WAITING FOR GREEN....

Current mood: NOSTALGIC AKA ANOTHER TRUE STORY...
Category: NOSTALGIC AKA ANOTHER TRUE STORY... Music

On May 1st 1998, I was in Oxford.

At about 4pm, we'd just collected a load of DJ gear to play The Big Red Ball at the Trade Union funded Ruskin College, where I was an economics student.

I'd never DJayed before, but I felt sure it would be easy. I had plenty of music and it simply seemed to be a question of playing the tracks one after the other..


My mate Jim was driving the car.

Jim was one of the livliest people I have ever met.

At 37 he had more energy than the entire rest of our block of early 20 year olds. He was a complete ladies man, he smoked shit loads of pot and could swallow more or less anything without it having any apparrent effect or doing anything to slow him down.

No matter what he'd had the night before, he'd always be up for breakfast the next day at 8am - bright and breezy...

Jim remains the only person I sincerely regret having lost touch with...


We pulled up at a set of traffic lights just before Headington Hill...

We both sat there watching and waiting for the green light.

A man with shiny red puma trainers shuffled across the zebra crossing. He looked like he barely had the energy to move. He was scowling, starring at the floor like it had offended him....

We both looked him up and down, then up and down again, then looked at one another...

'That's Thom Yorke isn't it?" Jim said
"Uhuhh" I replied..

We watched him shuffle his neat scruffy way across the crossing and I craned my neck to the right and followed him with my eyes as the lights changed and Jim put his foot down...

It was a vague thrill to see a contemporary rock star wandering about trying not to be seen...

But my only regret is that Jim didn't put his foot down sooner...

Currently listening : Happy Christmas (War Is Over) (En By John Lennon Release date: By 15 December, 2003

03:02 - 30 Comments - 12 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove

