Face Off

Has anyone told Este Haim that Derek Smalls of Spinal Tap was meant to be an object of ridicule, rather than emulation?

http://haimtheband.com/

Choir riot

Of necessity, Irk The Purists doesn't often make live appearances.  However anyone that wants to see your correspondent making a potential fool of himself should hotfoot it to this year's Edinburgh Festival. No, I haven't been asked to understudy Jerry Sadowitz or fluff Jimmy Carr.  Instead, I'm participating in the Complaints Choir along with approximately 40 other hardy souls.  You can read about the origins and history of this art-project here, but in essence it involves participants (no singing experience or talent required) giving voice to complaints both local and international in scope.  So in Edinburgh, ours include, but are not limited to, trams, dog mess, recycling bins and the phallocentric nature of western patriarchy.  The composers who have been appointed to knock these disparate ideas into some sort of shape are Daniel Padden and Peter Nicholson, both of whom have a background in improvisational and experimental music but don't let that put you off.  For the most part, it's very accessible with only a couple of pieces that are a bit Steve Reich. In fact, given that singing talent was not a requirement of joining its all a bit less Portsmouth Sinfonia than I was fearing, and at times is downright melodic.  Anyway, judge for yourselves, if you want to, on Rose St this Friday at 5.30 to 9pm.

Taking the Michael

Mrs Irk walked in on me listening to the new Scott Walker compilation the other evening.  She asked whether I was listening to Michael Ball.  I laughed and called her a pleb.  She took umbrage, insisting that I listen to Michael Ball singing Empty Chairs at Empty Tables from Les Miserables.  And I have to admit, when you compare the emoting and contained histrionics of the latter to, say, Montague Terrace in Blue, the similarities are definitely there.

Things go better with coke

In Metro this morning, an ill-advised choice of words from the curiously-monikered Mike GLC, who along with N-Dubz' Tulisa, is facing charges related to an alleged class-A drug sting..."We are innocent. Anyone can chop things together on video."

RIP Steve Martland 1959-2013

Bristol fashion

Prior to today, I'd have put Tricky in that small category of people filed under "could start an argument in an empty room"- others on the list include Lauryn Hill, American talk radio host Alex Jones and Sir Alex Ferguson.  People permanently aggrieved, with a supreme lack of awareness of how their own personality contributes to their perceived misfortunes.  So, it was somewhat salutary to see him positively radiating bonhomie, in a formal interview, no less, on Vice's Noisey channel (terrible name, good content).  Interviewed by the estimable John Doran of The Quietus, the interview is one of a series done with British iconoclasts, including Gary Numan, Luke Haines, Adam Ant and Bryan Ferry.  They're all worth looking at, especially the one with Adam Ant, but the one below has repositioned the Bristolian whinger in my estimation.

Record breakers

A nice piece from Record Collector about the record industry shooting itself in the foot.  Again.  I couldn't agree more, but I'd add that the parallel argument about mp3s ("you mean, Mr. Universal, that you want us to pay more for a digital artefact, with no warehousing or manufacturing costs, than for a CD? Ambassador, you are really spoiling us.") shows that time and again the sheer greed of these companies will ultimately be their demise.  For further elucidation, and for more examples of how the industry resists innovation, I highly recommend Louis Barfe's book Where Have All The Good Times Gone.