Category: Uncategorized

If you’ve never seen X Factor, this will mean nothing to you.

If you have, sit back and enjoy. Very, very clever.
(via @TomDavenport)

In a rare escape from the sofa on a Monday evening, I ventured out to the Hydrant on London Road, Brighton last night to enjoy the wondrous talents of CW Stoneking.

Originally hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Stoneking channels the spirit of 1920s Louisiana and Mississippi blues, with his extraordinary voice and technically gifted banjo playing.

Backed by his ‘Primitive Horn Orchestra’, he puts together a quite remarkable show, full of dry, witty inter-song banter, tunes to dance to and an atmosphere that wouldn’t be out of place on Main St, New Orleans.

Close your eyes when you’re watching him live and you find yourself transported, such is the realistic nature of the experience.

The above video doesn’t really do justice to his act – which has admittedly been criticised for being a little too knowing and arch, but then when did Bruce Springsteen ever work on a factory line?

If you get the chance to go and see this guy, do. It reminded me of the true pleasure of the ‘live’ experience, rather than the mundane, in-ear iPod listening that most of us do every day.

– More music on my Posterous

Look beyond the Spanish celebrations, after winning Sunday’s World Cup against the Netherlands, and the big story was the number of yellow cards English referee Howard Webb showed, during the match – 14 in all.

Both Arjen Robben and the Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk criticised Howard Webb for his handling of the game.

Reading the various Dutch haranguing of Howard Webb made me feel incredibly protective towards him.

And it instantly reminded me of the criticism that English fans have heaped upon other refs after decisions went against them.

Remember Kim Milton Nielsen, who infamously sent off David Beckham during the 1998 World Cup Finals, or Urs Meier who disallowed an injury-time Sol Campbell goal during Euro 2004?

I wonder if the Danes or the Swiss felt similarly protective towards Nielsen or Meier, after they received daeth threats.

Most of the time when this sort of reaction occurs, it’s because the team in question knows they either weren’t up to the job, or had many more opportunities to win a game and failed.

In the Netherlands’ case, they got their tactics completely wrong by refusing to play pretty football and committing foul after foul.

That Webb managed to get through to extra time before sending anyone off is a miracle in itself and he should be applauded for keeping all 22 players on for as long as he did, in an effort to ensure the match remained competitive.