THE FRIDAY FIVE – 30.3.2012

1. The Shins – Simple Song
2. Bruce Springsteen – We Take Care Of Our Own
3. Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know
4. Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Jackie Wilson Said
5. Lloyd – Dedication To My Ex

As stated in a previous blog, I purchased Belsonic tickets for Madness and Two Door Cinema Club. Not going to lie, i’m pretty much excited about it.

This morning, I shall be desperately trying to get tickets for Noel Gallagher.

It’s great how much Belsonic has grown since it’s inception in 2008. I thought it was doing too much too soon, but it’s great to be proved wrong.

In honour, I shall do a Top Five for Belsonic and Tennent’s Vital.

FIVE SONGS BY BELSONIC WEEK 1 ACTS

1. Madness – My Girl
2. Emeli Sande – Next To Me
3. Madness – Lovestruck
4. The Darkness – Friday Night
5. Madness – Lola

FIVE SONGS BY BELSONIC WEEK 2 ACTS

1. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – AKA ……. What A Life
2. Noah and the Whale – L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N
3. Two Door Cinema Club – What You Know
4. The Enemy – No Time For Tears
5. James Morrison – Wonderful World

FIVE SONGS BY TENNENT’S VITAL ACTS

1. Stone Roses – Waterfall
2. Florence and the Machine – Shake It Out
3. Foo Fighters – The One
4. Florence and the Machine – Rabbit Heart
5. Black Keys – Lonely Boy

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : SELECT – OCTOBER 1994

“Oasis – Better than The Beatles and God” screams the front page, but not as big as Suede, as Brett Anderson hogs the cover of this edition.

In news, Richey Edwards was hospitalised and Manics manager is interviewed, saying “If we hadn’t got Richey help, he might have killed himself”

Richey Edwards vanished on 1st February 1995 and has never been seen since.

Oasis get six pages dedicated to them, focusing on their year where they rose to stardom, having the then biggest selling UK debut album with Definately Maybe.

On the guestlist for their show at Leisure Lounge in London was Miles Hunt, singer in The Wonder Stuff. A true sign that they had “made it”

Cover stars Suede get eight pages, speaking at length about Bernard Butler leaving the band.

STLFTEM UPDATE

As the third month of 2012 is almost over, it was a bit of a close run thing in terms of getting a STLFTEM.

I’d originally planned, to go to Linfield’s Irish Cup Semi-Final at The Oval on March 31st, but that has bitten the dust. Instead, I shall be East Belfast bound on Saturday, but for Titanic Lockdown.

Should be a good day, looking forward to it.

To recap, my January STLFTEM was to go and see Roy Walker at Black Box. Was a very enjoyable show, a sort of Greatest Hits set, and a slideshow, looking back at his life and career to date.

The only downside was when he spoke about Frank Carson, alluding to the fact that he may not have long left to live. Sadly, it came to be in late February.

My STLFTEM for February was a double whammy, with trips to Amsterdam and Manchester taking that honour.

April hasn’t been confirmed, but i’m hoping Linfield will be able to play their Irish Cup Semi-Final, so I could make it that.

I’v got an application for a ticket to the Titanic Commemoration concert at Waterfront Hall featuring Bryan Ferry (quite apt) and Joss Stone pending, so I hope to get lucky with that.

For May, I am getting tickets for the Man United v Irish League XI game (haven’t actually seen them, but I am assured they are getting bought for me)

June’s STLFTEM will see visit Amsterdam (Again!) for the international between Holland and Northern Ireland. It will be my first “proper” Northern Ireland away game.

I won flights with an airline two weeks ago, and chose Amsterdam. The flights had to be taken by June, and having looked at the destinations, I plumped for Amsterdam for this game.

As tempting as catching a flight for a game in Malaga or Alicante was, I was a bit stuck for dates through not wanting to miss any Linfield games in the run-in.

Birmingham was an option, and if United were playing at Villa Park anytime soon, I would have taken it up.

Meanwhile, I got tickets today to see Michael Winslow at the Grand Opera House in June (and worth missing Germany v Portugal for)

I saw him in Edinburgh last year, and he was fantastic.

Meanwhile, I got tickets for Madness and Two Door Cinema Club at Belsonic, so very much looking forward to that. On Friday, I shall be trying to get Noel Gallagher tickets as well.

It will be my first time seeing Madness, a band i’ve always wanted to see live. I bough Heavy Heavy Hits with my first ever pay packet in 1999.

Of course, August will also see me (not yet booked) make my annual trip to Edinburgh.

Noah and the Whale are supporting Two Door Cinema Club. An excellent band worth checking out.

So that is my STLFTEM for the next couple of months. It’s hard work keeping it all up, but very worth it.