	Emily	So I gather you aren't much of a Radiohead fan? :) Posted by Emily on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 03:31 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :	I'm afraid not... I have more than enough of my own gloom, without having a band heap more on me... Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 03:33 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Emily	I remember being forced by a "friend's" brother to listen to Kid A in his car over and over and over again, and having to "pretend" to like it. He actually said "women love it when I put on Radiohead" or something. :stress: Posted by Emily on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 03:36 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :	Well, each to their own... At times I've really wanted to like both Thom and the band, but I have an almost physical reaction against them... Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 03:39 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Emily	Eh, it's a matter of taste, I think they are a bit pretentious? Just my opinion, I'm sure my own taste is pretentious as hell... Posted by Emily on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 03:43 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :	Over-serious is how I would describe them... Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 17:25 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	(not a groupie)	meanie. but i still love you. ;) Posted by (not a groupie) on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 03:32 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :	Well that's nice to hear, because as I was writing it, I was wondering how many Radiohead fans might be moving for the UNSUBSCRIBE button.. x Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 03:34 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	(not a groupie)	nah, i can understand why not everyone likes them ... just how i dont to have to like collective soul or the doors. after seeing him on the big fat quiz show, even i am debating my lusty-love for thom (dorke). Posted by (not a groupie) on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 03:36 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Clinker	I thought that big fat quiz thing was funny. He was obviously taking the piss out of his image. Posted by Clinker on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 14:32 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :	I didn't see this... Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 17:26 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	(not a groupie)	i retract my thom dorke comment - that may have been the first time ive heard him laugh. Posted by (not a groupie) on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 22:30 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :	That's the only time I've ever seen either him or the band. I played through an interview with them recently on CD and I didn't suffer a fit, so I guess I should maybe take a go at this new LP... You never know... Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 03:44 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Christopher Nosnibor	I thought OK Computer was... ok, but haven't really dug much else. But people keep telling me I should hear the new one. Usually that's guaranteed to make me stick my fingers in my ears and shout very loudy, but perhaps I should give it a go. I can't really criticise something I've not listened to. Seems there's more benig made of the marketing than the music though, and is it really THAT revolutionary to sell an album on-line? Posted by Christopher Nosnibor on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 10:34 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :	In all honesty, I'm very impressed with the loyalty of the radiohead fans who've gone out and paid for the CD when they've essentially been given it for free - though I take your ppoint about the anti-marketing dollar... I think the least I can do is to make sure there are no sharp objects or precrition drugs in the house and listen to the damn thing... Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 10:45 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	(not a groupie)	did hell just freeze over? definitely let me know your thoughts. Posted by (not a groupie) on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 07:39 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :	I respect the band musically, but can't take all the self pity... But I reckon they'll probably make at least one LP I can swallow and perhaps this is it?? Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 10:34 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Clinker	Well get both CDs then. Theres some crackers on the 2nd CD. Thoms not as miserable as he was during Ok Computers promotion either. He hated that madness and they've done things differently since. Posted by Clinker on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 14:37 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :	I'll download them for free and they can join the queue.. Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 17:35 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	they came from the stars, i saw them	look, it's like this. i LOVE nina simone, but i don't listen to it unless i NEED to feel pain in the most intense and ecstatic way possible. Pop music is to make the pain of life better, not worse. The blues is just a useful tool to heal the pain of our human seperation, but as a day to day way of life? YUK. Radiohead can fuck off. full stop. i don't even care how good the music might be. Posted by they came from the stars, i saw them on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 15:17 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :	I know what you're saying here. There's nothing I used to like more than getting stonned, playing Spiritualized fucking loud, getting stonned and feeling sorry for myself... The difference for me between Radiohead and Spiritualized are that Spiritualized have an exhilirating ecstacy about their pain and Radiohead don't... Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 17:34 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Colossus	There is a danger in letting a bands rep take over what they are actually about. Musically they are undisputed wizards...they arn't as self pittying as say Johnny Cash or Trent Reznor who incidently are also fantastic artists. There must be SOME tunes that Radiohead have done that have caught your ear? Isn't it worth giving them another chance Stars? I say remain objective. Thats what artists, journo's and fans are asked to do by media in general right? Spider xx P.S Mr G, can you contact me about On The Air A.S.A.P Posted by Colossus on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 15:50 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :	I find Trent Reznor very limited, but Johnny Cash is FUN FUN FUN!!! At least the songs I know are. The later stuff was a bit more gloomy, but Cash's voice has a depth and soul to it that Yorkes doesn't... Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 17:38 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Colossus	Trent is limited...I find more and more that I like the band out of nostalgia value rather than recent release output. Thom Yorke has no soul? Have you heard The Bends man? Cash has a lower voice but that doesnt equate that he has more of a monopoly on soul. Try The Bends (again if u int in ages) and let me know where u stand. Spider xx Posted by Colossus on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 18:03 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :	It could just be that I prefer the sound of Cash's voice or that I can relate to and/or understand his hellraising a little more than I can Thom Yorkes regular un-rock star like life... LIVE at Folsom Prison has extreme warmth, empathy and power - I've never heard Radiohead get close to that.. As Thom himself once said, the cutting edge music of this era is the likes of Autechre and Aphex Twin - that's why Radiohead went on that whole Kid A angle... I'm sure about where I stand - I've heard The Bends hundreds of times down the years and I don't like it.. Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 18:58 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Baku Llama	Well Giovanni, You know your getting old when you start accidentily sitting on your own balls. Posted by Baku Llama on Thursday, January 10, 2008 at 03:18 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :	YEOWWW!!!!! Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Friday, January 11, 2008 at 06:07 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	La Paloma, the Queen of Infinity	I have always found this thom yorke quote to be a little weird because he seems to me to be always so fucking miserable. "It's easy to be miserable. Being happy is tougher - and cooler." sometimes, though, i do like radiohead, but only when i am miserable and only when i need a little catharsis. i have a relationship with their music that i can't quite explain. i sang paranoid android at karaoke the other night and it was kind of fun to mock the misery... Posted by La Paloma, the Queen of Infinity on Friday, January 11, 2008 at 01:47 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :	Doing Genuine Happiness is the greatest challenge of them all...! Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Friday, January 11, 2008 at 06:08 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	graham	Well just to add some balance to this anti-Radiohead blog, I think Radiohead are great. I've seen them live a couple of times about 10 years ago & came away from the gigs feeling uplifted rather than depressed, but then. I also like Leonard Cohen! I'm not reaching for the unsubscribe button though, it's always good to hear opinions that aren't similar to mine & I totally understand why you don't like them, here's one of their "happier" tunes if you can bear listening to it, well.... not happy, but this should illustrate the difference between depressing & uplifting: Posted by graham on Saturday, January 12, 2008 at 01:12 [Remove] [Reply to this]