"Should I stay or should I go?" to quote the Clash. The EU referendum is upon us and I am undecided. The Englishman in me wants to go but that is a kneejerk reaction, I need to base my decision on what is best for me and my family in the future.
I don't know the benefits and drawbacks to either camp, not really. Immigration is brought up so much but how much does that affect me personally?
Big business and the luvvies are all out banging their drums, stay or else it will be worse for you but really they have no idea, no-one does. This is a referendum of the people, a chance for us to say something and what we want is facts. I have zero interest in what BP or any other business has to say, they don't decide what we do and their opinions and speculations are irrelevant, besides, how can a company have an opinion? It's not a sentient being and given BP's spectacular f**k up oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the subsequent cover ups and lies as they tried to wriggle out of it, I would take everything they say as a blatant lie.
Wow, it is as if BP is making my decision for me, they say stay and that means go.
Then there is the scaremongering and it does seem to come more from the Stay campaign, as I guess it would. This is a step into the unknown, some would say the abyss where others might say into the bright tomorrow.
I don't want to hear from Emma Thompson or any other luvvie, as much as I appreciate their work on stage and screen, their opinions are formed from behind lavish houses and huge amounts of money, not cut with the same concerns that we have. Much of the acting profession, particularly at the top, is very left wing, formerly known as "champagne socialists", the people with the money to believe in the things that the poorer and disenfranchised can't afford to believe in. It's different beliefs all the way up the social ladder until you reach a level where money becomes no object and you can afford to have a social conscience. It does sound as if I am picking on Emma Thompson and yet I went on the Climate Change March on behalf a Greenpeace, alongside her (I mean that in the loosest terms, alongside as in one the many thousands that marched alongside her), an organisation that I know is close to her heart and I share many of their ideals yet her opinion on the EU is insignificant, whatever happens will have no impact on her life where it potentially could cause major upset in lives of the average person, not those in the 1% and we don't need the rhetoric of big business and the people that it really won't affect, as much as we need the debate to happen, simple facts from both sides.
I have a lot to learn here and we don't need the same screw up as the Scottish referendum, lots of irrelevant arguments about side issues where the main facts are ignored. We need to know the meat and bones of both sides and less scaremongering, we know that leaving the EU is the unknown and that means that scaremongering is pure speculation, yes, we need to know what the dangers are but with such an uncertain looking Europe, I would say there is a danger there too, in a few years Europe won't be looking as it does now, change is coming and it won't be pretty. Maybe if the UK leaves, Europe will splinter as the other nations see that there is life beyond the Federal State of Europe, or the UK stays and we all pull together, strength in numbers. If we go then it is for good, if we stay then we have to bite the bullet and go in fully.
I have no clue which way I will vote, my head and my heart are everywhere but once the good arguments come in and we can cut through the bullshit, this will be an interesting debate that I am sure will have a profound effect, not just on Britain but the rest of the EU as well. I just hope that the politicians can put away the slings and arrows and carry on this debate with good grace but it appears David Cameron is intent on starting a war with Boris Johnson so I guess that is the end of the reasoned debate, then the gloves will come off and the debate will descend into a farce of mud slinging and name calling. It's almost as if I am psychic!
Let's finish the way we started:
"This indecision's bugging me
If you don't want me set me free
Exactly who I'm supposed to be
Don't you know which clothes even fit me
Come on and let me know
Should I cool it or should I blow?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
And if I stay there will be double
So you gotta let me know
Should I stay or should I go?
Tuesday, 23 February 2016
Monday, 22 February 2016
Inglorious, the Winery Dogs, Tax the Heat, Anthrax and Wolfmother...thanks Planet Rock.
Music was ever my passion. The keenest of listeners, close minded and open minded, the weird conundrum of being open to new music yet set in my ways enough to be dismissive of new music yet all the while I have those guilty pleasures tucked away in my collection, songs that I keep to myself, out of character and out of keeping with my ways.
The headliners, Winery Dogs, Richie Kotzen, Billy Sheehan and Mike Portnoy, a 2 album super group that attracted the wannabes and the genuine muso's. Kotzen is a great guitarist with a soulful voice, remarkably reminiscent of Chris Cornell. Billy Sheehan is a bass supremo, a guy at the top of his game for many years and Mike Portnoy is a powerhouse drummer, ex-Dream Theatre, he is mentioned in the same circles as Neal Peart but with maybe a touch less reverence. Their 2 albums are excellent and the show was great, enough virtuoso playing without ruining the songs and I loved them. They funk, rock, mellow things down and cover all the bases, mind you if you look back who they've all played with and the stuff they've done, they have covered all the bases. I will definitely be seeing them again.
Anyway, in the spirit of embracing new music and new bands, I went to see the Winery Dogs supported by Inglorious a few weeks back. I was quite excited by Inglorious, a new English band that Planet Rock had been promoting and the couple of lead off tracks from the then soon to be released album, sounded excellent.
They hit the stage, all young and rocking and the first thing that you notice is the singer, a natural frontman, larger than life, commanding the stage yet endearing, you can't help but like him. I do hope that he doesn't lose that natural friendliness. Then there is his voice, good god, can the boy sing, a huge range with soul and depth and he uses all of it. Cracking covers of Toto's "Gone Girl" far better than the original and a very faithful cover of Rainbow's "Surrender". Their own material stacked up well and they are definitely a band I won't even need to keep my eye on as my youngest was all enamored by them, meeting them after their stint and now keeping in touch over Twatter.
The headliners, Winery Dogs, Richie Kotzen, Billy Sheehan and Mike Portnoy, a 2 album super group that attracted the wannabes and the genuine muso's. Kotzen is a great guitarist with a soulful voice, remarkably reminiscent of Chris Cornell. Billy Sheehan is a bass supremo, a guy at the top of his game for many years and Mike Portnoy is a powerhouse drummer, ex-Dream Theatre, he is mentioned in the same circles as Neal Peart but with maybe a touch less reverence. Their 2 albums are excellent and the show was great, enough virtuoso playing without ruining the songs and I loved them. They funk, rock, mellow things down and cover all the bases, mind you if you look back who they've all played with and the stuff they've done, they have covered all the bases. I will definitely be seeing them again.
Their Bowie tribute, so sweet:
All in all it was a great night, great support band and an excellent headliner, the future for rock is looking better.
But I'm not done yet. I also adore Tax the Heat, another new British band and their album isn't due till April. Again, the 2 lead tracks (thanks Planet rock) are excellent and I have pre-ordered their album, as I did with Inglorious except that Tax the Heat had the option for vinyl. I have also pre-ordered the new Anthrax album off the back of bloody Planet rock playing "Breathing Lightning" and I adored it so much I have that winging it's way to me when it's released in the next week or 2 and they also played the new single from Wolfmother, "Victorious" and I bought the flac of the song and I'm now considering ordering the album as well. Damn you Planet Rock, you are like kryptonite to my bank account. On the plus side, it does feel really good to be listening to music again. I spent all Saturday streaming songs from my phone and listening to vinyl and I discovered that 1989 and 1990 were good years for music.
Tax the Heat:
Anthrax:
Wolfmother:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)