![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
peterbirksI've got this idea for a post in my head, tentatively titled "Pragmatism, Dogmatism and Theory", but I think that it might take me quite a long time to write; and that is not something I really have at the moment.
So, instead, we have GLASTONBURRRYYYYYYYY!
Definitely the highlight of my musical year (last year's Reading & Leeds shows did their best, but it just ain't the same).
These days the BBC has got its act together and actually started to exploit the wonders of increased bandwidth. With few exceptions this means that you can bypass the terrestrial channel (BBC2) for everything bar the headliners (last night, The Killers), mainly because the BBC now has attention deficit disorder and refuses to play groups in segments of more than four minutes.
BBC 3 earlier in the evening is better, but the real class is on BBC Interactive, where the "alternative" option shows complete sets from the smaller stages.
A downside of this is that by the end of the weekend I have about 30 hours of footage, much of which is repeats. The upside is that you get classics like the whole Arcade Fire set. I mean, three guitars, an accordion, a cornet, a violin, a viola, a French Horn, drums and keyboards. And, of course, organ pipes for the church organ sound. The "highlights" channel rightly picked up on "No Cars Go", which was an awesome performance. Possibly one of the few groups it's worth considering murder in order to get hold of a ticket.
Rodrigo y Gabriela did the Jazz stage, casually showing the world that, as guitarists, they are streets ahead of most players alive and not a few who are dead.
Theres's still bundles of stuff there as yet unwatched. More updates later.
++++
Andy Ward continues to post fascinating and helpful stuff from LV in Secrets of the Amateurs and Get It Quietly. His review of the Full Tilt Strategy Guide served only to convince me that there is no point trying to be an all-rounder these days unless you play poker full-time. The analysis needed for top-level profitable tounrament play is hard indeed.
However, that doesn't make it worthless to read for a cash player. It's fascinating how little snippets of limit play also apply in no limit (in areas that you wouldn't expect) and there are bits of tournament play which are useful in cash no-limit as well. The trick, of course, is to know what to discard and what to keep.
++++++++++
A mass tidy-up of the office this morning, in the sense that there is now nothing on the floor whose rightful place is not to be on the floor. And I've reorganised some of the stuff on shelves as well. That's just about the only way the books and shelves get dusted.
The collection of books bought but not yet read continues to grow. "Burma Boy" looks interesting, of the 30 pages or so that I have read so far.
++++++++++
The DVD recorder is beginnning to get temperamental. I'm normally a great fan of Panasonic, but the two recorders I have have both been "fussy" when it comes to discs. The hard disc drive on the more up-to-date Panasonic is great - but the Disc recorder is not so good. One would expect more than two years' useful life from a three hundred quid machine.
Then again, my Phillips CD player is causing problems as well, so one has to assume that it's something to do with the reading abilities of the laser. I've tried "cleaner" CDs, but that doesn't seem to make any difference.
+++++++++
So, instead, we have GLASTONBURRRYYYYYYYY!
Definitely the highlight of my musical year (last year's Reading & Leeds shows did their best, but it just ain't the same).
These days the BBC has got its act together and actually started to exploit the wonders of increased bandwidth. With few exceptions this means that you can bypass the terrestrial channel (BBC2) for everything bar the headliners (last night, The Killers), mainly because the BBC now has attention deficit disorder and refuses to play groups in segments of more than four minutes.
BBC 3 earlier in the evening is better, but the real class is on BBC Interactive, where the "alternative" option shows complete sets from the smaller stages.
A downside of this is that by the end of the weekend I have about 30 hours of footage, much of which is repeats. The upside is that you get classics like the whole Arcade Fire set. I mean, three guitars, an accordion, a cornet, a violin, a viola, a French Horn, drums and keyboards. And, of course, organ pipes for the church organ sound. The "highlights" channel rightly picked up on "No Cars Go", which was an awesome performance. Possibly one of the few groups it's worth considering murder in order to get hold of a ticket.
Rodrigo y Gabriela did the Jazz stage, casually showing the world that, as guitarists, they are streets ahead of most players alive and not a few who are dead.
Theres's still bundles of stuff there as yet unwatched. More updates later.
++++
Andy Ward continues to post fascinating and helpful stuff from LV in Secrets of the Amateurs and Get It Quietly. His review of the Full Tilt Strategy Guide served only to convince me that there is no point trying to be an all-rounder these days unless you play poker full-time. The analysis needed for top-level profitable tounrament play is hard indeed.
