If all has gone to plan I've kicked this off on Facebook & Twitter already.
Give me your favourite five Instrumental Songs from 1 to 5, or unordered if that's too difficult (just let me know).
I'm really thinking contemporary rock & pop but hit me with whatever you choose.
Vote closes Friday 25th March - Results out first Friday in April
This could be a bit tricky to narrow done to a clear top five but we'll give it a shot. Pass this on to all your friends and fingers crossed there will be a few obvious favourites. Failing that we'll just end up with a massive list of great instrumentals, which is cool too. Thanks for continuing to humour me and taking part.
Here's a Spotify playlist to help you decide;
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Been a while since I posted one of these gig catch ups. I've still got a few to write up from 2015 so am trying my best to knock them out a bit quicker this year. I'm just about keeping up even if it does mean a few additional late nights.
Thee Oh Sees at The Forum on Monday 30th November 2015 - A sold out Forum was fairly rammed but as people rushed to the bar before the main band came on some space opened up and I found myself unexpectedly near the front. I love an energetic band, nearly all my favourite gigs have involved me leaping about like an idiot and leaving the venue soaked in sweat, but I'm getting on a bit and have already come a cropper once this year by getting carried away down the front. Within the first 30 seconds of the first song the front few rows had erupted and I was a lot nearer the back.
Meilyr Jones at Electrowertz on Wednesday 13th January 2016 - Meilyr Jones clicks his fingers and his band launch into a magnificent rendition of How To Recognise A Work Of Art. It's a pop powered kick to the gut. A song so perfect I can't hear it without wanting to dance (as evidenced shopping in Tesco just the other day). One of three singles that caught my attention last year and my 2nd favourite song of the year (Meilyr plays the 1st later in the set).
Savages at the 100 Club on Tuesday 26th January 2016 - A 5:30 alarm call and nothing but coffee to drink beforehand indicated this was not your run of the mill gig. A combined album/concert package via Sister Ray records in Berwick Street which doubled as the launch party for Savages new LP Adore Life. Sister Ray were very clear this would be an early morning show but it didn't really hit home until I was setting my alarm the night before. I don't get up this early for work. This probably says a lot about my life priorities though based on this evidence I've got them right.
Eleanor Friedberger at MOTH Club on Wednesday 3rd February 2016 - Eleanor has a talent for writing great pop songs. She makes great use of words to tell a story but never lets them get in the way of the tune. Considering how much effort it takes me to write these fairly shoddy gig reports I am in awe of someone who can use words so effectively and get them to fit within the limitations of a song. Eleanor seems at ease on stage though being at eye level with a room full of strangers must be a little intimidating. Not that it shows when she's singing.
Sauna Youth at The Forge on Saturday 13th February 2016 - Sauna Youth were a real blast of punk energy and it was a thrill to finally see them. Their 15 song set was over far too quickly though that's no complaint, they managed to play all my favourite tunes, just an indication I had a great time. In fact I spent most of the gig pogoing politely in what was an enthusiastic and friendly crowd.
Also, one gig I didn't make.
Lost Gigs: Motörhead at Hammersmith Odeon - As a teenage Metal Head I didn't really get into Motörhead, I had a best of (the one with the leather sleeve), but that was it. That meant at my peak of Metal and Rock gig attendance I never got to see them play. Oddly it was in the late 90s, when I was otherwise getting into Indie & Punk, that they suddenly caught my ear.
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After last weeks' Collaborative Top 5 result here are my picks for the best film sequels of all time.
5. Mad Max II (1981) [d: George Miller] - I remember getting this from the video shop in Thames Ditton village. I think I might have even bought their copy a few years later when they were closing down. It's been a long time since I saw it but my memory suggests it might have been better than the original. It certainly benefited from a bigger budget and director George Miller took full advantage of that. If you're after a post apocalyptic landscape you'll not find many places more suitable than the Australian outback and the desert backdrops play as big a part in the success of this film as Mel Gibson and a bunch of leather clad mohawked bikers.
4. Kill Bill volume 2 (2004) [d: Quentin Tarantino] - Genuine sequel of the second half of a film released in two parts? I've gone with the former as I'm a huge Tarantino fan, though I've always wanted to see a proper full length version of Kill Bill.
