Oh, if you haven't seen this yet: Imogen Heap has just released a single and a video for two of the song that are on her soon upcoming album. The album "Ellipse" is to be released on the 25. August, and it will be very exciting to hear the final result. I have been a huge fan of her video diary on YouTube and cried when I saw the final episode when she was done. She just strikes something good in me, that one. I like the person and the music. I also wanna be her.. hehe. I was actually also so lucky as to be chosen to be part of a bio that was written about her earlier this year. He he.. No, I am not her secret grandmother. She asked all her fans to write things about her on twitter and then some was selected to form a promo/biography thing that was sent out to press, pr etc. The cool thing is that also everyone was mentioned in references, so it says that I said that very sentence. Lovely. Good project. Also fans helped her make the album art and the whole story of her video diarys will apparently be on a dvd. Can't wait..! Hm.. I listen to the new Thom Yorke song now and expected to hear Imogens voice after the first few bars and there suddenly was Thom.. wow.. That would be an interesting duo in the studio.. They know how to sing and also really know their gadgets :D
Thanks to "Rock it out!" blog on YouTube I found out about this one. It's indeed a new Thom Yorke song. Or really it's a cover by Thom Yorke of a song of Mark Mulcahy. I must honestly say that this guy has slipped right passed me, because I have never heard about him before. I have to read up on this. Apparently though, when a guy get a tribute album like this with all kinds of famous artists, he must be a good guy. The album is out to support him since he's wife died and left him alone with their twins of 3 years old. (And after taking care of twin babies for three days this week I can honestly say that I understand why he need all the support that he can). The Thom York cover sound very much like him. The really interesting part for me, as a fan though, is that his brother is actually doing the background vocals on this one. Wow, it would be very interesting if they could do more stuff together. Two great voices there. I think the other brother need to be brought even more into the lime light too..
Here is a link to the song. Here is more about the cd.
I have been a fan of Blur since around 1997 and I also loved the hits that came out before that. So when I heard that they were getting back together at end of 2008 and were going to play two gigs in Hyde Park in July 2009, I just knew I had to be there. God knows if they would ever play together again other than that.. And what a chance to see Blur on their home ground in London. So I bought two tickets and said to myself that I was going, even if I would go alone.. he he...
As the months went on I met a wonderful man and persuaded him to go to London with me too. That turned the experience even better. To be able to share a band I love with someone I love, just made it extra magical.
First of all.. I have been to concerts with 30 000 people, so I though I had a clue of what I was going into... But my god.. 55 000 are a lot of people!!! As I was moving forwards through all the people and trying to get closer to the scene it didn't feel like i was moving and all.. That's how waste the field was... :) We squeezed us into a little spot in the end were we would kinda be able to see both the stage and some big screens. The grass was totally yellow and kept sticking to everything. I really wanted to tell one woman that all of the back of her trousers was filled with grass, but i didn't have the nerve to.
As it drew closer to "kick-off" we move closer to the stage and I observed two new things that are different from concerts in England to those in Norway: 1. Everybody had bottles and like tossing them into the air so they hit other people. Some people even like to get hit and will get upon the shoulders of others and taunt them, so that they get bottles thrown at them.. The big problem occurs when you are near such a person.. The bottles will hit you (Thankfully these are not real bottles, as we first thought, but plastic bottles.. Still hurts when you get one into your ear though.. hehe) 2: English people like to stand closer too you than Norwegian people. That made me have a tiny bit of claustrophobia when there were people as far as I could see in any direction, but then the band started and I forgot :)
I now can't remember what the first song was anymore, though I think it might have been "there's no other way"? I at least know that the second song was "Boys and girls". I have NEVER in my life seen so much enthusiasm and heard so many people sing along.. It was just MAGIC!! I can't even describe it.. I add some videos below, so you can just see it yourself. The rest was just.... Song after song and hit after hit. I think they were in a bit of a shock themselves too. They played better than I have ever heard them before (on youtube) and the whole vibe of the performance even transcended that of the u2 concerts I have been too. And you can imagine the showmanship of Bono... Hard to live up too. I say it again. I have never ever seen so many excited people in one place :) when we came to song 2 it just too totally off and were just orgasmic before the lull and calming light and amazingly soothing tones of Universals guitar riff said good bye. I was so tired I could hardly walk or think and was glad to have a man that could lead me too the crowds home... :) The heros are back. Let's hope they stay around for a while. The music they will make now if they continue... oh wow.. I look forward to tell stories about this when I become and old little lady.
