I joined my friends family and I think we made a top team to enter into the Rock Choir Music Quiz Night. Yes a couple of our Rockies (Rock Choir members) arranged a fabulous night of fun and food oh and of course answering sorts of questions about music.
Team Wright Stuff (after the Wright family) were well prepared, we had a good range of different ages and knowledge so it was looking good. Some of the questions were really tough and stumped us slightly. There were categories based around The Beatles, Eurovision, National Anthems, classical music, TV/film theme songs and there was also a picture round too. It was all put together very professionally and Martin and Fiona were top quiz masters. Well we had a laugh and it was so educational, I learnt some things I didn't know and also managed to pluck the theme music from the tv series Unforgiven from out of nowhere, see binge watching came in handy there. The song just stuck in my head, and a good job too. So what was the result I hear you say?......Well we only won!! All our great knowledge paid off and we were awarded a lovely trophy. It was so good to all get together again, we do tend to have fun us Rockies. I can see why people go quizzing and take part in activities such as Bingo as it really keeps your brain active. I could get used to that, goodness knows my brain needs the exercise. We were very well looked after at Mickleover Golf Club, they provided us with a nice pie and chip meal, gluten free for me as well woo! If you get a chance to go quizzing do go as it really is good fun. It doesn't have to be a music one, it can be anything of interest you it's just that music seemed a good theme for a choir. At Rock Choir we are about to start our next song which is 'Can't Stop The Feeling' by Justin Timberlake, our second upbeat number after completing 'Footloose' in the past few weeks. I'm loving our new songs and always like going over a few of the oldies too. Lots of fun!! Thank you for joining me today.....come back tomorrow for more with Teapot Tuesday but for now, take care.
0 Comments
I'm just sitting here thinking about these two and especially Paul Heaton's songwriting and thinking, he's a bloomin' genius. All the songs he's written have just been catchy, with a bit of humour backed with a top tune that will stick in your head for ages. That my friends it top songwriting.
I always listen to his songs and wish I'd written that or I'd love to write like that....apart from being amazing lyrically he's a top bloke too. Paul has a new single out with the lovely and very gorgeous Jacqui Abbott called 7" Singles. I heard it last week on Radio 2, Chris Evans had a chat with Paul and we learnt that this single as actually inspired by the local pub jukebox. Oh I love a jukebox, I do still get quite excited if I see one and cannot resist popping a tune on, that's if you can find one. It's all gone modern now with music online so the classic jukebox is becoming a bit scarce now but there is still the odd one knocking around. The jukebox was the chance to let the whole world (well the rest of the pub) know what you favourite music was, putting your records on in the pub instead of in your own record player at home. The equivalent I suppose now days of family sharing on iTunes or sharing your playlist. It was great because it wasn't the choice of the landlord it was always the peoples choices on the old jukebox. The video to this single is really good, funnily enough it's filmed in a pub with, guess what? Yes a jukebox! Simple but very entertaining. I think I know most songs and artists mentioned in the song, even Peters and Lee.....oh Welcome Home - 'come on in a close the door'.....70's classic (Google it kids!). If you haven't heard it go and download it now.........or take a quick look at the video here: youtu.be/7A0Td_G-j7E Great eh? So catchy.......these two never fail to bring out a good song, not heard a bad one yet. 7" Singles is taken from the forthcoming album The Last King of Pop which is a 'best of' album featuring songs from The Housemartins and Beautiful South days as well as his collaborations with Jacqui. I cannot wait to purchase that. That song is well and truly in your head now isn't it? Ha ha....You're welcome! Thank you very much for reading today. Join me tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday but for now..... Take care. I just cannot get the new single from Christine and the Queens out of my head. It is being played a lot on Radio 2 so that could explain a little bit why this is happening to me. It's not a bad song at all in fact it's really catchy.
