Some years ago when I was living in London, Elliott’s albums became something of a soundtrack to a slightly turbulent, er, romantic situation I was embroiled in, so his death seemed particularly poignant. I’ve rarely seen a live audience surround an artist with such a cocoon of goodwill and adoration, yet Elliott seemed such a fragile and edgy performer that his live shows were these heightened, exalted occasions full of art, love and, in some weird way, the shape of tragic things to come.
On a more positive note, it’s very heartening to see that real rock music is enjoying something of a resurgence in Ireland, by which I mean someone somewhere has given the scene a massive blast of testosterone, a couple of shots of Wild Turkey, and a really tight pair of jeans. The evidence? Future Kings of Spain, Ten Speed Racer, Bell X1, The Things, Turn, Republic Of Loose. Frankly, I’m delighted that the ‘scene’ is diversifying, and the arrival of these bands signals a definite and much overdue shift in proceedings.
Even more encouraging is the state of pop music right now. The homogenous boybands or girlbands who could get away with horrendous pop balladry now hold little water, and thankfully artists with crossover appeal like 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Black Eyed Peas, Sean Paul, Missy Elliott, Beyonce and Justin are raising the bar for everyone. I mean, much as I love Sigur Ros and Matmos, I doubt there was a better single this year than Beyoncé’s ‘Crazy In Love’. In 2003, listening to daytime radio wasn’t nearly as offensive or painful an experience as it was two years ago, and that can’t be a bad thing.
On the home front, the advent of The Thrills was pretty significant. Okay, they were signed in 2002, but THAT TBMC show, and the chaos that ensued, happened this year. As an added bonus, the music wasn’t half bad…