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Olympic Closing Ceremony Kinks

The Week in Music: Olympic Closing Ceremony and New Guns n Roses Shows…

Olympic Closing Ceremony Kinks

The Olympic closing ceremony displayed the very best of British music, fashion, and police crowd control techniques.

Whilst Elbow performed “Open Arms” and “A Day Like This”, the Metropolitan Police Kettling Display Team (or PoKeDiT, as they are better known) showed how to effectively shackle and detain over five thousand of the World’s fittest youths using the “Kettling” technique first seen during last year’s Student Tuition Fees demonstrations.

Kettling, for the uninitiated, is a technique used by police to dampen the spirits of large numbers of people. Coincidentally a similar effect can be obtained by listening to music by The Spice Girls.

The fact that the World’s fastest and the World’s strongest men were unable to breach the police cordon and flee the stadium whilst The Spice Girls performed two numbers is a testament to the police containment skills on show. The Chinese authorities in particular rose as one to applaud this demonstration of superior force at the climax of the show.

Brian May then followed a video clip of Freddie Mercury by playing his Brighton Rock solo. Mercifully truncated, perhaps it is about time that someone pulled him to one side and told him that his solo was always the least interesting part of any Queen gig? Thirty three years on from the Live Killers album, he was lucky it wasn’t the least interesting part of the Olympics Closing Ceremony. Fortunately for Brian, he was up against some pretty stiff competition for that particular honour (despite the many fantastic moments the ceremony also offered, it should be said).

Perhaps my favourite moment was seeing Ray Davies perform a sublime Waterloo Sunset. Surely “Sir Ray” will be the Next in Line for honours? I’m Tired of Waiting…

In other news, Guns n Roses have announced a Las Vegas residency with a twelve show stay at the Hard Rock Hotel during October and November. Given Axl’s fondness for coming onstage late, expect those dates to creep into December…

Record #82: The Kinks – Waterloo Sunset

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13 responses to “The Week in Music: Olympic Closing Ceremony and New Guns n Roses Shows…”

  1. mistermarx Avatar
    mistermarx

    What a crock of tired, unimaginative, Sunday League, embarrassing shite I’ve just been subjected to (and it ain’t finished yet…).
    Pet Shop Boys dressed as the Klu Klux Klan, Mandess going round and round on a f–king lorry (with quite possibly the worst sound ever staged at a major event), and assorted runner-up tossers off X Wank, singing what sounds like a Troggs out-take. Ghastly beyond all and any comprehension.
    To think that England bequeathed the world with Shakespeare and The Beatles, and now we have to endure the likes of Stomp and Ray f–kin’ Davies in a London cab – replete with a voice that’s completely shot.
    Forgive them Lord, for they (truly) know not what they do.
    Vile.

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    1. Every Record Tells A Story Avatar
      Every Record Tells A Story

      Actually I thought Ray Davies outshone McCartney (and I really like McCartney)

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  2. mistermarx Avatar
    mistermarx

    Greetings; the above is what I wrote, during the ghastly debacle that was ye closing ceremony of the Olympics. the below is what I wrote recently, perhaps we agree here?

    To be honest, the only band I thought were reasonable were Muse and to a certain extent, The Who. Gallagher was his usual pompous, arrogant self, Brain May appeared to be wearing a quilt, and was wretched to the point of embarrassment (and yes, Mercury was probably spinning in his grave).
    With regards the odious the Spice Sluts, isn’t it about time they were all shot into space one by f–king one – to the sound of spice up space. Know what you mean about not being able to please everyone, but it wasn’t just the bands. I found the whole thing v. sluggish and piss poor. Why only have 456, 769 terrible dancers, when the whole of North London will do…
    As for that complete C–T, tallentless twat of the first degree, Russell Brand even daring to touch just one of Lennon’s many masterpieces, made me want to consider organising a suicide party. This was more than substantiated by Jessie Viper Vomit – ought really ought to be f–ked senseless by every member of the Red Army, before being allowed to join her slapper compadres in outer space – preferably on the other side of Mars.

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    1. Every Record Tells A Story Avatar
      Every Record Tells A Story

      Yes – but you shouldn’t sit on the fence quite so much. What do you really think…?

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  3. mikeslayen Avatar
    mikeslayen

    Nice to see some local thoughts..I wasn’t going to comment because NBC didn’t even broadcast the whole thing…including the Who… By the way isn’t Jimmy Page an Englishmen? Sure glad they didn’t utilize one of the greatest rock bands ever! London did a great job it seems on the Olympics themselves however.

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    1. Every Record Tells A Story Avatar
      Every Record Tells A Story

      I heard that NBC played a sitcom halfway through?
      In the UK we are all still rather pleased and somewhat amazed we didn’t mess the whole thing up…
      Page did play a part in Beijing – but a shame he wasn’t asked to play in London also.

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  4. mikeslayen Avatar
    mikeslayen

    Yep sitcom it was! I thought the Page performance in Beijing was epic! I have heard there was some sort of issue with him playing this time and he sounded upset that he was not invited. I thought you guys pulled the games off awesomely…but those larger than life ceremonies usually don’t interest me much anyway…so I am not the best to judge. Cheers!

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  5. Jason Wendleton Avatar
    Jason Wendleton

    I am actually going to be in Vegas three days prior to the GnR dates. I am so bummed that I’m going to miss them by *THIS MUCH*.

    But, as you point out, the biggest gamble in Vegas will be those tickets (and start times). Oh well…

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    1. Every Record Tells A Story Avatar
      Every Record Tells A Story

      If you were in Vegas three days after I wouldn’t rule out seeing them…

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      1. Jason Wendleton Avatar
        Jason Wendleton

        Yeah, I’d go…but I’m leaving three days before their dates. It sucks.

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  6. purplemary54 Avatar
    purplemary54

    Best concert I ever went to was Ray Davies’ Storytellers tour. My face hurt from smiling so much.

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    1. Every Record Tells A Story Avatar
      Every Record Tells A Story

      Cool. I have a ticket to see him later this year, so I’ll be sure to let you know how he’s doing. I’m a big Kinks fan and have never seen him before so I’m looking forward to it.

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      1. purplemary54 Avatar
        purplemary54

        Awesome! (Can you tell I was a teenager in the 80s?) I hope you have a fantastic time. I saw him one other time, well, the Kinks, and it was so much fun (party in the pit!).

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