However, that doesn't make it worthless to read for a cash player. It's fascinating how little snippets of limit play also apply in no limit (in areas that you wouldn't expect) and there are bits of tournament play which are useful in cash no-limit as well. The trick, of course, is to know what to discard and what to keep.
++++++++++
A mass tidy-up of the office this morning, in the sense that there is now nothing on the floor whose rightful place is not to be on the floor. And I've reorganised some of the stuff on shelves as well. That's just about the only way the books and shelves get dusted.
The collection of books bought but not yet read continues to grow. "Burma Boy" looks interesting, of the 30 pages or so that I have read so far.
++++++++++
The DVD recorder is beginnning to get temperamental. I'm normally a great fan of Panasonic, but the two recorders I have have both been "fussy" when it comes to discs. The hard disc drive on the more up-to-date Panasonic is great - but the Disc recorder is not so good. One would expect more than two years' useful life from a three hundred quid machine.
Then again, my Phillips CD player is causing problems as well, so one has to assume that it's something to do with the reading abilities of the laser. I've tried "cleaner" CDs, but that doesn't seem to make any difference.
+++++++++
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-06-24 12:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-24 06:22 pm (UTC)I caught a couple of The Coral tracks, but these guys are real old-stagers now. One of the "How did the Zutons comoe out on top?" bands from Liverpool a few years ago, with a great debut album and a mediocre follow-up.
I'll be catching up with the DVDs this weak - looks like 36 hours of footage in total....
Wish I Was There?
Date: 2007-06-24 12:55 pm (UTC)This year, Arcade Fire were the main recipient of the "oh I'd love to have been there" thought. Nearly everyone major who I would have wanted to see I've seen either in 2005 or elsewhere. And Arcade Fire are touring in Oct/Nov. Tickets for Ally Pally are on:
http://www.seetickets.com/see/price.asp?code=252883&userid={438EED81-DC27-408E-8D9C-E76A8337FF44}&filler1=see&filler2=home
in case you missed this news.
I know I'd have had a fun time with other bands, but I'm not too gutted to have not
gone.
Instead, Steph and I went to Hyde Park to see Under the Influence of Giants (good, a bit thrashy and not unlike The Young Knives), Gareth Gates (alright, quite endearing and gobsmacking for Steph to see from 12 feet, someone who used to be plastered on her walls). The Feeling were very slick, very poppy, very good and very obviously tour veterans by now. Crowded House were an absolute delight, relaxed, friendly and possessed of more good tunes and harmonies than anyone. Did Always Take the Weather With You when the sun came out. It absolutely threw it down shortly before they ended the set.
And of course your favourite man Peter Gabriel was headlining. He did a kind of old favourites set including about half of the then-experimental second album, and Family Snapshot and Rhythm of the Heat. Great for me, less so for Steph. I didn't spot you there Pete - you must have been in VIP hospitality.
Re: Wish I Was There?
Date: 2007-06-24 06:23 pm (UTC)Obviously I was in VIP Hosp. at Hyde Park, but I'm not surprised you didn't recognize me. I was the guy in the long red dress with a fox on his head.
PJ
Re: Wish I Was There?
Date: 2007-06-26 09:15 pm (UTC)Despite the mud, which was pretty bad, it's an excellent way to spend a week, which is what it turned into with an early start on Wednesday am for an advance party to set up camp (75,000 people arrived on the Wednesday this year and as all the stages were closed, the rest of the site was heaving), and then spending 2 days getting home. I was trapped in the muddy car parks for 10 hours with no food, water or toilets and 2 kids in the car. By midnight I'd got as far as an emergency stop in Bristol for the night at the in-laws.
Younger child loved it - sitting on the barriers at the front for Lily Allen was her highlight - missing Amy Winehouse when she fell in the mud and had to go back to the tent to change her lowlight. Older son had a ball - hardly saw him as he roamed the site with his mates seeing bands I don't like.
Re: Wish I Was There?
Date: 2007-06-26 09:20 pm (UTC)So, in conclusion - had I not been there, I'd have really missed it. But it would have been great to have seen Arcade Fire. I was on child care at that point and it was too far to take her - people who went said it was the best show of the weekend.
And it would be great to have a dry Glasto for once!
Matt Harrison