3. French Connection II (1975) [d: John Frankenheimer] - The fictional sequel to the original 1971 film that was an adaption of a true story. Gene Hackman is superb as narcotics officer Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle. Sent to Marseilles to continue the chase for the drug gang leader he finds himself a fish out of water, though things go really awry when he is held captive by the gang and injected with Heroin.
2. The Godfather: Part II (1974) [d: Francis Ford Coppola] - My memory often lets me down regarding films and I realised discussing the overall vote last week that I can't entirely remember which bits happen in Part I and which in Part II. That aside I remember the whole epic story being a remarkable piece of cinema. Al Pacino is outstanding as Michael Corleone but it's the ensemble cast and intertwining stories that make the whole saga so believable.
1. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) [d: Irvin Kershner] - I've written about Star Wars before I'm sure. It was the biggest film of my childhood. I had Star Wars posters, Star Wars comics, Star Wars figures, Star Wars bubblegum cards and, my crowing glory, a Star Wars duvet & pillow set. I made my own light sabre out of cardboard, though it proved horribly ineffective in a fight with a plastic sword and had to be retired from active service. Anyway, by 1980 I had developed something of an obsession with the original film so you can imagine my excitement about a second film. Empire did not disappoint. A bit like Mad Max 2 it built on the original story but added a bigger budget that meant it looked more polished.
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A great response to this vote so huge thanks to everyone who gave me their five favourite sequels. The top 3 were no surprise and claimed a significant lead from the rest fairly early on. The Dark Knight just edged out Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers with Toy Story 2 next in line. Perhaps both those films suffered from having similarly popular third instalments. The full list is at the bottom of the page so you can find out how your personal favourites did.
5. The Dark Knight (2008) [d: Christopher Nolan] - The second of Christopher Nolan's grittier Batman movies. A film that takes its cue from the best comic originals, particularly Alan Moore's excellent graphic novel The Killing Joke.
4. Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) [d: James Cameron] - The film I was most surprised to see make the top five though I do remember being blown away by it when it first came out. Seven years after the first film Arnie is back as a goodie, a reprogrammed Terminator sent to protect John Connor from the liquid metal T-1000.
3. The Godfather: Part II (1974) [d: Francis Ford Coppola] - Francis Ford Coppola is not one for brevity, this sequel is a little over 3 hours and 15 minutes longer than Part I. Al Pacino takes centre stage in Coppola's ongoing tale of New York Mafia. It's worth your time and remains one of Pacino's very best performances. The first sequel to win the Oscar for Best Film.
2. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) [d: Irvin Kershner] - I reckon most of us are around the same age so Star Wars caught us all at an impressionable age. Though I love the original Star Wars movie, Empire benefits from higher production budgets, gets straight into the action and set's things up perfectly for part three. A strong claim to be the very best Star Wars movie.
1. Aliens (1986) [d: James Cameron] - I've not watched this for ages. I loved Ridley Scott's original and felt this lost some of the dramatic tension by making everything bigger and louder. Sigourney Weaver is excellent as Ellen Ripley though and earned a nomination for Best Actress at the time when science-fiction films rarely featured.
Here is the full list, a very impressive 77 sequels that all found a bit of love from someone.