It's called '5 Dollars' and I just love it. It's not a massive big dance track but a nice soft pop tune and it makes me feel so relaxed and chilled. Heloise Letissier from Christine and the Queens has such a distinctive voice, and I'm glad she doesn't hide her French accent as some artists tend to do because it adds to her classy and sexy. sound. The new single comes from the new album 'Chris' which also features the single 'Girlfriend' and many other brilliant tunes. A great feature to this album is that you get all the tracks in English and then all of them in French too. Fabulous.....so now I'm listening to '5 Dollars' or should I say '5 dols'........I'm a bit rusty but can remember some of my French lessons......it's giving me a nice refresher lesson. You see, not just a fantastic sounding album and single but educational too. It is available on all the downloading and streaming services so go and take a listen. If you would like any more information about Christine and the Queens go to www.christineandthequeens.com I first caught sight of her on The Graham Norton Show when she performed 'Tilted' and was just hooked from then on. The choreography she puts to her performances are awesome and I found it almost hypnotic watching her.....she is very cool. So that's my ear worm at the moment, sounds awful and like I need some cream but it's not, all is ok health wise it's just my favourite tune and my ears are very happy. Thanks for reading today......what are you listening to at the moment? Let me know, jus leave me a comment if you like. I will be back tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday but for now...... Take care. If you did catch last weeks Proms in the Park and caught Rock Choir performing you will have heard Caroline Redman Lusher and the Rock Choir Vocal Group's rendition of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah'. Oh and us lot singing along too in the crowd but you can also buy the single now on all of those fancy music download things so please go and purchase it.
It really is a lovely arrangement and has been a delight to sing as a choir even recording it ourselves earlier this year at Abbey Road Studios. Yes had to mention it again ha ha. Since Rock Choir's performance last weekend and our flash mob we have all received a lovely email from Caroline herself and from Anthony Cherry the Producer of Proms in the Park. They were both amazed by our presence and how quickly we whipped our tops off to reveal those fabulous Rock Choir t-shirts. We were the talk of the Proms apparently and there was even a 'same time next year hint' well we'll see!! Watch this space, well watch Hyde Park's space. So we are about to start a new Rock Choir term with the fast and furious song 'Footloose' which I can't wait for.....bring it on. For now though go and download that single and keep coming back for more Rock Choir news. Thank you so much for reading, I will return tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday....take care!! Oh wow what a weekend!! I have never been to Proms in the Park before and I can say we had a really fun day. We had been planning for months with Rock Choir a secret flash mob to coincide with the main performance involving Caroline Redman Lusher (the creator of Rock Choir) and the Rock Choir leaders.
It was so good to be able to unleash the t-shirts and get dancing.....'Dancing in the Street' to be exact, that was the opening song and the one we flash mobbed Hyde Park with. It was so exciting to able to play a part in the day, I was going to say a small part but there were about 10,000 of us Rockies there in full voice. It was hard to believe that from the first secret email from Caroline telling us all about the plans for Hyde Park that we were there putting all those plans into action. I think it went quite well as well. The atmosphere was amazing. We were also able to sing along with the rest of the Rock Choir set including songs such as 'Walking on Broken Glass', 'Hallelujah', 'Mr Blue Sky', 'Don't Stop Me Now'. Caroline and the Rock Choir Leaders looked absolutely fantastic in their glamorous attire and sounded so good, not just at the beginning but through out the evening, providing backing vocals to some of the main acts. Picnics were devoured and wine drank, flags were waved and friends were made from Rock Choirs everywhere, what a great experience and one I won't forget. This event is so well organised from the moment you come in to when you leave, everything is there for you to enjoy and yes even the toilets are good and I've experienced some dreadful festival toilets. Artists on the day included The Wandering Hearts, Albert Hammond, Lisa Stansfield, Matt Goss, Joseph Calleja, Josh Groban, saxophonist Jess Gillam and headliner Gladys