I, Daniel Blake/The Girl on The Train/Jack Reacher - Never Go Back

Yes, pin back your lugholes its Movie time again. Break out the Ben & Jerry's.

After quite a hiatus, I have three very differing films to comment on and all at separate cinemas as it turns out.

First taxi off the rank is I, Daniel Blake. Viewed by my sister and I at a special showing in the Metrocentre's Odeon. It's probably common knowledge that this is the winner of the Palm D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and Ken Loach is behind it. Being the skinflint I am, the prospect of seeing this for transport costs only, outweighed the all too familiar context of the film and it certainly raised a few personal experiences of my own in the Welfare system. Daniel has been forced to leave his job through ill health but to get any welfare benefit, he has to claim he is fit for work despite his doctor's input. He has to be seen to be looking for work, provide documented evidence and attempt skills alien to him and his trade ie computer skills, just to fill in forms. I'm tempted to give many a spoiler alert here but I would just urge all and sundry to see this film for its social commentary - the sheer frustration and inability to provide a coherent policy of welfare for the disadvantaged and the medically unfit. The loss of dignity and self respect is palpable and one I can readily identify with. I'll say no more other than to recommend it and to thank Ken Loach for a piece of work that will hopefully be extremely uncomfortable viewing for the government of the day (got that off m'chest)

Next up is The Girl on The Train at my favourite viewing site of the Tyneside Cinema. Apparently the book is a best seller and stars Emily Blunt as a commuter who regularly passes an old stamping ground on her way to and from work and witnesses an event that will ultimately change her life. I'm a big fan of Emily Blunt having first enjoyed her with Matt Damon in The Adjustment Bureau. Here I sense that the film doesn't do the book justice though I haven't read it. I didn't empathise with the characters plight or revel in the film's inevitable denouement. Shame, I was really looking forward to that one; better luck next time Emily.

Finally, Jack Reacher - Never Go Back at the Empire Newcastle. I'm told there's 22 Jack Reacher books and this was the 18th which is quite a step from his cinema introduction of recent times. Tom Cruise is the all action hero of this eponymous Lee Child creation. Despite his height and weight disadvantage, he seems to do more than all right in the very watchable fight sequences. Mr Cruise plays the hard bitten hero but loner very well and this is a perfectly enjoyable two hours of action and intrigue if ultimately predictable. I look forward to the next one; I seem to prefer this incarnation to his more extreme Mission Impossible scenarios.

Till the next time, I raise my Ben & Jerry's to you all. Good viewing.

Selling England by the Pound by The Musical Box - Oct 20th 2016

Second time I've seen these French/Canadian musicians and their attention to detail is very impressive. One of the Genesis members is quoted as saying it is carried out as though it was a play. Not so much a concert as a play with original costume and back projected slides and probably instrumentation; judging by the authentic sound quality.

Impressive as this is, its also rather irritating, along with the jobsworth who interrupted the three photo's I took on my mobile with a tap on the shoulder. The origin of Peter Gabriel's aside to the audience in his day's with the band is to fill in whilst the band tune or re-tune their instruments. Here it seemed like a script carried out with dubious necessity and for historical effect only. Lover's of early Gabriel wordplay would be disappointed at the diction which may have been word for word, but I couldn't tell, I couldn't hear it.

And there for me is their biggest problem. I'm not sure but the vocalist is a long standing member of the tribute collective but he is also their weakest contributor. Gifted flautist he may be but he exudes none of the presence that Gabriel had, has nothing like the strength of voice and appears to me to be tiring of a well rehearsed display going back years.

Genesis tired of the praise Peter got in contrast to their input and I suppose the friction undermined relations to the point of his eventual departure. Here I feel that the shoe is on the other foot as the focal point is definitely the music and not the theatrics of the vocalist who I feel is letting them down badly.

The 'Selling England' set was interspersed with classics like Supper's Ready, The Musical Box itself and the show stopping opener Watcher of the Skies. Impressive displays by the resident drummer and keyboard player made the night an enjoyable one. The lead guitarist was good but no Hackett and Rutherford's role was always rather in the wings during the early period of Genesis and likewise here. To say that they were note perfect is just about right and perhaps the lighting display was as of 73' but it could do with more attention to the drama of each song. 

Coming back for an encore they played The Knife to a less than full auditorium, the wings upstairs were sparse but I believe the Stalls were well attended. 

