Grapes; namesake; scrounging; club plug

[alexsarll]

When did seedless grapes suddently start developing seeds again?

I've not yet seen Oliver Stone's new film, but I'm very much looking forward to it, bad reviews notwithstanding. This is a director who, in Any Given Sunday, even held my interest when making a film about ruddy American football. And this time his subject is my second favourite bisexual megalomaniac called Alexander! Various historians have decided to cash in on this and get their new books out.
What interests me here is not any of the books per se, but the reviewer's own theories on Alexander.

"His contemporaries, and indeed audiences as late as the 19th century, saw nothing inconsistent in the coexistence of self-promotion, fantasy and greatness. They were prepared to allow that real merit could coexist with dreams and showmanship.
We are no longer prepared to accept this. Competitiveness, egotism, self-promotion and rhetoric are seen as weaknesses. Concepts of honour, nobility and magnificence, appropriate to male, aristocratic warriors, seem ridiculous and irrelevant."

Surely those of us with romo tendencies still think that way? In people who fake it 'til they make it? In lies which are not excuses but seeds?
I certainly do.

Two related points:
1) My paid account expires tomorrow. Has anybody seen that wonderful creature the LJfairy recently?
That was quick! Thank you, LJfairy!

2)On Sunday February 6th, a new club is starting. I appear to be one of the residents. It is called Love Your Enemies and takes place at the Pleasure Unit, Bethnal Green Road from 7pm. Free entrance. cappuccino_kid, johnnyvertigen and I will be playing:
"Adam Ant, Always, Auteurs, Beach Boys, Carpenters, Cavaliers, Chic, Denim, Dexys, Divine Comedy, Duran, Dusty, Fosca, Four Tops, Gene Pitney, Gol Gappas, Human League, Jacques Brel, Josef K, Karelia, Kid Creole, King of Luxembourg, Magnetic Fields, Microdisney, Momus, Monochrome Set, Morrissey, Orange Juice, Passage, Prefab Sprout, Pulp, Roxy Music, St Etienne, Sandie Shaw, Scott Walker, Shock-Headed Peters, Spandau, Style Council, Supremes, Would-be-goods"
I shall of course plug this more nearer the time, but I thought I should give you all some notice what with attendance being mandatory. Excuses about being 'skint', 'not in London' or 'dead' will be regarded with scorn.

Comments

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

I do think self promotion and confidence is very important. Competetitiveness isn't. It's horrible. I know I am better than most people. But then I feel sorry for most people and feel fed up with people who are better than me.

I have never been very good at compertitions. Or spelling...

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

It depends on the field. Certainly much greatness has come from people attempting to get one over on their rivals.

I feel sorry for some of the people who aren't as good as me. Most of them I just hate.

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

Maybe I could dig my old Karelia t-shirt out of retirement!

Or perhaps I could wear something not nearly (dear god) 10 years old.

Dear god.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I fear that if you wear that, Scottish might well try to nab it.

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

PS I also note no Scritti Politti on that list, I assume this will be rectified?

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Even the Associates aren't on the list, much to all our chagrin. Regard it as a point of departure rather than a summary.

[rentaghost31.livejournal.com]

re 2) I'll see what I can do to avoid scorn being heaped on my head

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

It is called Love Your Enemies

Hippy.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Don't blame me, blame the Microdisney fan.

[johnnyvertigen.livejournal.com]

You wouldn't say that if you heard the song it's from.

[violentbec.livejournal.com]

dude, sunday night? err....if it's Far Away, it will have to be no. unless you promise to throw some saint etienne in the mix.

[johnnyvertigen.livejournal.com]

Oh of course I'll play St Etienne.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

The 7pm start and free entry mean people can just come along for a drink and a dance early on and then be home on the last tubes for schoolnight bedtime!

I would estimate the likelihood of St Et as very high.

[jamesward.livejournal.com]

As it's five minutes from my house, I suppose I might pop in for a bit.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

We can maybe even fit that murder in, then.

[nickeii.livejournal.com]

Well, given proximity I suppose it would be rude not to. Befnall Gween? Laahvley.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I've never even been to the venue before.

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

Also, you have a proper job. Pay for your own LJ!

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

Why would he when he has so many girl willing to part with their money! Heh!

P.S. I am not one of them. ;)

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Oooh lovely, a club within staggering distance of the House Of Guitar, that's not "Purple E3 - Tower Hamlets Violence Centre/Chav Magnet of 2004!".

Count me in. If you play some Elastica. I might even drag housemates along too.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Purple send me honey sometimes, but it does look nightmarish.

Not sure about Elastica, tbh.

[tiny-tear.livejournal.com]

Is the Pleasure Unit the one just near Tesco?

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Haven't a clue, I'm afraid.

[miss-newham.livejournal.com]

You shouldn't have done the edit, you should have seen how many people would give you paid accounts for as long as you could keep it going! verlaine got 18 months when he did it!

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

It did cross my mind, but I didn't want to appear ungrateful!

[darkmarcpi.livejournal.com]

Wot no PSB or Marc Almond?

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

See response to third comment, above. I think both are likely.

[darkmarcpi.livejournal.com]

Actually, that reminds me. This year I aim to finally lose my DJ virginity.

If I can overcome the hurdle of owning nearly all my music from the 70s/80s on unwieldy 12" vinyl or cassette, it's something I feel I'd like a shot at, if just the once.

Do you anticipate said club offering lucrative DJ sets to 'special guests'.

(I'm in the DJ phone book, listed just before Sasha, I believe.)

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Your name has already been mentioned in that capacity, as it happens.

[big-trend.livejournal.com]

I've got a Microdisney flyposter - ie super massive 80s size - if anyone wants it. No idea what album cover or single cover it is or what it looks like, even, as it's currently residing behind my Grace Jones flyposter in a black plastic frame.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I'm more of a Fatima Mansions man myself but I suspect my colleagues would be very interested!

[stealthmunchkin.livejournal.com]

If you can help me persuade holly_lama that it really is a good idea to come back over here, then that would be the weekend we'd be in London, so you'd have a Manc and a Minnesotan in attendance...

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Your commitment is an example to them all! Well, either that or your use of the synchronicity highway is...

[invadergaz.livejournal.com]

Excuses about being 'skint', 'not in London' or 'dead' will be regarded with scorn.
How about if there's a combination of all three?

I'm sorry I can't make it to your gig, but I'm dead, some medic killed me in the operating theatre in Warsaw as I was trying to sell my kidneys cause I'm so skinned.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

With a bit of willpower you could revivify that corpse and get it on a 'plane to London before shuffling along. Johnny might even play 'Love Zombies' in tribute.

[burkesworks.livejournal.com]

And this time his subject is my second favourite bisexual megalomaniac called Alexander!

Just as well our hero's called Alexander. Kubrick himself would have struggled to have made an epic about anyone called "Barry", let alone someone as ham-handed as Oliver Stone. Even if our hero was an Emperor called Barry.

And yes, I've seen Barry Lyndon which, alongside the second half of Full Metal Jacket and the whole of Eyes Wide Shut, is proof positive that even an idol like Stanley Kubrick has feet of clay after all.

BTW, Bethnal Green sounds rather fun, but I need to make an excuse to head dahn Lahdahn...

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

As it happens Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shut are probably my favourite Kubricks...