For newcomers

At the bottom of each post there is the word "comments". If you click on it you will see comments made by followers, and if you follow the instructions you may also comment and I always welcome that. I have found many people overlook this part of the blog which is often more interesting than the original post!

My blog nick-name is SIR HUGH. I'm not from the aristocracy - my middle name is Hugh which relates to the list of 282 hills in Scotland compiled by Sir Hugh Munro in 1891. I climbed my last one (Sgurr Mor) on 28th June 2009

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Sunday 4 June 2017

Two fingers up to extremism and thumbs up for music

Until a week ago I had never heard of Ariane Bonde. I have minimal connection  with pop music, but I felt compelled to watch Love Manchester tonight.

Suggestions had been made that this was too soon after the event, I don’t agree. Music has more power than well meaning but often repetitive and mechanical statements from  politicians and others, and the concert conveyed an immediate response to, and condemnation of the futility of these atrocities. 

Tonight’s performance may not have been to everybody’s musical taste, but for me it was a moving experience and for a change a valuable contribution from celebrities as role models for our younger generation - tonight celebrities rose to the occasion.

From just a performance viewpoint I was impressed with Little Mix and Cold Play.

5 comments:

  1. I agree Dad! Will also see if Little Mix are on tour for you! X

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  2. Have to confess I'd never heard of Ariana and wasn't blown away by her music. She did do a tremendous job by pulling together the concert, had a beautiful voice, and her rendition of Over the Rainbow was fabulous. Never seen Justin Beiber before and thought he was surprisingly good. Agree the highlights were Little Mix and the wonderful Cold Play.
    Timing? Like you, I did wonder if it was too soon, or if they'd even go ahead after the London incident. But, in retrospect, it seemed just the right defiant message to make, and also a supportive act of love and kindness too. (Although there was a bit too much sentimental mush from the Americans!)

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  3. HighHorse -

    Steady on!

    I think if I went to one of their concerts I would be singled out by the overwhelming majority of girly-teeny-boppers as a "suspect" old man.

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    Ruth - I was surprised also with Justin. I had heard about his various adolescent antics and didn't expect much, but he has magnetic stage presence and apparently he is quite a god musician. One thing about pop music is an inability, for me at least, to hear the lyrics - I think I have an above average deficiency in that department anyway. But if you take the trouble to Google some of them there is some pretty profound examples. It is heartening to see that the youngsters have taken that trouble - they were singing along with obvious emotion, knowing all the words and having intense involvement of a kind that is probably only possible as teenagers take on board the weight of human experience.

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  4. That should read Ariana Grande btw, i will put it down to auto spell check. Well thats what i always say anyway. Never heard of her either before the attack by cowards on the innocent. Only watched odd bits of the concert but thought Coldplay superb, Liam Gallagher embarrassingly bad, (thank God we don't hear too much from him these days).

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  5. Alan R - I agree about Gallagher. He was monotonous, bad tempered looking, and dressed like somebody delivering coal.

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