Scotland v Northern Ireland 2008

Belsonic 2008 Review

Belsonic 2008 Pictures

Belsonic 2010 Review

Belsonic 2010 Pictures

Edinburgh 2009

Edinburgh 2010

Edinburgh 2011

Noah and the Whale Review

Noah and the Whale Pictures

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds Review

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds Pictures

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : SELECT – OCTOBER 1991

Blur’s Damon Albarn, surrounded by flowers, is the cover star with the quote “We’ve done it, we killed baggy”

Blue get four pages dedicated to them. Choice quote is “The Englishness we feel isn’t real Englishness. It’s kind halway between a piss-take and serious delusion”

Somebody should perhaps do a concept album on that, perhaps with Phil Daniels guesting.

Other interviews and features include : Ned’s Atomic Dustbin and REM,

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : SHOOT – 6th MARCH 1993

This edition of The Magazine Archive goes back to 1993, when England had three players in Siere A, and the cover focuses on the most successful export, David Platt, offering his advice for the most high profile, Paul Gascoigne.

The editorial pays tribute to Bobby Moore, who had recently died. Printing deadlines had meant they didn’t have the opportunity to publish a full tribute, and promised to do one in the following week’s edition.

It is the weekend of the FA Cup Quarter-Finals, and shoot do a double page interview with Chris Waddle and Darren Anderton, and another with Jimmy Carter and Dave Bassett.

Ian Porterfield had recently become the first football manager in history ever to be sacked (Well, in the Premier League era) and Shoot does a statistical analysis on the number of sackings in English football.

Meanwhile, Les Ferdinand, who recently broke into the England team,gets a double page spread to talk about his football hero, Cyrille Regis.

Two pages are also given to an investigation into ticket touting, having recently tried to use this method to get tickets for the Coca-Cola Cup Semi-Final between Arsenal and Crystal Palace.

There is also a survey for readers to send in responses about safe

Nick Barmby is touted as a future star ahead of the Under 19 World Cup. He scored the first goal of the regimes of two England managers (Glenn Hoddle and Sven Goran Eriksson) and went to two European Championships, and is currently “Cutting his teeth” as a manager with Hull City.

Other names in the squad for that tournament include : Steve Watson, David Unsworth, Nicky Butt, Alan Thompson, Julian Joachim, Ian Pearce, Dominic Matteo and Graham Fenton.

Dominic Matteo went on to play full international football for Scotland.

Adie Mike went on to play for Cliftonville.

In Scotland, it’s also Quarter-Final weekend, with the feature game being Arbroath v Rangers, with Arbroath supporters posing with false beards alongside (Bearded) manager (and Celtic legend) Danny McGrain in the preview.

David Platt gets a double page interview where he offers advice to Gazza on how he can adapt to living in Italy.

There is also a competition to win a signed David Platt football and dinner in his restaurant (It doesn’t say where it is though)

There is advert for the following week’s edition, focusing on the Title Showdown at Old Trafford between Manchester United and Aston Villa.

Posters that week included Marco Gabbiadini/Paul Kitson/Paul Simpson, Frank Rijkaard,

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : SELECT – MARCH 1992

Curve are the cover stars of this early 90s magazine, alongside Lush and Sugarcubes. A magazine cover literally can’t get any more 1992.

In news, The Wonder Stuff are bringing out a documentary of their recent tour, which included a concert at Walsall’s Bescot Stadium.

Ian McCullough, now a solo artist about to launch his second solo album, dismisses The Bunnymen as history. They reformed in 1997.

Newly reformed Madness are featured, jumping on the nostalgia bandwagon due to the success of a Greatest Hits compilation.

The topic of new material was raised and was sidestepped. That didn’t come until 1999.

Eagle eyed viewers of Top Of The Pops 2 will have noticed Mark Bedford and Daniel Woodgate spending the time between Madness split and reformation in Voice Of The Beehive.

LISBURN DISTILLERY 0-3 LINFIELD 24.3.2012

At Ballyskeagh today for Linfield’s Irish League game with Distillery, their 33rd of the season, and last before the split.

A routine enough 3-0 win for Linfield, always in control and never in doubt. The second-half performance was far better than the first.

As per with visits to Distillery, getting photos was a struggle, but I tried my best.

My next match will be at some point in the future, hopefully the league clash with Portadown at Windsor Park on 7th April, seeing as it looks unlikely i’ll be at The Oval for the Irish Cup Semi-Final.

Anyway, enjoy these photos.

Photo Album

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : SHOOT – 7th APRIL 1990

Today, we take a trip back to 1990, and Cup Semi-Final weekends in England and Scotland.

On the cover is Crystal Palace players in a celebratory huddle, with the headline “ONE STEP FROM HEAVEN”, a reference to the fact that they were 1 win away from their first ever FA Cup Final.

