[Misc] Places in songs that you had a romantic view of before you saw the place in the flesh

[bhafc99]

Barcelona

I was really looking forward to seeing Barcelona. I had dreams of stunning architecture, great restaurants and a wild night life. The architecture was decent enough but the place was a real dive - like a Catalan version of Croydon. I had a week booked in a hotel but I cut my losses after three days and went across the border to France for some respite.

I've been some terrible places that I never want to vist it again (Las Vegas and Dubai spring immediately to mind) but I wasn't expecting much from them. Barca was a real disappointment though

But you never gave us a matching song, that sparked such bitter disappointment?

I'll nominate one for you….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wi1d0FNgdQ

 

[Icy Gull]

This.

Had an absolutely fantastic weekend there with my lad for the football when he was 11. Perfectly safe, very friendly.

The thread topic is very, well, niche isn't it Icy?

The one romantic description of a place in a song that I absolutely love is in Paul Simon's Graceland - The Mississippi Delta (was shining like a national guitar). I've never been anywhere near the Mississippi so cannot confirm either way. Though I've heard from a couple of people who have been to Memphis that it's a bit of a dump and Nashville is much better.

Right on three counts, yes it is a bit niche and yes Nashville is much nicer than Memphis which I was shocked to find had beggars, the music connections make both must visit if at all possible though

Gracelands, apart from the OTT entrance is a really nice place and not at all ostentatious

 

[exKT17]

So many towns and cities in USA - sound so glamorous in the songs, then you get to Pasadena for example and it's like that stretch of the North Circular at Brent Cross...

 

[Gwylan]

But you never gave us a matching song, that sparked such bitter disappointment?

I was thinking of the Freddie Mercury/Montserrat Caballe one - it was in the charts about a year before I went.

I think people are missing the point of this thread: it's not what places are like now it's what they were like when people made a visit. Barcelona may well have been smartened up now but in 1989 when I went it was one of the scuzziest places on earth and certainly not a "jewel in the sun"

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

This.

Had an absolutely fantastic weekend there with my lad for the football when he was 11. Perfectly safe, very friendly.

The thread topic is very, well, niche isn't it Icy?

The one romantic description of a place in a song that I absolutely love is in Paul Simon's Graceland - The Mississippi Delta (was shining like a national guitar). I've never been anywhere near the Mississippi so cannot confirm either way. Though I've heard from a couple of people who have been to Memphis that it's a bit of a dump and Nashville is much better.

Ah yes, I took up a burger and craft beer recommendation of yours!

 

[Guinness Boy]

I was thinking of the Freddie Mercury/Montserrat Caballe one - it was in the charts about a year before I went.

I think people are missing the point of this thread: it's not what places are like now it's what they were like when people made a visit. Barcelona may well have been smartened up now but in 1989 when I went it was one of the scuzziest places on earth and certainly not a "jewel in the sun"

Fair enough. Kind of increases the levels of nicheness though

I loved a lot of bands from Manchester around that time and various places in it are mentioned in those bands' songs but, perhaps because I went everywhere with the Albion in those days I never once thought of it romantically.

Interestingly, the last time I was there, for a weekend including us at OT, I saw both sides of what's possible with these places. We drank in Chorlton after the game as we went with a Mancunian mate (who now lives in Portslade) and it's where his brother lives. It made Brighton look like Milton Keynes. I'm not sure I've ever seen so many beards and independent coffee places. Herr T would love it. So, to make up for it, me and a mate stayed in a pub in Salford that had been shot up three nights previously. The cabbie looked terrified when we told him where we were staying. The area around it was completely - and I mean completely - derelict. The pub was the only building standing for a long way and had been saved as it was owned by a rich Norwegian United fan who used it as a crash pad when he came over for games.

But it was Chorlton that was unlike the music of the Mondays and New Order.

 

[Yes Chef]

On the flipside I drove through Compton when I was visiting a friend in L.A. I was expecting it to be a shithole but it actually looked o.k. Loads of detached houses with gardens. No drug dealers on corners or drive by shootings.

I thought of Compton and South Central straight away too- I was travelling(by local bus) from the Greyhound station to Hermosa Beach, and had to change in Inglewood. I was 20 years old, alone and felt very Caucasian, but people were very courteous and helpful, and made sure I got on the right bus. It was pretty early on a Sunday morning I recall which might have been a factor, but there was never a moment that I felt in danger.

 

[Badger]

I really liked San Francisco, especially the gay area with some wonderfully coloured houses and interesting shops (Does Your Mother Know) and restaurants. In contrast I thought LA was an absolute shite hole

I totally agree about LA. It's by far my least favourite city in the US. Santa Monica and Hollywood areespecially awful. Beverley Hills is just everything bad about people with money but very little taste.