Knight. We were also treated to a performance by the cast of Bat Out of Hell which is showing at the Dominion Theatre in London. I know!!! What a great line up eh? The finale of the Last Night of the Proms classics such as 'Land of Hope and Glory', 'Rule Britannia' and 'Jerusalem' just gave me goosebumps especially with everyone joining in with The National Anthem and 'Auld Lang Syne'....made us feel all patriotic. There was a lot of love in that park as the day came to a end. Well done to Michael Ball who just kept the whole event flowing and was so entertaining.....he is a big a fan of Rock Choir too, our honorary member now. If you would like a little look at the Rock Choir performance with added flash mob you can catch it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=T620OcMBOME The music continued to the next day with Radio 2's Festival in a Day including Lenny Kravitz, Rita Ora, The Band of Love, All Saints, The Shires, Boyzone, Manic Street Preachers and headlining this event was the fabulous Kylie Minogue. I pressed my red button and watched the whole lot with the rest of Hyde Park again. The highlight of the day has to go to Kylie.....did you see them? Kylie and Jason (Donovan) reunited for 'Especially For You'. Oh I nearly burst with excitement I think it was all a bit last minute as far as I've seen. He popped over on his bike to come and give her some support and next minute he was there in front of thousands of screaming people. Awww it was fantastic though, I've been waiting along time for that moment. She was also joined by Rick Astley later on as well, I was in 80's heaven. Great show again, it must be quite good to go to both events, bit exhausting and maybe a bit expensive but doable. If us Rockies have taken over social media, bear with us as when we have an experience like this then we certainly want the world to know, it's because we love what we do. I hope you enjoyed Proms in the Park if you listened on Radio 2, let me know what your favourite moment was if there was one. If you've never been I can recommend it.....maybe see you there next year? Thank you for reading today, please join me again for Teapot Tuesday but for now...... Take care. Well a lot happens in a week eh? It was only on my last Music Monday how I was saying how much I loved waking up to Chris Evans, not literally but on the Radio sillies. Now after a big announcement this morning he has decided to leave Radio 2.
I was going on how I loved a giggle and how I admired his energy but now in the space of a week it's all change. Well not yet as he is working out his notice until Christmas and I must say I wish him all the luck in the world but speculation has started as to who will take over. Big shoes to fill but I do think Sara Cox would be brilliant. She has covered for Chris a lot and fits in like a natural. I love the way she makes you feel that she's also in the room having a natter over breakfast and that's the way it should be. She's funny but not over powering, definitely my choice for the job. I still can't believe it and I can't also believe that Chris has been on the Breakfast show for eight years, where has that time gone? Everyone wondered if he would be able to do a good job especially after the king of breakfast Sir Terry Wogan but he did and he made it his own, not only being a good music lover, interviewer and entertainer but he raised astronomical amounts of money for Children in Need. He really is a good guy and I believe he is going back to Virgin Radio, does he feel he needs to rest some ghosts after his previous stint there or is it just a good offer with his family growing the way it is? Who knows, this won't be a decision he's made lightly and they say to leave when you are at the top. We don't like change but for someone else it will be a great challenge and lets go easy on the new guy or gal. I'm going to miss him but I get that he needs to move on. I will mot likely stay with Radio 2 but may have a sneaky little listen to Virgin Radio if I miss him too much. I still favour my radio in the morning even after this shock news, all the best to Chris and also to the new presenter. Thank you for reading today, please pop back tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday but for now..... Take care. What do we like to listen to in the morning if anything? Maybe you like to watch a bit of breakfast tv but for me I love the radio. I listen to Radio 2 so I get Chris Evans entertaining me which I like as he has so much energy, he wakes my brain trying to keep up with him, which is a good start. The rest of my body tends to catch up eventually….well sometimes. There are those who find him annoying but we all like different things, it would be totally boring if we all liked the same things.