A good night but not a great night, maybe I'm not so stuck in an historical past as I thought?    

Explosions in the sky

Tuesday 11 October, amidst a rather fraught time I was taking a time out to see a band that I'd heard a little of. Had downloaded the latest album, The Wilderness and thought it enjoyable enough to see them perform live.

I arrived at the Sage for about 7.15 for a proposed 7.30 start. No sign of John & Sheelagh, I decided to find my seat and take in the surroundings. It's always pleasant visiting the Sage but its such an awkward journey to get there down Dean Street and cross the Swing Bridge. I usually favour the link bus but I'd got my timing wrong tonight.

A solo performer who apparently went by the name of Entrance (I think) joined the stage, playing a semi acoustic Gibson with his left hand would you believe. About three songs in it became evident the guy was an American wordsmith in a long tradition of Greenwich village type performers. He had more to say lyrically than musically in the style of the newly vaunted Nobel prize winning Bob Dylan. A bit dark and a little short on life experience possibly. Maudlin' - a comment passed on by one of John and Sheelagh's friends during the interval where ice cream comes in small tubs and costs £2.50 - just about sums him up. Good luck to him anyway on his musical journey.

About 8.45 Explosions in the sky introduced themselves, praising the 'musically gifted' Entrance and letting us know they came from Texas. And it was the last words I heard them offer before my departure about 70 minutes later when a mixture of last bus and football highlights had made me realize that I wasn't going to love this band any more or any less. John mentioned their intensity which I wholeheartedly agreed with and it was those intense passages that they were possibly at their best. The screaming guitar attack certainly heightened the senses as we drifted from atmosphere to different atmosphere.
It began to play around in my head that both acts were somehow auditioning for a soundtrack involvement in a new Twin Peaks experience I'd heard a little about. One track bled into the next fairly seemlessly and each was aided by a largely simple but hugely effective use of smoke lit in colourful fashion. A throbbing linear pulse was to be seen on at least two of their offerings and was definately one of the most memorable events I will take away from the night. I can't tell you track names and as I say I was to leave about 9.55 and missed a further 15 mins. Eventful and not un-enjoyable but that may well be my first and  last visit to see them. A journey back in time next week when Genesis tribute band The Musical Box play the City Hall. All our yesterdays, back in a more comfortable historical zone.

Planet Hawkwind

I was having an effective and enjoyable Monday, so I decided to reward myself with a gig. Hadn't been to one for a while and friend John had often remarked on Hawkwind, or Sparrow fart as college parlance had it, being historically enjoyable.

Off to town it was then, a few purchases and then over the swing bridge to the Sage, handing over £26 of our earth pounds for a seat on the aisle. 

I passed on the news and looked forward to a quiet hour just before kick off at 8pm

It had been a bright day all day and the Sage was looking at it's best, inside and out, so having met up with John and Shelagh, I took a few photos with my phone's camera - the best of which is opposite. Perhaps my interest in photographs was a distraction and a portent for things to come.
Into the auditorium, a bedouin with leopardskin trousers and silver haired males in cargo shorts and T-shirts, colourful and it really wasn't that warm! 

8pm came and went and I think Hawkwind duly arrived at about 8.35 - was that normal for them or was anticipation part of the deal. Looking round the stage I was impressed by the lack of space the keyboard area took up - apparently a couple of laptops on a table and maybe a theremin? I would continue to be impressed by the 

keyboard/programmer all night as he produced cosmic sounds from within. The backdrop was pretty impressive, suitably hallucinogenic, it provided an environment rather than telling an accompanying story. Which reminds me, two seats down, silver haired cargo short wearing male leans over and says something that assumes I'm a long time fan here on my annual pilgrimage and proceeds to rant about the short story that accompanies the new album...and apparently its available on PDF!! He returned to his seat, no doubt reflecting on my lack of response, only to get up one song later exclaiming " They didn't play this one on Saturday" and ran off to the standing area at the front. Do you remember your first pint?

My initial calm, good humour gradually dissipated into a sort of ennui as the whole thing just seemed to melt into one long cosmic jam. To the devotee, I'm sure it was good if not great, and I didn't hate it, it just didn't press my buttons. Hope that doesn't knock off any of the gloss for John and Shelagh - see you both soon.