Download 2011 - Friday

Love it when Download FM can be found - plus my MPG was pretty good!

So the tents have been packed away for another year, we've enjoyed the best showers or baths we've ever had on arriving back home and pictures galore of ourselves with our rock idols have been splattered furiously upon Facebook. Download Festival just comes and goes so quickly doesn't it?!

As common with all marketing strategies to retain your fans, the festival organisers boasted this year would be the best one ever and I have to agree with them. I had my reservations at first - mainly because of the impressive lineup including the 'Big Four' at Sonisphere - but Download certainly did deliver with a great mix of classic and current. We knew it would be hard to top after last years's extravagant, mind-blowing set by AC/DC (with blow up Rosie and a Rock and Roll Train to boot), which simply blew everyone away, not to mention the return of the rap-metal extraordinaires Rage Against The Machine.

It was up to CKY to open this year's festival on the Main Stage and they started proceedings with a solid performance. Known for their stand out track, 96 Quite Bitter Beings, they played it to the delight of the crowd together with old favourites Flesh into Gear and the haunting Rio Bravo. Sadly though the band which followed them, yet another group which enjoyed success in the early naughties, Puddle of Mudd did not inspire me as much as expected. Armed with a festival geared set list, including Control with the distinctive War Pigs riff thrown in, they played an woeful cover of AC/DC's T.N.T. which would have had the late Bon Scott doing star jumps in his grave. However they did end on She Hates Me, a closing song which was the first real opportunity for Downloaders to indulge swear word singalong - an essential part of the Download experience (as you will see later, The Darkness already know this).

I then strolled over to the Second Stage to catch Young Guns who seem to be gathering real momentum on the scene at present and making a name for themselves. This was the second time I've seen them and I have to admit they their set was pretty good - full of energy and the crowd were definitely liking what they heard, including me. After that punk band Anti-Flag graced the stage with the image of a Molotov cocktail-throwing dissenter as a backdrop. But the politics were kept to a minimum as they played a great set, including a song which stirred memories of an old Punk compilation CD - Turncoat. Plus we were treated to a cover of The Clash's Should I Stay or Should I Go which also fired up the crowd. Perhaps one of the finds of the weekend for me; they have already been Spotified.

Is Thin Lizzy without Phil still Thin Lizzy?

I did see a glimpse of Black Stone Cherry, but I prepared for the arrival of Thin Lizzy, a band I had really wanted to see. Having just over half an hour for their set, they launched into rich catalogue of hits including Jailbreak, Don't Believe a Word, Whiskey in the Jar and Waiting for an Alibi. They also invited Viv Campbell from Def Leppard for The Boys Are Back In Town, plus they played Bob Seger's Rosalie (much to Jen's delight). But despite such a strong set what let them down seemed to be the quality of the sound as it just didn't sound crisp at all. Would Phil Lynott approve of their performance - or were the speakers to blame?

After that I nipped down to the Jaegermeister stage for a rare occasion - 'Raggapunk' Skindred playing acoustic. What a treat it was! Benji proved his worth as a credible frontman by telling various tales in his familar Newport accent, then trying out different accents (including his New York/Tony Soprano one, hilarious) and admitting fully frontal that he was as high as a kite. Great stuff. They somehow turned the classics of Pressure and Trouble sound seemingly acoustic, as if they had always been, acoustic. We also had Bob Marley's Could You Be Loved intertwined with the new single Warning. It's performances like these that make festivals worth going to.

I didn't recognise Justin with that new moustache at first! 

By sacrificing Alter Bridge for Benji's antics, I ventured to the Main Stage for the return of The Darkness. I'm sure that like many out there I still don't know if they were ever meant to be taken seriously or were simply a parody. Either way, you couldn't deny that they rocked their set with the pomp which comes with such British glam rock royalty. Catsuits; jokes about seeing 4 bare breasts being the best night ever; a brand new, dodgy looking Russell Brand 'tache - yep, the jury is still out indeed. But what the hell - it was fun to watch. Justin Hawkins' voice is still as ear piercing as it ever was (in a good way), plus he delivered those expletives from Black Shuck, Get Your Hands Off My Woman and Givin Up like, well to use a lazy simile, a Motherfucker. Having not seen them back when Permission To Land exploded all those years ago, for me this was another jewel in Download's 2011 crown.