I like Radio 2 as I know the music there. I get a bit lost with Radio 1, it used to be my favourite but I’m not sure whether I got older or they needed to update it to make it relevant for the young folk. I remember the big change and taking my listening over to the next station or maybe I hit my thirties. I used to watch the tv in the morning but I’m not sure I can deal with Piers Morgan first thing. I suppose his Mrs has to but I need to get my day established before I take on one of his debates. I must be one of the rare people who quite likes him but I end up getting far too fired up when he gets ‘on one’, my blood pressure shoots up and even worse I spill my brew!! I like to listen to some music first thing in the morning, it starts my day the way I want it to. I’ve settled into Radio 2 with the funny banter but I have also gone with something like Smooth FM too but then I have to juggle whether it’s best to have adverts and less chatter….no give me Mr Evans everyday and I’m happy!! What do you listen to? Does music make a difference in the morning or do you not pay it much attention? It may be just a background thing but you can’t beat trying to sing along to Bohemian Rhapsody while chomping on your cornflakes. Just don’t choke on them, Freddie would not have wanted that. Thank you for reading today, go on, come back again tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday……you know you want to. Take care for now. I love my headphones, I will wear them at any opportunity I can. It's not just that they prevent everyone having to endure my varied selection of music but I just find them comfortable. I've even caught myself still wearing them after turning my music off.
Being in between my headphones is my happy place, it's the place I may go if I feel a bit anxious or stressed. It's the place I go if I'm sad as I'll try and cheer myself up with my favourite tunes and then the world is ok. I listen to my itunes, the radio, my Rock Choir downloads, an audio book and I even prefer to watch a telly catch up on a device through my bins (headphones). Yes it sounds daft but I will watch my box sets or any telly stuff on my phone or iPad rather than watch it through the tv. My headphones give me that private time, that serene paradise where no one else can enter. The kids have even got their own visual prompt to make me take them off to speak to me, I know teenagers wanting to speak and not grunt!!! I do talk to them.....a lot. I'm not under my headphones ALL the time honest. Great though when you don't want to 'people'. I have to wear the headphones which go over my head, I just can't get to grips with 'in the ear' ones. I know you are not supposed to shove them right in your ears but mine just don't stay in. I'm beginning to think I have a different shaped inner ear to everyone else. They perch on the edge like a slightly scared child sitting on the edge of swimming pool for the first time when they are just about to make that plunge and plop into the pool. My ear phones are the same, they move slower and slower and out they fall, I'm sure they even rejoice at the fact they are free and doggy paddling to freedom. I'm probably doing it all wrong. I'm waiting for someone to say 'no you don't put them in like that' and show me the way to go. It's funny because I never wore tampons either, there's a pattern here but lets not go there. Can you imagine me having those Apple Ear Buds, the ones that are wire free? It's the wire I depend on for not losing the ear bits. I'd be forever picking those wireless ones off the floor. You would see me ferreting under someones shopping bag on the bus while Rag n' Bone Man belts out that we're only Human, well yes mate we are but I don't have human ears. I'm comfy in my old faithfuls and I'm comfy taking time out in my happy place, everyone should find their happy place. Be peaceful and content in whatever you feel right.. Go on pop ya bins on and shut yourself away from the world for a while.......it's so lovely. Thank you for reading today, please come back tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday but for now take care. I joined the rest of the world and went to see Mamma Mia 'Here We Go Again'. This was a big decision for me because I actually didn't like the first movie much, it was a bit sickly. This one however was still very corny but so much better and when I saw the credits I realised why. Richard Curtis - need I say more? The god of comedy and one of the geniuses in this life I look up to as a writer.