That match gets a double page spread across pages 2 and 3. Steve Coppell, then manager of Crystal Palace, is billed as “Tipped as a future manager of Manchester United” and hus tipped by Palace striker Mark Bright to lead his side out in the 1990 FA Cup Final against the club he served as a player.

As yet, Steve Coppell hasn’t managed Manchester United, but Mark Bright’s prediction that it would be a Palace v United final did come true.

The other Semi-Final between Oldham Athletic and Manchester United also gets a double page spread.

Mark Bright, who had predicted the two FA Cup finalists, also features in an ad for Arrow Boots alongside David Burrows.

Jimmy Greaves letter page, as ever, is a joy.

Stephanie Martindale of Islington asked about the possibility of Crystal Palace and Oldham Athletic upsetting their more illustrious FA Cup Semi-Final opponents, “No chance” said Greavsie.

Crystal Palace beat Liverpool and Oldham Athletic led before taking Manchester United to a replay.

Samuel Nelson from USA suggests that Terry Butcher should be punished by the FA with regards to his role in the England team after smashing a dressing room door after an old Firm game.

Daniel Holbutt from Yorkshire suggests that if they get promoted, Leeds United and Sheffield United would be the two worst teams in the history of England’s top flight. Sheffield United survived for 4 years before relegation, while Leeds United lasted 14 years, winning the title in 1992.

John Say writes in to congratulate Danny Blanchflower on gettin a well deserved testimonial between Spurs and Norther Ireland. Details of the match can be found here.

Mark Hateley gets the “Wally Of The Week” award for stating that he would be in England’s World Cup squad but for injury, and will be in the England squad for Euro 92. He didn’t.

In world news, it emerged that Lev Yashin was working on arranging a UK tour for Dynamo Moscow in 1995 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their tour in 1945.

The countdown to the World Cup is in full swing as Roberto Baggio gets a page dedicated to him, billing him as “The Italian Gazza”

To be fair, Gazza did once had a dodgy ponytail

Ray Wilkins gets a double page spread as Shoot does a scouting report on him during a match for QPR against Nottingham Forest, amid a clamour for him to be part of England’s World Cup squad.

Their verdict is that while Wilkins is a player in form, England should be looking to the future.

There is also an advert for the following week’s issue, which contains free World Cup stickers.

Meanwhile, there is a double page spread on Sheffield United, the suibject of a BBC documentary called “United”

The show was a fly on the wall look at events at the club. An eventful season saw them get promoted to what is now the Premier League, as reach the FA Cup Quarter-Finals.

There is an advert for Guy Whittingham Soccer Masterclass, a football camp in Lanzarote. For just £199, you could be as good as a squad player for Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa.

Money well spent.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : MELODY MAKER – JUNE 21st 2000

A late edition of Melody Maker is today’s subject, from June 2000. The magazine stopped publication in December 2000. Radiohead are the cover stars.

Oasis are the main news item as Liam and Noel have had a disagreement about Noel’s plans for a solo album. It only took 11 years for that solo album to become a reality.

There is a Glastonbury themed drinking game to liven up the TV coverage, based on the inevitable cliches such as Jo Whiley describes a band as “Quite possibly, THE band of Glastonbury”

Eadiohead’s concert in Barcelona gets a double page review, as does Cast’s concert in the Isle Of Man.

Reef are the guest singles reviewers, with their review of Spinning Around by Kylie Minogue being simply “Is that the video where she gets her arse out?”

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 23.3.2012

1. Bruce Springsteen – We Take Care Of Our Own
2. The Shins – Simple Song
3. Emeli Sande – Next To Me
4. Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know
5. Michael Kiwanuka – I’m Getting Ready

S Club 7 are back together!!!!!!!! S Club 7 are back together!!!!!!!! S Club 7 are back together!!!!!!!! S Club 7 are back together!!!!!!!!

Ever so slightly excited by this. So, in honour of this, here is my S Club 7 Top Five

FIVE S CLUB 7 SONGS

1. Bring It All Back
2. Alive
3. You’re My Number One
4. Don’t Stop Moving
5. Reach

It’s Elton John’s 65th birthday this weekend, and no doubt it will be a low key affair.

In honour of this milestone, here’s five Elton John songs for you.

FIVE ELTON JOHN SONGS

1. I’m Still Standing
2. I Want Love
3. Made In England
4. Kiss The Bride
5. The Circle Of Life

This week, saw International Water Day. So, here’s some themed songs, sadly, not including Aqua or The Waterboys.

FIVE WATER RELATED SONGS

1. Simple Minds – She’s A River
2. Take That – The Flood
3. Madonna – Rain
4. Lighthouse Family – Ocean Drive
5. Katie Melua – The Flood

And to finish, New Order are coming to Belfast. So, here’s five New Order songs for you.

FIVE NEW ORDER SONGS

1. True Faith
2. Temptation
3. Blue Monday
4. Regret
5. Crystal