English National Opera

I was very disappointed that Aida did not end ENO's run of bad shows.  The production may have a degree of popular success but, for anyone who's been to more than a handful of operas before, it's unlikely to please.  It would be tragic if the amateurish (Kismet, Aida) and downright ill-conceived (Carmen, Poppea) did irreperable damage to the company's reputation.  I don't think that will happen but there has been unhelpful talk in the press of nails in coffins.  As a reviewer, you have to tell the truth, as you see it, no matter how supportive you feel towards an organisation and, when large amounts of public money is at issue, a company has to be accountable in some way.  Finances are not the best measure here - Kismet had an unprecedented advance and Aida looks to be pretty full for its run - and there can be a massive knock-on effect from bad shows (two is unfortunate, four looks like carelessness).  I've had to try and persuade someone recently that they should definitely return to the Coliseum, despite questioning whether they'd ever go back after The Coronation of Poppea.  I am very hopeful that Turn of the Screw will be an artistic success (great work, great director) and let's keep our fingers crossed that it will represent the turn-round that ENO badly needs at the moment.

Christmas Number One - by Black Box Recorder?

It's unusual for us to quote a press release in full.

But, as email after email arrives announcing the most unlikely bands releasing Christmas songs - Asobi Seksu's Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight) and Simone White's Christmas Makes Me Blue both dropped today - special mention is due for The Black Arts' debut release, entitled simply Christmas Number One, which will appear through Fantastic Plastic.

The Black Arts, to explain, are Art Brut's Eddie Argos plus John Moore, Luke Haines and Sarah Nixey, aka Black Box Recorder. The collaboration on paper has us seasonally salivating. We'd never have said such things about Slade.

Herewith:

BLACK BOX RECORDER & EDDIE ARGOS ARE
THE BLACK ARTS
Christmas Number One

"We wrote it on the beach in August as the snow began to fall,
A Christmas Number One could be a blessing for us all..."

In an inspired meeting of minds, Black Box Recorder and Art Brut's Eddie Argos have joined forces to form The Black Arts, whose first (and perhaps only) release is set to be this year's essential Christmas single. Following in the tradition of such masters of the seasonal rocker as Wizzard and Slade, Christmas Number One once more unites sleigh bells, blazing guitars and children’s choirs for three and a half minutes of festive fun.

The song was conceived by Black Box Recorder's John Moore, who having endured an utterly appalling summer, decided that the year must end on a blissfully high note. In a rush of optimism, the idea of a Christmas Number One seemed entirely plausible. Much of the song spilled out of the ether late one Sunday evening, sounding somewhere between William Burroughs and Slade. Turned over to Luke Haines for inspection and dissection, a towering middle-section was added, and quite properly, respectful references to Britain’s former-first men of Christmas - Noddy and Roy were added. The fecund glacial goddess Sarah Nixey was alerted and asked not to give birth until her mellifluous vocal frosting could be added, then with a final sprinkling of vocal magic from Eddie Argos, the song reached pure pop perfection.

The relationship between Art Brut and Black Box Recorder began three years ago when John witnessed an hereoically pissed Art Brut playing a tiny gig in Reading, and then bonded with Eddie backstage over a dog-eared copy of Just William. The relationship then developed to the point where a musical collaboration became inevitable.

Christmas Number One will be available as a download from 3 December and as a rather fetching limited edition eco-sustainable Christmas tree green 7" from 10 December on 'Fantastic Plastic'.

According to Luke Haines: "When you're doing your last minute shopping at Woolworth's and you've heard 'Christmas Number One' for the eleventh time in a row, don't worry, it will all be over by January. The Black Arts are for Christmas, not for life'

Or are they? As Sarah Nixey reveals “ It was all over wasn’t it? I hadn’t the heart to tell them the truth.”

Christmas Number One will be released on 3rd December (download) and 10th December (limited edition 7") on Fantastic Plastic Records.

Norman Mailer, RIP

“Writing badly is a sin. I really think people who write badly are small monsters.”

Norman Mailer, founder of The Village Voice and Pullitzer Prize winning writer, has died aged 84.

He didn't like feminists either.

two nuggets about Harrison Ford

It's worth noting that:

a) Indy 4 has a title (actually, it's had one for years but this was the first I heard of it). It's longer, and odder, than any of the previous: no "Raiding", "Doom" or "Last"; "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" sounds more like a Harry Potter title (or a computer game) than any of the 80's classics. Still, it's very much in keeping with its pulp-novella roots. Principal filming has now finished and the release date is the 22nd May. Let's hope they move it sooner...

b) Ridley Scott's new cut of Blade Runner, mentioned a good two times already on this blog, has a limited release as of next week, and will be available in Picture House cinemas only. Worth catching on the big screen both for its magnificence, and also to save you the £50 and back-problems that would arise from buying the somewhat bloated new DVD set.

Interview: LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy

At last. I've published the first of my series of interviews with groundbreaking electro artists.

This one is with LCD Soundsystem's front man and main songwriter, DFA Records head honcho and general all-round hero-god James Murphy.

He divulges some natty recording techniques, namedrops some synths, speculates on Daft Punk's living arrangements and bigs up Brooklyn, amongst much else.

This piece comes ahead of the physical release of LCD's 45:33 project. We'll call it 'project', I think - it's the length of an album, costs about the right price for an album but looks a bit like a single. He's got a Fabric Live mix CD out too, co-spun with LCD/DFA compadre Pat Mahoney. Quite the busy boy.

And yes, I did say 'series'. The next piece isn't with an American artist. Nor a Brit. A big virtual gold star for whoever guesses who it is.