The clashes were tough this year, especially as I missed the kings of nu-metal Korn strut their stuff on the Second Stage. It got tougher when I had to decide between the headliners Danzig and Def Leppard. I took a deep breath and went for Danzig on the Pepsi Max stage, hoping to see the second half of Def Leppard. I'm glad that I did. Glenn Danzig, who reminds me of a 'Beefcake Meatloaf', commanded an authority on stage which could only be carried out by a musical career as long and as varied as his. With his chest puffed out, his faulty microphone was the subject of his bitter scorn towards his roadies and the audio visual types, as he continued to berate them and dissed them on stage, earning him extra kudos in the crowd. Playing an hour's set, Danzig laid down some bone-shuddering riffs with hits such as Twist of Cain, Thirteen and of course, Mother. Very glad I went to see them.

From what I seen, Def Leppard were a fine opening headline act

On my way back to the Main Stage I caught the end of Def Leppard's Rocket, which was superb. I particularly enjoyed Animal, Rock of Ages and Pour Some Sugar on Me. Joe Elliot's recollection of one of Def Leppard's first performances at Donington after Rick Allen's accident also felt poignant as they finished with When Love and Hate Collide and Wasted.

Day one done - could it get any better?

If football wasn't so corrupt....

Another day, another FIFA bigwig seems to be accused of dipping his fingers into the cookie jar. With Coca Cola feeling uneasy with the recent headlines, FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter played down the crisis which surrounds the world's leading football authority by insisting that the recent spate of corruption charges raised against members of his executive committee are merely 'difficulties'. He confirmed that the election for FIFA President is still to be held on Wednesday, which of course is no longer a contest but his own coronation, as his challenger Mohammed Bin Hammam pulled out of the race and has also been suspended by FIFA's Ethics Committee. Sepp Blatter, who has been in his position since 1998, is looking likely to serve yet another term amidst a storm of controversy which swirls doggedly around Zurich.

In the UK this story has gathered real pace ever since the decision to award Russia and Qatar the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, leaving the England 2018 bid firmly in the cold with a measly 2 votes. Since then we've had BBC Panorama programmes, hidden emails and the former bid chairman Lord Triesman claiming that one of the Executive Committee Members wanted a knighthood in exchange for an English vote. Oh and not forgetting that hotel schmoozing before the vote takes place, where a delegation team featuring our own future King and Prime Minister had to 'butter up' and 'seduce' key FIFA bigwigs for their vote. It all seemed to be rather seedy indeed.

There's even talk now that if FIFA can't clean up their act, England should leave the federation all together. "They didn't give us a World Cup, so to hell with them!" - maybe there's some sour grapes thrown in there, but fairness is the main factor here. But how would that work? Could England really leave FIFA and perhaps start off something more credible built on ideals of fairness and true democracy?

Truth is FIFA have such a stranglehold on the game and if England were to leave they surely couldn't go alone. I've read that that under FIFA there are around 208 national associations from the mighty United States of America (FIFA world ranked 22nd) to the islands of American Samoa (ranked joint bottom, 202nd). Surely they would have to convince other larger nations to follow suit - but they feel as strongly as a wounded England fresh from the 2018 vote? It's clear to me that unless they embark on yet another mission of mass diplomacy  England need FIFA probably more than FIFA needs England.

But one interesting point looking at it from a Celtic nation / Welsh perspective, could a move away from FIFA secure our footballing autonomies from the threat of a Team GB? The stern, almost stubborn position of the Scottish, Irish and Welsh Football Associations to discourage any involvement in the London 2012 British Olympic team is a clear portrayal distrust of FIFA in the fact that the forcing of a Team GB isn't an impossibility.

Personally I can't see a move away from FIFA for any of the home nations being the answer to this problem. FIFA has to be reformed and by the sounds of it, completely gutted from within. But I have to say, with all this FIFA business grabbing the headlines, I have been enlightened by a book which gives me hope for the beautiful game. "Outcasts! The Lands That FIFA Forgot" by Steve Menary is a fascinating look at the 'nations' which FIFA feels are not worthy of joining the other 208 I've alluded to. In fact, countries, principalities, islands, unrecognised states around the world such as Zanzibar, Isle of Man, Monaco, Kurdistan and Northern Cyprus often compete in tournaments outside of FIFA, such as the VIVA World Cup. The book looks at the author's trips to a selection of these places to learn more about their own quests to play football on an international stage, whether it is playing in a local friendly or trying to become part of FIFA.