Yes he brought that 'Curtis Class' to this movie and it had those witty comedy moments that never to fail to make my sides ache from laughing. I just loved this film and apart from the comedy it had those timeless Abba songs we all want to sing along to and throw some moves in there as well. The story goes back to 1979 when young Donna, Tanya and Rosie graduate from University. Donna goes on her travels around Europe and bumps into Harry, Bill and Sam on the way ending up at a Taverna in Greece. In the present day Donna's daughter Sophie decides to renovate the Taverna in memory of her mum. She dreams of everyone coming together and maybe they do (I'm not saying), even an appearance by Sophie's grandmother is very entertaining, why? because it's Cher!!! Oh we all knew she was to appear but it was so good when she did. You cannot help but love Cher, she is just fabulous. A great cast, great music, laughs and tears......this film just has everything. I would see it again, I would go to a sing along and I will most likely buy the dvd or download it to a device. It's that good and coming from me it's done very well to win me over. I fell out of love with Abba for one reason and another but I've taken them back like a lost long lover. I am a Dancing Queen once more. The soundtrack is playing in my ears at this moment while typing this post, I'm all happy well until I listen to 'My Love My Life'. If you've seen the film you'll know why. It's a beautiful song and one we forget, the original is from the album Arrival with so many other classics too. A great soundtrack but it's also good to listen to the originals again too. If you haven't seen this movie then go and see it, it's a good family film and general all rounder. I love the way that Benny and Bjorn from Abba have cameo appearances so look out for them and also stay through the credits to the very end because there is a little surprise and worth seeing. Thanks for reading today, let me know what you thought of the film. I will be back tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday but for now...... Take care. The second Hot Summer Night music fest in Mickleover (Derby) took place over the weekend and it was a very hot one. I posted last year about this event and the weather wasn't as great as this year but plenty of people came with their picnics to sing and dance to the sound of more great live bands.
It was a very successful afternoon again and so well organised. There were improvements to little niggles from last year including a nice walkway through the crowd so you no one had to keep tripping over anyone's picnic blanket and landing head first into a homemade coleslaw. Also the sound was better this year, there were a few issues for some of the acts but overall a lot better. So what who was on the bill? Well there was a great 60's band called The Moggies who opened up the show at 3pm, all the classics and this got us gently weaned in for a return from In The Mix who are a Little Mix tribute act and played last year but I feel after the recent appearance of the real Little Mix in Derby recently, the kids just wanted more. Courtney May Trusswell followed next and you may be thinking, who? She was the winner of Mickleover's Got Talent and she was amazing, her voice was out of this world so remember the name, she could be a big star. The Rod Stewart Experience were next and I have to say this guy was fabulous. He looked the part as well as sounding just like Rod. A brilliant set which got everyone up dancing. Beeyonce were very entertaining and along with my friends we enjoyed her set down there at the front 'in amongst the crowd' so we had a dance and made some moves. Never Forget got all the crowd singing along, a great reaction for them. The wine had been flowing so everyone was ready to party now. Bootleg Blondie had some classic tunes up their sleeve, really good and she looked like Debbie Harry too. Ahhh Blondie hits just take me back to my younger days. Bulsara and his Queenies were the headlining act and we made our way to the front for this one. This was the same Freddy Mercury tribute from last year but this time he had his band, the Queenies there with him. Great sound and vocals were spot on. He didn't dress up so much this year but as he states ' they don't have to dress up like Queen as they sound so good'. He was right and what an end to a fantastic afternoon. All the classics were there and to be honest I could have sang along all night. This is a really good event and in it's second year, it just got better. My only niggle if I have one is that the organisers said the gates would open at 2pm and we got there then and the place was packed. Someone said they had turned up at 12.30! Maybe it was safer to let people in rather than them queuing. I would have just liked to have known if we could have gone earlier. Some had complained that the price had increased from last year too from £10 to £12 but that's not much difference for what you get. I still think it's reasonably priced and there were a few more Queenies with Freddy this year and these musicians need to eat guys!!! Bulsara and his Queenies are one of the very top Queen tributes so I wouldn't personally complain. But hey nothing spoilt the day, we had a great spot and enjoyed ourselves. The weather was fantastic and you had the option of walking down to the stage to get a better view so shut up Sue from the Brew, what more do you want? Apart from the music there were lots of food and drink stalls, cocktail bars, a raffle and tombola which I won a couple of prizes on and a couple of fairground rides for the kids. All the family were totally catered for here, whatever your age you could enjoy yourself. I suppose I will be there again next year........try and stop me, think this could be a regular thing. Thanks to all the acts for entertaining us and the organisers who worked so hard to put on such a great afternoon's entertainment. Let's hope it's hot next year again......here's to 2019!! Thank you for reading, join me tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday but for now..... Take care. |
Music MondayToday is about anything to do with my love of music. Archives
May 2020
Categories
All
|