Have you ever seen me
smile? Laugh even;
snort like a free-wheeling pig
as it bathes in the mud,
almost lose the ability to breathe
as the joke hits home.
Have you ever seen me smile
properly I wonder, I rarely
show my teeth when I do,
the ones where I am ready to bite
down with anger, the smile of revenge.
Did you ever catch me, earphones in
and my mind spaced out, high
on a Galton and Simpson trip,
Flying like a Brick!
Down on my luck
I have got absolutely nowt
But my Universal Credit
will help me out
By tomorrow I’ll be a benefit millionaire
that’s what it’s all about without a care!
The Day my UC comes in my account
It’ll re-float my sinking boat
Well I’m not stupid
I’m not even thick
Swimming in lumpy gravy
I’m flying like a brick!
I’ve got a Trout mask replica
Like Captain Beefheart!
John Hall 2018.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Jake Ryan, Rachael Reason,
It takes Two to run a successful public house, it takes two to be in a relationship that can be steady as a rock or toss and weave on the seas and bubbles of the foam filled, short measured bitterness that comes with watering down the spirit and overcharging the customer; it takes Two to pull the beers, listen to the stories and see the world beyond the optical illusion. It takes Two to remember the reason why working together in such an environment is ultimately a thrilling piece of comedy and the heartache that is the flip side of such genuine laughter.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lesley Manville, Vicky Krieps, Richard Graham, Camilla Rutherford, Harriet Sansom Harris, Brian Gleeson, Julia Davis, Nicholas Mander, Gina McKee, Philip Franks, Phyllis MacMahon, Silas Carson, Martin Dew, Jane Perry, Paul Leasley.
There are always going to be films that have the fashionable and the sense of capitulation, of strong wills colliding and the realisation that to many, clothes really do encompass the person’s every waking moment. It could be seen as a statement, that what we wear on the outside is a reflection of how we wish to be seen on the inside, our mood, our aspirations and dreams, our sharpness, our overall statement to the world is wrapped up in appearance and the clothes we dress them up in; there are always going to be films which deal with this motif but Phantom Thread tugs at its very core belief a bit more than others might dare.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
The Classic Rock Show, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool. February 2018. Photograph used with the permission of David Munn Photography.
There are times in your life, if you have been fortunate to have been bitten by the bug that salivates over the pleasurable moans of a well played guitar and the heartbeat rising when the drum kicks in, the bass and the somehow deep and meaningful lyrics come into play and the recognition that the song reflects not only your mood but your life, it is those times that you know that Classic Rock has got down deep and personal in your life and the song, no matter how much it remains the same, is there to be loved and remembered.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Sam Clafin, Paul Bettany, Tom Sturridge, Toby Jones, Stephen Graham, Robert Glenister, Nicholas Agnew, Miles Jupp, Theo Barklam-Biggs, Jake Curran, Andy Gathergood, Rupert Wickham, Jack Holden, Tom Ward-Thomas, Derek Barr, Jack Riddiford, Elliot Balchin, Alais Lawson, Adam Colborne, Rose Read, Harry Jardine.
It is not the battle itself, the moment when it all ends and the tears shed, it is the reassurance of existence, even in the most inhospitable of places, of the dirt, the mud and the endless torture of waiting for an attack, it is in the moments before, the quiet and the damned making themselves known and invading the final private thoughts of those who understand that the battle, but not the war, is lost
Have you ever seen me
cry? Not just a tear, a stab of relief
of physical pain mind you,
but a river, a rolling spiky ocean,
a steady flow of information
making its way down my face.
Have you seen me cry in frustration,
over a film, a whole class once did
in senior school as Boxer
the Horse was sent down
in place of the people; I wailed then.
Did you see me shed a silent,
inexplicable tear over the death
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
The world depends on anarchy to be able to dream of what it would be like to stir the pot of revolution; it might only be the casual caress with the notion of finding the pleasure that is due us all as we play with the fire of change, however it is a change that is more than welcome, more than comfortable in our psyche if it sees rebellion against the cause of insufferable sameness; for nobody truly wants to see the world become a turgid mess of monotony, nobody should see art become dull and uniform.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
New Jersey might not get the press it deserves by right when it is compared to its neighbour New York City, but without the dedication and the aspirations, the ability and the down-right tenacity of some of its greatest musical exponents, the world would be undoubtedly a be a less dynamic, less conscious place.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
When taking a gamble it is always best to remember the golden rule, don’t risk more than you can afford, never speculate when broke and above all keep in mind that the House always wins; unless of course you are Betting On An Island, then it really does matter who the dealer is, who has the honest look deep in their eyes as they deal you a series of musical cards in which you know as you carefully keep them close to your heart for a while, that each one is marked in your favour, as Alexia Avina trades for in her debut album.