The Domitable Lions

I miss the exciting, skillful Cameroon. They didn't turn up in Brazil so I wrote this for Sabotage Times:

The Domitable Lions

O Jogo Bonito

We’re almost there. It’s so close. Four years of waiting are almost over. The World Cup is upon us. Some of the usual signs haven’t been as evident this time around – there has been a distinct lack of St George flags in windows – but the pubs have now finally got into the mood with their various flag displays (and where exactly can you buy a Costa Rica flag in this country?).

I love a World Cup. Even with corruption and bribery accusations, cosseted footballers and ignorant television pundits, you just can’t beat this wonderful tournament that comes around just once every four years. From the giants of Brazil and Spain to the comparative minnows of Honduras and Iran, they have all now arrived in South America to compete for the ultimate prize in football.

I wish I could be there to experience it first-hand but for the next month I will be able to watch up to three matches a day (until those horrible football-less hours later in the tournament) from arguably the ‘real’ home of football. There will be the players and sides that we are all used to, but for me the World Cup is as much about watching Algeria, Ecuador and Bosnia as it is England, Germany and Holland. It sounds like – and is – a cliché but it really is a festival of football. Media pundits may suggest that some players are more interested in their clubs and the personal fortunes they bring them but for millions around the globe the World Cup is the pinnacle. And to have it in Brazil just accentuates the gloriousness of it all. Everyone is aware of the potential for the justified protests and demonstrations – spending so much on a sports tournament when the money could go towards much needed social provisions borders on the obscene – but still we are drawn to this most magical of competitions.

There are so many World Cup memories. From the grace and class of Brazil in 1982, to watching games before school in 1986, the England penalties of 1990, actually being at two matches in America in 1994, French dominance and Brazilian capitulation in 1998, more breakfast matches in 2002 before the carnival of 2006 and Africa hosting their first ever World Cup in 2010. I have loved every single one. I have no doubt that this year’s edition will evoke great memories in years to come.

The World Cup for me is the most enduring of spectacles and there is nothing Sepp Blatter, xenophobic fans or prima donna footballers can do to ever change that.

American Soccerball

You may have noticed my growing dislike for the Premier League - here's something I wrote for Sabotage Times suggesting a few alternatives for your football fix

Disillusioned With Football? Head Stateside, Try Soccer

Future Islands Obsession

I fully admit that I can get a bit obsessed about stuff. If I like something I tend to read up on it, find out more about it - whether it’s a film, football club or music. When I first got into hip hop it didn’t have the mainstream profile it has today so to find out more you had to dig deep. Obviously some of the subjects they rapped about were a mystery to a teenager living in what could never be described as a bustling metropolis. So I gleaned information wherever I could. That’s the way I learned what they were talking about – and more about the culture of hip hop. 

Well now I have a new obsession. If you somehow haven’t already seen it I urge you to check out this - Future Islands performing their new single Seasons (Waiting For You) on the Letterman show a few weeks back. 

The song is great – a driving New Order-ish bass and drum with synths and lyrics from the heart. But it is Sam Herring’s performance that has caused me to watch the clip more times than is probably healthy. As the band starts Herring starts moving. A captivating undulating movement that has been likened to those seen on the northern soul dancefloors but made me think of Twin Peaks. It’s kind of a like a dad dance infused with pure funk. And then he starts singing.

The emotion that comes through is electrifying. Reaching out for help, beating his chest, Herring pours the pain out in lyrics with almost interpretive actions. His soul is laid bare as he laments that “People change, but certain people never do”. The voice, that in the recorded version is quietly powerful, takes on a whole new level live as he emits guttural noises for some lines that sound like a death metal remix. 

I am glad to say this wasn’t a one off and that the new album is impressive throughout. I’ve also happy to report that the performance wasn’t a ‘what can I do on Letterman to get us noticed’ deal either. Herring sings from the heart and moves as if he can’t help himself whenever they gig – even if it’s just a record shop instore as in LA’s Amoeba in 2010. And in that instance he was still wearing a leg brace after damaging his ACL.

In a world of generic bands with an almost expected level of frontman swagger on show it is refreshing to discover that real front men don’t act a certain way because that’s what you do when you’re in a band but because they can’t help themselves.

Arctic Cup

The always brilliant Football Pink allowed me to write something about an imaginary football tournament. They seemed to like it. Here it is - Arctic Cup

Her

Here's a review of the new Spike Jonze film, Her that I wrote for the excellent Best For Film. Spoiler alert: I really liked it - Her

Not the Euro 2016 Draw

Inspired by a friend who moaned about the seeding policy for the draw for the qualification groups for the 2016 European Championships I decided to perform a little experiment.

Pre-draw admin

With 24 places available in the French tournament in two years time, it seems as if any of the top nations fail to qualify something cataclysmic will have to have occurred. With a total of 53 countries entering the competition - plus the holders France - it is a little strange that UEFA still don't trust the likes of Italy, Spain and Germany not to qualify at a canter. They still deemed it necessary to seed the best sides to make sure they didn't accidentally meet each other in qualification and ruin it for everyone when it comes to the finals.

The draw

With this in mind I decided to stage my own draw with no strings attached. I would pull the names out of the hat - or in this case an old German drinking vessel - and see what turned up. I, unlike UEFA, did nothing to stop the possibility of Spain and Gibraltar sharing the same group. I also didn't keep apart some of the bigger nations due to "television demands". But then I didn't need to keep my sponsors happy.

So, without further preamble, here are the nine groups. I now have to somehow think of a way to keep this strange experiment going all the way to Paris in 2016. Keeps me busy I suppose.

Group A
Norway
Germany
Poland
Wales
Cyprus
Albania

Group B
France
Ukraine
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Faroe Islands
Austria
Greece

Group C
Belgium
Montenegro
Macedonia
Moldova
Kazakhstan
Estonia

Group D
Armenia
Lithuania
Holland
Czech Republic
Croatia
Finland

Group E
Malta
Northern Ireland
Sweden
Israel
Andorra
San Marino

Group F
Azerbaijan
Portugal
Luxembourg
Gibraltar
Slovenia
Turkey

Group G
Switzerland
Slovakia
Latvia
Iceland
Scotland
Serbia

Group H
England
Belarus
Romania
Hungary
Bulgaria
Republic of Ireland

Group I
Italy
Denmark
Spain
Liechtenstein
Georgia
Russia

Keep up to date with any further developments on twitter with #AltEuro16