- Eliza Carthy
- 2009-09-14: Most of the songs the Big Brother contestants all knew, loved and sang along to I'd never heard before. Not sure I'd really even heard of the artists. I work in silence. I don't own an mp3 player. I'm out of touch with music.
- Of course, I enjoy it though. I play in two bands and adolesced to punk and where I used to wonder whether life could exist without music, now I hear teenagers say the same and I think .. gawd, I couldn't live life 'with' music .. quiet is nice. How can you think straight if music's on?
- Which takes me up a side alley about this year's Acoustic Gathering which seemed to attract a younger crowd. Lots of chatting while the bands were on from people who will happily text, flick tv channels, eat, drink cheap tinnies and chat at the same time. Those are tomorrows skills as we take on board wearable computers and total connectivity. I clearly am becoming a dinosaur (do I get to choose which one?). In a recent few days off we planned (didn't manage it, tho) to get out the record player and play some old records. Like gran did with her 78s.
- While I'm being an old fogie I might as well dole out some advice to young people. As 'acoustic' followed 'rave', so what everyone is talking about now will soon be out of fashion and its opposite will be back in. As a teenager today, I would hone my concentration skills. Everyone will have the ability to hold three conversations at once. But you'll be the one who can sit down for an hour, concentrate on a task, and reach a higher level without taking a call, sending a text or checking your Facebook. You would be independent of external stimuli, how cool is that? That skill will be rare indeed and you'll be in demand.
- I am connected to Eliza Carthy by two things. Firstly, she's a friend of a friend. I've never met her. But barring once seeing someone from Crossroads at a HiFi exhibition in London, and seeing David Bowie's knob in a film, that's one of my big claims to fame.
- Secondly, she's local. In these parts we feel a little blessed by having the Carthy-Gods around.
- I was put off Eliza Carthy by this photograph (which I have 100% stolen) which would seem to want us to think of her as someone we are about to have sex with. It's the open mouth. It didn't need to be open.
- Anyway, that kinda puts me off. I don't want to be dragged to the record shop (if such a thing exists any more) by my gonads, I'd rather my ears.
- It's more, if I'm honest, that I don't want anyone else to think that's how I made my choice. Unfashionable it might be, but I work hard at this. I had formative years in Leeds University where every woman was a feminist and I read Spare Rib because I did, and do still, want the world they fought for.
- Anyway, that's all wrong. She headlined the Acoustic Gathering last night. She's sexy all right, but through intelligence, writing and playing skill, capability and feistiness. I don't think I'd last five minutes in her company. Think ribald drinking games, lightning wit and solid earth. So .. record company .. get that across in the photos. There has to be a match between the marketing and the reality otherwise you get a disjoint, cognitive dissonance, post purchase blues.
- Have a listen but I have to say .. 'live' is better. The band is exceptional. Think 'Elbow', maybe. I loved what the drummer played but I can't seem to find it on the CD .. different drummer? The freedom of playing 'live'?
- So, from a dinosaur feminist who doesn't listen to music .. may I recommend you catch her on tour? The tour dates are here and it's just started.
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