I have mixed feelings about San Francisco. I loved it the first time I visited. However, I've been back a couple of times in recent years and have felt less impressed. It's quite a dirty city and there's a real problem with drugs. At the other end of the spectrum there's far too many Silicon Valley techie hipster types.

 

[essbee1]

LA - absolute tip.

 

[Jam The Man]

Specifically, “Waterloo Underground” from The Kinks’ ‘Waterloo Sunset’


And though not obviously in a song, Dealey Plaza and the book depository is Dallas were stunningly overwhelming though.

 

[Easy 10]

Blackpool.

We took the kids there for a long weekend in a B&B years ago, and whilst I certainly wasn't expecting it to be the Marbella of the north, I was completely and utterly unprepared for what a rancid catastrophic shithole that town is. Sure the seafront is alright in parts, in a 1974 kind of way. But step one street back from the prom and you're immediately transported to a territory vaguely reminiscent of a Rageh Omar report from downtown Aleppo. Absolutely horrific.

I wanted to leave after 1 night, but she wouldn't have it and the kids loved the rides, so I was stuck in that hellhole for nearly 4 days. Never again.

 

[goldstone]

Tipperary. Nothing of any interest.

 

[essbee1]

Blackpool.

We took the kids there for a long weekend in a B&B years ago, and whilst I certainly wasn't expecting it to be the Marbella of the north, I was completely and utterly unprepared for what a rancid catastrophic shithole that town is. Sure the seafront is alright in parts, in a 1974 kind of way. But step one street back from the prom and you're immediately transported to a territory vaguely reminiscent of a Rageh Omar report from downtown Aleppo. Absolutely horrific.

I wanted to leave after 1 night, but she wouldn't have it and the kids loved the rides, so I was stuck in that hellhole for nearly 4 days. Never again.

I went there on a stag weekend. Someone got murdered in a night club there on one evening. Some of the
people I was with were held back while the police questioned everyone.

 

[Easy 10]

I went there on a stag weekend. Someone got murdered in a night club there on one evening. Some of the
people I was with were held back while the police questioned everyone.

Doesn't surprise me.

Also most of the locals seemed to have half their teeth on a timeshare scheme.

 

[Nitram]

Chelsea as in Elvis Costello. Should have taken note. Early 80’s accompanied a mate who thought it was a good idea to try out the Shed End. God knows why. Seemed a good idea at the time after 5 pints. Have been back a few times but in a different end.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Blackpool.

We took the kids there for a long weekend in a B&B years ago, and whilst I certainly wasn't expecting it to be the Marbella of the north, I was completely and utterly unprepared for what a rancid catastrophic shithole that town is. Sure the seafront is alright in parts, in a 1974 kind of way. But step one street back from the prom and you're immediately transported to a territory vaguely reminiscent of a Rageh Omar report from downtown Aleppo. Absolutely horrific.

I wanted to leave after 1 night, but she wouldn't have it and the kids loved the rides, so I was stuck in that hellhole for nearly 4 days. Never again.

I've spent quite a while in my last job on site in next door Lytham which is quite posh. No, strike that - very posh. I used to run along the front to St Annes, but if I wanted a longer run I'd go to the border with Blackpool. You could feel and smell the change as well as seeing it.

One of my clients was a Lytham lad born and bred and once said "Blackpool is where it's socially acceptable to be walking along the front at 9am, topless and drinking a Stella.........and that's just the locals"

What was the song though?

 

[Easy 10]

I've spent quite a while in my last job on site in next door Lytham which is quite posh. No, strike that - very posh. I used to run along the front to St Annes, but if I wanted a longer run I'd go to the border with Blackpool. You could feel and smell the change as well as seeing it.

One of my clients was a Lytham lad born and bred and once said "Blackpool is where it's socially acceptable to be walking along the front at 9am, topless and drinking a Stella.........and that's just the locals"

What was the song though?

I don't know. I just needed to get that off my chest.

If I'd have known Lytham was posh I'd probably have moved us up there for the remaining few days.

 

[Scappa]

One of our pwopper nawty posters would be very dissappointed with New Hampshire if he'd heard this prior to visiting

 

[Guinness Boy]

I don't know. I just needed to get that off my chest.

If I'd have known Lytham was posh I'd probably have moved us up there for the remaining few days.

Home to Roy Walker and the late Bobby Ball. Bill Beaumont drank in our "work local" The Taps, which was basically a Sanchez throw out from the back of our hotel.

Average house price (I just checked on Zoopla) £450,000. You could buy most of Blackpool for that and still have change for chips.

Average age of resident is about 75 though and the kids would have hated it.

 

[Jesus Gul]

Wasn't so glam when I lived near there in the 1990s. It's pretty cool now though. Eddy Grant approves