When reading this I feel that these teams; often short on cash, make a real effort just to able to play and to represent their homeland. It fills me with hope that although these are the teams FIFA has left behind, they carry the true meaning of the game away from the exclusive Mens Club that sits in Switzerland.

Agreed on Speed?

So Wales has a new manager after weeks of speculation. There's been twists and turns, not to mention the Swede throwing his hat into the ring (should we be thankful Sven was in Leicestershire?), but it's been announced that Gary Speed will be hoping to make Euro 2012 after a nightmare start to the qualifying campaign.

I am pleased? Not sure really. I think more than anything I'm shocked and a little bit underwhelmed. After interviewing a number of candidates, the FAW approached the former Wales captain and he was more than happy to leave his post at Bramall Lane 'when his county came calling'. It seems that the right man for the job was the one which didn't show initial interest, in fact I'm sure I read at some point he wasn't interested at all.

What bothers me is that Wales now have a manager who doesn't really ticks the boxes the other candidates did. If you wanted international experience, Lars Lagerback surely would have fitted the bill. To bring in the crowds and embody the Welsh passion, you look no further than Giggsy or Big John Hartson. If you wanted a mix of both nationality and managerial experience, you have ex Fulham and Real Sociedad boss Chris Coleman. Then to top it off, you have Brian Flynn working wonders with the Youth set up, so he has an eye for noticing and nurturing potential - albeit his stint as caretaker coach didn't go so well against Bulgaria and Switzerland. But alas none of them good enough for the job.

Instead the FAW have apparently 'broken the bank' to compensate Sheffield United for a manager with a win ratio of 33.33% from games played at Championship level. Speed was initially barred from talking to Swansea City when they enquired about him becoming their new manager, but it seems United weren't so protective of their manager at a time when the Blades hover nervously over the relegation trap door. It has to be said that Speed was a great player and his is undoubtedly a legend in his own right to Welsh football, but other than that I can't really think of an outstanding attribute which warrants his appointment, plus good players don't always make good managers (especially at international level).

I know what you're thinking: Sparky. Is your memory of Welsh football really that bad, Joe? Not at all. Mark Hughes was a rookie and fresh into management but he proved to be a good choice as Welsh boss. His attacking style of football was great to watch, the crowds were back as we beat the Azzurri and we were achingly close to qualifying. However times have changed; Hughes had a host of Premiership players at his disposal - Davies, Delaney, Savage - whilst Speed will have a largely young squad. The tabloid reports of Speed's 'open door' to invite the Toshack exiles and early retirements back into the fold shows he already aware of that fact.  

Before Toshack became Wales boss he was famous for his harsh words about the Hughes regime as a BBC pundit. Now we have yet another former pundit, but at least Speed wasn't as critical whilst working in the Sky studio. His comments on the whole showed he does have a very acute tactical understanding of the game  - but let's hope he leaves the long ball in Sheffield before his first game against the Irish in February.

In a Row

In a row
a single science whispers
but speaks stories screaming bold
breathless as sunlight gleams
on the stones leaving shadows
staring tales and traditions.

In a row
standing naked over teeming streets
proud looking at God's sanctuary
there, a presence, a footprint
on a scarred beautiful battleground
owing to no-one, but to all shared.

In a row
an inward growing tree struggles
sprouting sour nectar whilst small
single noises weigh heavy on terra starved
pointing strokes of stemmed mistakes
on a canvas of best laid intentions.

In a row
bitter cold these seeds we sow
future sons and saints will smile and stand
with gifts and germs in either hand
forgotten souls lie in tombs we know
Familar failures of loved land we plough.

Spotify song-hopping

OK new game. 

In an attempt to try out new songs and uncover tunes of old, I thought it would be an idea to play some Spotify song-hopping. This involves queuing a song from an artist of choice, then going to the related artists bit at the top right and picking one of them at random. Then pick any song there by that artist, then go to the related artists bit again, pick another at random, then repeat and repeat. 

I guess if you really want you could try to go full circle with one particular artist (i.e. five degrees of separation/Kevin Bacon), but try it by entering a number of genres first; for example start with Muse and go through indie, rap, hop hop, rock and some how come back to Muse.  

