reid’s 2019 smash hit novel, Daisy Jones & The Six based?




A1) Frank Sinatra

A2) David Coverdale

A3) Jack White and Alicia Keys

A4) Tommy

A5) Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan

A6) Jeff Ament

A7) Billie Holiday

A8) T. Rex

A9) Little Richard

A10) Eric Clapton

A11) Scream by Michael and Janet Jackson

A12) Brixton

A13) Killing in the Name

A14) Martha and the Vandellas

A15) Fleetwood Mac




EASY

Q1) Which English band had a number one hit in 1965 with (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction?

Q2) Which American singer married burlesque performer Dita Von Teese in 2004?

Q3) Which member of One Direction left the group to pursue a solo career in 2015?

Q4) Who released Don’t Stop Believing in 1981?

Q5) Which band became the first to win The X Factor in 2011?

Q6) Which American rapper posthumously released Ghetto Gospel alongside Elton John in 2004?

Q7) Whose signature song is Hotel California?

Q8) Who is the lead singer of Evanescence?

Q9) Which Mississippi-born singer is often called the King of Rock and Roll?

Q10) Which band famously asked ‘where were you when we we’re getting high?’

Q11) Which British singer occupied 16 positions in the UK Top 20 in 2017?

Q12) What was the first single released by Adele?

Q13) In 2004, a Pepsi advert aired featuring Pink, Britney Spears and Beyonce as rival gladiators. Which iconic song did they perform together?

Q14) Who was the lead singer of My Chemical Romance?

Q15) Who had the top selling album of 2019?




A1) The Rolling Stones

A2) Marilyn Manson

A3) Zayn Malik

A4) Journey

A5) Little Mix

A6) Tupac Shakur

A7) The Eagles

A8) Amy Lee

A9) Elvis Presley

A10) Oasis

A11) Ed Sheeran

A12) Hometown Glory

A13) We Will Rock You by Queen

A14) Gerard Way

A15) Lewis Capaldi

Thursday, 13 February 2020

Ten Karaoke Songs for People Who Absolutely Cannot Sing



There are two types of people in this world. There are those, like my step-nan Jackie, who have to have the microphone prised from their clutches after yet another rambunctious rendition of La Bamba. And then there are those – the introverts, the fatally self-conscious and the simply godawful singers amongst us – who freeze with terror at the sheer mention of the dreaded K word: karaoke. This list is for the latter group.

Karaoke – arguably Japan’s greatest cultural export – doesn’t have to be a source of dread. In fact, research has shown that a good karaoke sesh has a surprising number of health benefits, including reduced stress levels, boosted endorphins and even a reduction in blood pressure. Not to mention, it’s just good fun. No one wants to be a spoilsport, so here’s a selection of great tunes you can sing along to shame-free at your next work party.

Shake it Off by Taylor Swift



Simple and upbeat, this modern karaoke classic is a real crowd pleaser. This one’s more about having a good time than delivering a powerhouse performance, so you can wow your audience with your fun-loving attitude if nothing else!

Livin’ La Vida Loca by Ricky Martin




Ditto this catchy little hit by the King of Latin Pop. Everyone will be having such a good time that your vocals are the last thing they’ll notice.

Islands in the Stream by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers




This is surprisingly easy to sing and requires a duet partner, so the heat won’t be all on you. It’s practically impossible to feel self-conscious with this classic feelgood tune.

Bubbly by Colbie Caillat




This is just such a sweet and simple song that anyone can sing. You shouldn’t have much trouble with this one.

Angels by Robbie Williams




You’ll get approximately two seconds into this song before everyone joins in and your voice gets drowned out, which makes it the perfect karaoke song for the tone deaf and timid.

Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus




Or really any classic country song. Just put on an embarrassing Tennessee accent (even if you’re from Luton) and you’ll fool all your friends into thinking you’re a country prodigy.

Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus




A guilty pleasure for basically everyone under 50, the vocals are pretty easy and you’ll have great fun performing it.

Waterloo by Abba




It is a truth universally acknowledged that no karaoke night is complete without at least one Abba song. Honestly, any of their songs are a pretty solid bet but, as someone who loves them both ironically and non-ironically, Waterloo is the perfect combo of fan favourite and easy to sing.

Up the Junction by Squeeze




The beauty of this song is that it can be 'sung' by pretty much anyone. It's a 'talkie' and to be honest, the worse your vocals, the more authentic it sounds.

Sumer Nights by John Travolta and Olivia Newton John



If my own experiences are anything to go by, you'll start this duet with one Sandy and one Danny. Pretty soon, though, the rest of your friends won't be able to resist adding to the numbers until you inevitably have two fully fledged groups, the Pink Ladies and the T-birds, both giving it all the sass they have. It doesn't matter if you're any good because that's not the point, you know?



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