P Film - Score
1 Aliens - 87
2 Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back - 82
3 Godfather II - 74
4 Terminator 2 - 51
5 Batman: The Dark Knight - 38
6 Lord of the Rings: Two Towers - 34
7 Toy Story 2 - 27
8 Die Harder - 15
9 Back To The Future part 2 - 14
9 For A Few Dollars More - 14
11 Evil Dead II - 13
11 Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khan - 13
13 Bourne Supremacy - 12
13 Toy Story 3 - 12
13 French Connection II - 12
16 Kill Bill volume 2 - 11
17 Hunger Games: Catching Fire - 10
17 The Colour of Money - 10
19 Evil Dead: Army of Darkness - 9
20 Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom - 8
20 Lethal Weapon 2 - 8
20 Spider-Man 2 - 8
23 Star Trek: Into Darkness - 7
23 The Raid 2 - 7
25 After The Thin Man - 6
25 Alien 3 - 6
25 Aparajito - 6
25 Beverly Hills Cop 2 - 6
25 Conquest of the Planet of the Apes - 6
25 Escape from Planet of the Apes - 6
25 Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade - 6
25 Police Academy 2 - 6
25 Mad Max II - 6
34 Hannibal - 5
34 Jaws 2 - 5
34 Manon des Sources - 5
34 Rocky 2 - 5
34 Superman II - 5
34 The Two Jakes - 5
40 28 Weeks Later - 4
40 Bad Boys 2 - 4
40 Before Sunset - 4
40 Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey - 4
40 Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs - 4
40 Despicable Me 2 - 4
40 Die Hard with a Vengence - 4
40 Exorcist II: The Heretic - 4
40 Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets - 4
40 Meet The Fockers - 4
40 Night at the Museum 2 - 4
40 Omen 2 - 4
40 Rec 2 - 4
40 Star Trek: First Contact - 4
40 The Best Marigold Hotel 2 - 4
40 Twilight: New Moon - 4
56 Batman Returns - 3
56 Dawn of the Dead - 3
56 Evangelion 2.22 - 3
56 Exorcist III - 3
56 Futureworld - 3
56 Home Alone 2 - 3
56 Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - 3
56 Matrix Reloaded - 3
56 Predator 2 - 3
56 Psycho II - 3
56 Rambo 2 - 3
67 Austin Powers 2 - 2
67 Bride of Frankenstein - 2
67 Captain America: Winter Soldier - 2
67 Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season - 2
67 Mad Max: Fury Road - 2
67 More American Graffiti - 2
67 Penguins of Madagascar - 2
67 Resident Evil 2 - 2
67 Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - 2
67 The Hangover 2 - 2
67 Tron: Legacy - 2
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Wrapping up my review of 2015 with a repeat of my Top 5 Albums of the year. I got a bit carried away with the Songs & Albums run down before Christmas and ran out of time to write my own words so here are my favourite albums from a remarkable year in music. The top three here were all contenders for number one and the other two entries snuck ahead of at least ten contenders for a top 5 spot.
5. Sleater-Kinney "No Cities To Love" - The first album in 10 years for one of my favourite bands was bound to strike a chord with me and this was no disappointment. It's a little difficult to be objective so soon after release but I think No Cities To Love compares really well with Sleater-Kinney's best albums. A clear successor to their last LP, and the album that really got me into the band, 2005's The Woods. There are 10 songs on here and they all sound fantastic. I really love Sleater-Kinney and if you've not heard them this is a good a place as any to start.
4. Thee Oh Sees "Mutilator Defeated At Last" - Thee Oh Sees have been on the periphery of my music radar for quite a few years. They sounded like the sort of band I ought to like but for whatever reason I'd not managed to go and investigate further. When 6music started playing The Web, the first single from this album (at least I think it was a single, are they still a thing or do we just have playlist tracks now?), I wasn't blown away. But, Marc Riley in particular kept playing it and it began to seep into my consciousness. By the time I bought the album I was very much on-side but that still didn't prepare me for how preposterously great the album would be. I've started working backwards through their catalogue now and it's not a one off. Another amazing band to add to my collection.
3. Ezra Furman "Perpetual Motion People" - Ezra came to my attention in 2013 with the Day of the Dog album. That blew me away and led to me catching him live early the following year. The songs on Perpetual Motion People took a while to win me over. Perhaps they're not quite as raucous as the previous LP (and I'm a big fan of raucous) but they grew on me pretty quick and show a real maturity in Ezra's songwriting. Though the musical vibe is very upbeat some of the lyrical themes are both personal and soul baring. In particular Body Was Made which hints at the Ezra's non-binary status and, my favourite tune on the record, Ordinary Life which gives clear indications about coping with depression. Ezra deserves to be a huge star and if you ever get the chance to see him live I guarantee you'll leave with a massive smile on your face.
2. BC Camplight "How To Die In The North" - This was my record of the year for so long, in many ways it's still first equal. Brian Christinzio has been around for some time but relocated to Manchester in 2011 after a period of health issues. Having nearly quit music he rediscovered his passion in the UK and the songs that make up this album began to take shape. I'd heard some of these tunes as far back as 2013. You only need one listen to work out why the album took so long to arrive. It's immaculate, hints of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys in both vocal style and instrumentation but still very much a work that speaks volumes of its creator.
1. LoneLady "Hinterland" - Although I'm sure the influences might be there, to my ears this sounded like something new and fresh. LoneLady is another solo project, Julie Campbell originally performing genuinely solo with just a drum machine for company. For this album she has added a full band and the songs sound all the better for it. Julie's spiky, angular guitar lines are the seam that run through the whole album but there's a real groove to the sound. It's not dance music but it's music you can dance to. I'm not sure I've found the words to explain why this is number one but throughout the year this has been the one album to remain a constant on my playlist.
