attila
1997 Club
Heard on Tuesday (great result, brilliant atmosphere!) that the complaints here about the Withdean music had resurfaced, so I trawled through the site until I found ‘em and was most amused. It is only a little thing, but some people care – for and against – and I certainly do, so I thought I’d respond. EIGHT records? WHAT?? Too much ‘Teenage Kicks’? Haven’t played it for YONKS. Dinosaur stuck in 1977? BOLLOCKS! I love music. It’s my living and my life. I love it as much as the Albion, which is a LOT. My Itunes currently has 6175 songs on it, from MC5, The Clash and Rancid to Amy Winehouse, Biffy Clyro and The King Blues. To name five artists out of about five hundred. As a family we must have over 2000 CDs and a groaning attic full of vinyl. And (though some people will obviously be gobsmacked to hear this!) I consciously do my best to play stuff which will appeal to as many people as possible in the TEN TO TWELVE MINUTES (before ‘Sussex By The Sea’) that we have at Withdean.
Because, of course, it’s Withdean that’s the problem. Over the past eleven years I have developed a bloody great Withdean Sports Complex, and I’m sure most of you have too. I want the Albion to win – that’s the point – and if I thought it’d create an atmosphere which would bring that about I’d happily (OK, not happily, but…) play a 12 minute duet between Phil Collins and James f******g Blunt. It wouldn’t, would it? I’m not sure anything would. We’re all desperate to get to Falmer. And it ain’t the music which is going to raise the non existent roof, it’s what happens on the pitch. But we can try!
So when the occasion suits I play stuff which will hopefully raise a smile (recently ‘Something Better Change’ after we haven’t won at home for about a million years and Iggy’s brilliant version of ‘Louie Louie’ – where he actually SINGS ‘Lua Lua’ – to welcome our latest recruit.) For the rest, there’s normally FOUR records in those eleven minutes. Gully’s Girls dancing to modern chart pop stuff is one, a modern rock hit is one, then something from the 90s or 80s and a bit of 70s punk. Yes, I’ve thought about it. One per decade. Can’t say fairer than that, surely? Eleven minutes is not a long time.
In the last few weeks I’ve played Hard-Fi, Amy Winehouse, Fatboy Slim, The Clash, Libertines, Lightning Seeds, Zutons, Manics, Killers, Razorlight, King Blues, that ‘Battle Without Honour’ thing, The Enemy, Arctic Monkeys, Feeder, Graham Parker, Magazine, Mott The Hoople, Dexys, Stones, The Coral, Avril Lavigne, Blondie, Madness, Ash, Iggy, Scissor Sisters, Blur, Costello, Style Council, Springsteen, Bad Manners, Who, Faces, The Wombats, Stranglers, Specials, Jam, Ruts, Slade. Oh, and Seagulls Ska. When we’ve managed to win. Which hasn’t been very often! Mainstream chart hits all.
I have loads more modern stuff but don’t play it because I think people weren’t have heard of it (so I put ‘em on at Glastonwick instead..)
I’m not being self indulgent. If I was being self indulgent I’d play something from ‘Volk’ by Laibach – which would be as silly as playing, say, grime or hardcore techno. Or I’d play John Cale’s astonishing version of ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ from his ‘Slow Dazzle’ album. Which would be horribly appropriate for Withdean at the moment.
You can’t please all the people all the time. Musical taste is one of the most wonderful and diverse things about being human. But I must say that in the years since I started playing the music at Gillingham I have had a hell of a lot of favourable comments from fellow fans and away supporters who appreciate the fact that the music is a little bit different from the aural turbo-smegma (with accompanying raucous DJ and – vomit – MUSIC AFTER GOALS, often OUR BLOODY SONG!) you get at most grounds. Of course, when we get to Falmer, things will be very different. There will be a proper PA, for a start, and enough time to give all genres a proper airing, from teen pop hits to, yes, The Clash. Whoever the DJ is.
It’s great that some people care about music as much as I do – and great that some care enough to get pissed off at me for what I’m playing. I’d be very interested to hear an alternative selection, and I’m certainly not jealously guarding anything. So, Buzzer, since you obviously care a lot, get a twelve minute CD together, get it to the box (or join us in the box) and we’ll play it. I most certainly am NOT a dinosaur. Though I do have four albums by Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Because, of course, it’s Withdean that’s the problem. Over the past eleven years I have developed a bloody great Withdean Sports Complex, and I’m sure most of you have too. I want the Albion to win – that’s the point – and if I thought it’d create an atmosphere which would bring that about I’d happily (OK, not happily, but…) play a 12 minute duet between Phil Collins and James f******g Blunt. It wouldn’t, would it? I’m not sure anything would. We’re all desperate to get to Falmer. And it ain’t the music which is going to raise the non existent roof, it’s what happens on the pitch. But we can try!
So when the occasion suits I play stuff which will hopefully raise a smile (recently ‘Something Better Change’ after we haven’t won at home for about a million years and Iggy’s brilliant version of ‘Louie Louie’ – where he actually SINGS ‘Lua Lua’ – to welcome our latest recruit.) For the rest, there’s normally FOUR records in those eleven minutes. Gully’s Girls dancing to modern chart pop stuff is one, a modern rock hit is one, then something from the 90s or 80s and a bit of 70s punk. Yes, I’ve thought about it. One per decade. Can’t say fairer than that, surely? Eleven minutes is not a long time.
In the last few weeks I’ve played Hard-Fi, Amy Winehouse, Fatboy Slim, The Clash, Libertines, Lightning Seeds, Zutons, Manics, Killers, Razorlight, King Blues, that ‘Battle Without Honour’ thing, The Enemy, Arctic Monkeys, Feeder, Graham Parker, Magazine, Mott The Hoople, Dexys, Stones, The Coral, Avril Lavigne, Blondie, Madness, Ash, Iggy, Scissor Sisters, Blur, Costello, Style Council, Springsteen, Bad Manners, Who, Faces, The Wombats, Stranglers, Specials, Jam, Ruts, Slade. Oh, and Seagulls Ska. When we’ve managed to win. Which hasn’t been very often! Mainstream chart hits all.
I have loads more modern stuff but don’t play it because I think people weren’t have heard of it (so I put ‘em on at Glastonwick instead..)
I’m not being self indulgent. If I was being self indulgent I’d play something from ‘Volk’ by Laibach – which would be as silly as playing, say, grime or hardcore techno. Or I’d play John Cale’s astonishing version of ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ from his ‘Slow Dazzle’ album. Which would be horribly appropriate for Withdean at the moment.
You can’t please all the people all the time. Musical taste is one of the most wonderful and diverse things about being human. But I must say that in the years since I started playing the music at Gillingham I have had a hell of a lot of favourable comments from fellow fans and away supporters who appreciate the fact that the music is a little bit different from the aural turbo-smegma (with accompanying raucous DJ and – vomit – MUSIC AFTER GOALS, often OUR BLOODY SONG!) you get at most grounds. Of course, when we get to Falmer, things will be very different. There will be a proper PA, for a start, and enough time to give all genres a proper airing, from teen pop hits to, yes, The Clash. Whoever the DJ is.
It’s great that some people care about music as much as I do – and great that some care enough to get pissed off at me for what I’m playing. I’d be very interested to hear an alternative selection, and I’m certainly not jealously guarding anything. So, Buzzer, since you obviously care a lot, get a twelve minute CD together, get it to the box (or join us in the box) and we’ll play it. I most certainly am NOT a dinosaur. Though I do have four albums by Tyrannosaurus Rex.
??