British Rock Bands in Discord with Anti-Iraq Action (more anti-war Euros)

Reuters via Yahoo ^ | Tue Aug 20,11:31 AM ET | Pete Harrison

[Dan from Michigan]

Who the blue hell is Blur or Elbow?
And George Michael? Wasn't he caught doing a pee wee herman type thing or something like that once.

[Green Knight]

LONDON (Reuters) - The United States has come up against resistance from a new quarter as it considers plans to take military action against Iraq -- British rock bands.

Ah. Guess we better throw out all our war plans, huh? Can't have British rock bands disapproving of us. Please.

[HHFi]

Yes, nothing gives you a better understanding of international diplomacy and geo-political power struggles than standing around in a garage for 10 years, bashing on a guitar and sucking on a bong.

Folks, I've worked in radio for over 25 years and met more musicians (many of them very famous) than I could even begin to name. The ones who struck me as knowing anything whatsoever about anything other than music could be counted on the fingers of one hand (and most of them would HAVE to use their fingers to do the counting). Same goes for a lot of actors. In fact, very few of today's musicians even know anything about music, much less military strategy. They make the cardinal mistake of believing that just because there is a camera on them and a microphone in their faces, they must have something brilliant to say. Guess again.

[goodieD]

are these the same british rockers that stopped hunger and famine in africa? yeah, I care what they think.

[weegee]

I think that Blur at least had some sort of a hit in America. Some advertiser used an instrumental cut of theirs in a tv ad (a guitar jamming while the singer shouts "Who-hooo").

[DallasJ7]

Oasis has had a long-standing feud with the guy from Blur. I believe Noel Gallagher recently referred to him as a c**tf**k. Heh.

[Dan from Michigan]

I know that song. A Sports Anthem. So they will go into the books along side such legends as Gary Glitter.......

[spitz]

I don’t know what it’s like in the U.S., but a lot of British bands form-up at university or college. Nuff said.

On the other hand Ozzy Osbourne never went to university or college.

[My Favorite Headache]

You mean all become pedophiles?

[Arkinsaw]

British Rock is deader than a door-nail. These are just gaseous emanations from the corpse.

[general_re]

Some bands you've never heard of object to US foreign policy. Someone wake me when Reuters begins covering the news again...

[MadIvan]

I want George Michael to be stripped of citizenship. The poster for "Shoot the Dog" in London shows a bulldog in a Union Jack vest.

Oh really? These ungrateful, simpering, idiotic gobshite should just leave.

As for the NOP poll, that always skews left.

Regards, Ivan

[general_re]

"Blur"? "Elbow"? "Primal Scream"?!?? What in hell are they inflicting on your radio over there?

[AF68]

Now that we have the opinions of the hedonistic Euro rock druggies, what say the sodden street bums and demented bag ladies? After all, in a society saturated with moral relativism, their views count just as much as any other self-anointed experts.

[MadIvan]

"Blur"? "Elbow"? "Primal Scream"?!?? What in hell are they inflicting on your radio over there?

I'm the wrong person to ask, I listen to classical music. ;)

My sister, however, used to write for a fanzine for small British bands - among the bands she interviewed where the "Country Teasers" (whose big hit was "Satan is Real Again"), the "Yummy Fur" and she knew a fellow whose stage name was "James Bondage".

Too much drugs, too much time on their hands and not enough brains to recognise either.

Regards, Ivan

Putting on another Renee Fleming CD...

[Russell Scott]

"Peace in our time", the latest hit from the Neville Chamberlain Trio.

[general_re]

...she knew a fellow whose stage name was "James Bondage".

I'm afraid to ask ;)

Putting on another Renee Fleming CD...

Good choice. This evening's performance in the general's house began with The Who, from "Quadrophenia", and has now moved on to Carl Maria von Weber's Horn Concertino in E-Minor. My personal tastes are nothing if not eclectic ;)

[HHFi]

I think it was Elvis Costello who once explained that the music press in Britain was so competitive that they had to create a new sensation every week ("Joe Blurt! He's the new Dylan!"), then tear him down a week later to make room for the next sensation they'd just created. Of course, with such a small talent pool to begin with, this meant that every snot-nosed idiot who could hold a bass backwards would end up having his 15 minutes of fame, be acclaimed a genius, and get to pontificate to interviewers about his deep thoughts on politics and world events. And then, he'd be flushed down the Toilet of History, where he belonged.

I seriously doubt that anyone but pop culture historians will even remember Elbow five years from now. I used to have a running gag with a friend of mine who did a morning radio show with me ages ago. After seeing or interviewing the latest sensation who was getting a lot of music press hype, we'd step out onto the sidewalk, and I'd say, "So, what do you think he'll be doing in ten years?" He'd always give the same reply: "Pumpin' gas."

[Rainbow Rising]

Most recently, singer George Michael released a controversial video to his single "Shoot the Dog," portraying U.S. President George Bush as a cowboy and Blair as his pet poodle.

About a week ago I read that this single is a big flop, selling only 3,000 copies. Hmmm...if an artist gets a gold record for selling 500,000 copies and a platinum record for selling 1 million copies, what kind of record does he get for selling 3,000? Tin?