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Err, you'll notice this isn't a Top 5. That's because I only read five books all year and, although I enjoyed most of them, I didn't think it was fair to list them as a legitimate Top 5. There was one book though that I could not leave unheralded.
Chop's Book of the Year 2015
Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys by Viv Albertine
The Slits weren't like other punk bands. Not just because they were all girls (well, most of them) but because they had a different approach to making music. Whilst the boy punk bands could be thrilling and appeared to be ripping up the rule book, musically they were still following a fairly standard path. The Slits on the other hand really forged their own path.
Similarly, Viv's style of writing in her autobiography is a breath of fresh air. In the first sentence of her introduction she states that "Anyone who writes an autobiography is either a twat or broke. I'm a bit of both" and she stays close to that ability to speak truth to the very end. Chapter one is a short treatise on masturbation, it ensures you're under no allusions about the author or how she plans to tell her story.
The chapters are short and snappy and read a little like a scrapbook of memories. An approach I thought worked really well, making it very easy to read but also getting under the skin of Viv's personality in a way few other biographies I've read have managed. The pages on the early years of punk are fascinating providing an insider's view of a dramatic period in music. I was a little too young to witness this first hand but the influence of punk remains in most of the bands I love today.
When the Splits disbanded in 1982 Viv didn't follow the expected route to solo music but booked herself onto a film studies course which eventually led to her working as a freelance director. The second half of the book covers the long period when she wasn't a rock'n'roll star. She got married, had a daughter and lived a fairly normal life as wife & mother down on the south coast. She didn't pick up a guitar for a very long time and when she finally did, another moment of emancipation, it took her some time to regain her confidence in her own abilities.
In 2009 she released her first solo album, The Vermillion Border. Hearing Viv play some of those tunes in session for 6music was the spur for me to investigate her music more thoroughly. Until that point I think I only really knew the Slit's single Typical Girls. Viv's solo album is a joy and in many ways the book is a companion piece to that album.
A fabulous read that feels like a conversation with the author, one that drew me in so deep I needed a few days off before I read anything else. I think I read that Viv is writing a second book, I really hope she is as I'll be first in line to pick up a copy.
Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys. via Amazon
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A strong year for television I thought, though perhaps because of a few excellent shows that stood out from the bulk of average stuff. There were some strong contenders that didn't make the list though; Parks & Rec (Series 4), Catastrophe (Series 1 & 2) and This Is England '90 being the closest.
5. The Bridge (Series 3) - The third series of my favourite show from 2012 & 2014 was just as good as the previous ones but trails in 5th place because I'd not finished watching it at time of writing (and was up against some stiff competition). I was worried the loss of Kim Bodnia would have an impact but if anything Saga's new partner, played by Thure Lindhardt, has made this series even better.
4. Count Arthur Strong (Series 2) - I suspect this is an acquired taste but I think, at it's best, it was the funniest show on telly all year. Two episodes in particular elevated this above top comedy contenders such as the final series of Peep Show and Sharon Horgan & Rob Delaney's Catastrophe. I watched the episode where Arthur is mistaken for a flying instructor 3 or 4 times and it got funnier every time. Similarly the episode when Arthur is almost conned by a dodgy plumber, which turns into a pastiche of the Stephen King film Misery was just as good.
3. Spiral (Series 5) - The 5th series of this French detective drama was my top show for most of the year but got pipped at the post by two excellent shows. I think this is the first series I've caught on initial airing but it felt like I really know the characters well now and worked all the better for that familiarity. Laure is still the star though and coping with being pregnant didn't slow her down a great deal.
2. Detectorists (Series 2) - I'd enjoyed the first series of Mackenzie Crook's subtle sitcom but it took a while to work its charm. This second series seemed to be great from the off. Maybe the benefit of knowing the characters and understanding the pace and style but this was a huge improvement to my mind with a wonderfully feel good conclusion. The Christmas Special was excellent too.