Anyway this was the result of my song-hopping tonight. I started with Van Halen's Panama, and after getting stuck in rap for a while plus getting one dance track in Aerodynamic, I soon found myself getting back to some Ain't Talking about Love.  Interesting route if you ask me.

Van Halen - Panama

Ozzy Ozbourne - Crazy Train

Tenacious D - Dio

System of A Down - Mr Jack

Limp Bizkit - Pollution

Eminem - Guilty Conscience

50 Cent - In da Club

Snopp Dogg (feat Johny Cash) - I Walk the Line (remix)

Cypress Hill - Trouble Seeker

Dr Dre - The Next Episode

The Notorious BIG - Hypnotise

Jay Z - 99 Problems

Kanye West - Gold Digger

Daft Punk - Aerodynamic

Muse - Citizen Erased

Foo Fighters - Everlong

Pearl Jam - Light Years

Nirvana - Lithium

Guns N Roses - November Rain

Kiss - Rock and Roll All Nite

Van Halen - Aint Talkin about Love

  

So what makes a good football manager these days?

As Roy Hodgson becomes the new manager of Liverpool Football Club, the fanfare hasn't really followed - which begs the question, does England really want a English manager after all?

I remember playing Championship Manager 1997-98 like it was yesterday. Back then Cardiff were languishing in the old Division Three, so it always a challenge to get them promoted to the Premier League; which I'm sure many of you reading this post may well have attempted. However putting my Welsh interests aside and when I didn't fancy playing at Gay Meadow or the Baseball Ground, I often played as Liverpool  - which put Roy Evans to pasture as I revelled in Kop glory.  It was then I came across Blackburn manager Roy Hodgson: manager mysterioso. I mean who was he? One day he was in the Premier League, then he got sacked and just kind of fell into football obscurity.

Truth was that Roy was plying his trade across Europe and beyond in a managerial blitzkrieg. His nomadic ways would make even Dean Saunders and Nicolas 'Le Sulk' Anelka blush, managing in Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Norway and even the Middle East.  Now he is in charge of one of the top four football teams in England; one which arguably boats the richest and most successful history of teams in England. Liverpool FC, stooped in a financial mire and made to accept second tier European football for the next season, have chosen Roy Hodgson to weather the storm.

I thought this was good news for Liverpool. Yet what was the response from the fans? Well. Erm. Good? The tone of slightly pleased, but cautious Scousers on radio phone-ins seem to paint the picture. "Could have been worse I guess". "But is he a glamour manager?" "Will he get Torres and Gerrard to stay?" "So what has he won?" "Is he a big manager?" "We need someone competent to see us through these bad times". The latter of these is paraphrased from what Jason McAteer said when asked on 5 Live, who seemed less than impressed with the appointment. Shame that the response was so muted - especially when Roy could be regarded as one of the possible replacements for the England job. And yes, he was born in Croydon.

So why the disappointment? Who did you want instead? Capello? Pellegrini? Mourinho? Scolari? I find it hard to swallow that whilst the England team apparently needs an Englishman to take it on is that fans in England can't embrace a manager of their own on their own doorstep. Is it a question of quality that Hodgson doesn't float your boat? Or is it because he has managed Fulham and has a name you can easily pronounce?

We have to go back to CM 97-98 to find out when Liverpool last had an English manager. In fact, you have to go back then to find when any of the Big Four had a full time English manager. Fergie's been there since the Eighties, whilst Wenger has been at the Arsenal helm since 1996. Except from caretaker stints from Ray Wilkins and Graham Rix, Chelsea too can't boast an English manager. Admittedly the Big Four became more relevant in the 21st century, but this highlights how the summit is devoid of English managers. To this day no English manager has ever won the Premier League - could this be a significant factor in why England seem to 'fail' at international tournaments?

Perhaps - but does the Premier League give enough chance for English managers to thrive? No. Do the fans give enough support for English managers to succeed? Evidently not either.

Worshipping the Sun

It is pure religion after the day is done
To travel 10,000 miles to worship the sun
Brazed glowing skin is proof of the creed
And bibles of Collins, Cornwell and King to read
Hands to the sky to salute the circular lord
Only after bitter-blood-red wine is poured
Sun kissed beaches amongst the world's most prized
And a tale of a local tradition's demise
If happiness is a state of mind -
Euphoria is a wet dream in winter from a God being most kind.