1. Fargo (Series 2) - Similarly to Detectorists, the second series of Fargo outstripped the first by some distance. The influence of the Coen Brother's is clear though this series has developed a life of it's own. The casting is great too. Big stars like Ted Danson and Kirsten Dunce in less typical roles and rising stars like Nick Offerman and Cristin Milioti putting in fantastic turns. The coup de grace is the way they link the story to series 1. I may have just been a little slow but it caught me completely by the surprise. Magnificent telly, I hope they'll find a way to make a third series.
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I've kicked this off on Facebook & Twitter already.
Give me your favourite five Film Sequels from 1 to 5, or unordered if that's too difficult.
Vote closes Friday 29th January - Results out early February
Here's some contenders based on the voting so far (3rd, 4th and later sequels all count by the way);
28 Weeks Later - After The Thin Man - Aliens - Alien 3 - Aparajito - Austin Powers 2 - Back To The Future 2 - Bad Boys 2 - Batman Returns - Batman: The Dark Knight - Before Sunset - Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey - Bourne Supremacy - Bride of Frankenstein - Captain America: Winter Soldier - Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs 2 - Conquest of the Planet of the Apes - Dawn of the Dead - Despicable Me 2 - Die Hard 2: Die Harder - Empire Strikes Back - Escape from Planet of the Apes - Evangelion 2.22 - Evil Dead II - Evil Dead: Army of Darkness - Exorcist II: The Heretic - For A Few Dollars More - French Connection II - Futureworld - The Godfather II - Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season - Hannibal - Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets - Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade - Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom - Jaws 2 - Kill Bill volume 2 - Lethal Weapon 2 - Lord of the Rings: Two Towers - Mad Max II - Mad Max: Fury Road - Manon des Sources - Matrix Reloaded - Meet The Fockers - More American Graffiti - Night at the Museum 2 - Omen 2 - Police Academy 2 - Predator 2 - Psycho II - Rambo 2 - Rec 2 - Resident Evil 2 - Rocky 2 - Spider-Man 2 - Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khan - Star Trek: First Contact - Star Trek: Into Darkness - Superman II - Terminator 2 - The Best Marigold Hotel 2 - The Colour of Money - The Hangover 2 - The Raid 2 - The Two Jakes - Three Colours Red - Three Colours White - Toy Story 2 - Toy Story 3 - Tron: Legacy - Twilight: New Moon
If 2015 was a wonderful year for new recorded music (and I think it was) it also mirrored this in the standard of gigs I went to. Another year where I intended to cut back, another year where I averaged two a month. I'm not going to bother even suggesting cutting back next year. Almost without exception every gig I went to was fantastic which made it all the harder to pick my top five. In the end these five were the ones I think I'll remember the most (though a special mention for Brakes at The Lexington for missing out by a smidge)
5. Barrence Whitfield & The Savages at The Boileroom, Guildford (Thursday 8th October) - The Boileroom managing a pretty good hit rate, two gigs both in my top five (and not just because I could get home at a reasonable time). The crowd was a little sparse for these Garage Punk R&B titans but they didn't let that stop them putting on a belter of a show that literally set the hairs on my neck on end.
Read full report at Chopper's Gigs
4. Hookworms at The Oval Space (Saturday 21st March)- The most energetic gig of the year, and the one time I let myself get really carried away leading to aggravating a calf muscle injury and spending most of the next week limping. It was totally worth it though.
Read full report at Chopper's Gigs
3. C.Joynes & Dead Rat Orchestra at The Laughing Bell (Wednesday 22nd July) - A contender for the smallest venue I've ever been to, and almost certainly the hardest to find. Effectively a studio flat in Bermondesy. I've seen the DRO plenty of times now but this was my first experience of their collaboration with guitar maestro C.Joynes. The cosiness of the venue made the evening feel very special and the music was spellbinding. A magical night.
Read full report at Chopper's Gigs
2. Ezra Furman at The Boileroom, Guildford (Wednesday 8th July) - My first trip to the Boileroom proved to be very successful. Ezra is a joy to see live and this show left me with a huge smile on my face. A few months later he was playing a sold out Shepherd's Bush Empire but a short UK tour of much smaller venues provided me with one of my best nights out this year.
Read full report at Chopper's Gigs
1. Sleater-Kinney at The Roundhouse (Monday 23rd March) - My first chance to see a band that had become one of my all time favourites during their period of hiatus since 2006. Although the venue and audience provided some challenges the band completely overcame them with a fantastic set of new and old songs.
Read full report at Chopper's Gigs
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