Month: February 2022

The Prodigy ‘Breathe’.

 

This is my favorite Prodigy song.   From the eponymous ‘Fat of the Land’ album.   A number of the songs from this album were used in the movie ‘Hackers’ with Angelina Jolie and Johnny Lee Miller.  ‘Music for the jilted generation’ was its predecessor and saw them gain global acclaim and recognition.

Walter Stern directed the video as well as Firestarter, Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve and Massive Attach Teardrop. Some of the greatest music videos of all time in my view.

I had the very great pleasure of seeing The Prodigy play at Electric Picnic a number of years ago.  Their music is visceral for me. I relate to their raw energy and anti-establishment stance.

Apparently, they refused  to appear on Top of The Pops as it was too commercial which was a very brave move when they were starting out.  I never realized that their style is known as electronic punk. ‘Godfathers of rave’ was a term used to describe them which to me is a perfect description.

The track ‘Smack my bitch up’ was banned around the world as people believed it glorified male to female violence.  The song actually refers to a guy injecting his girlfriend with heroine.  As ‘smack ‘is the slang for heroin. The following clip is an orchestral version of Voodoo People.

The Prodigy Orchestra Voodoo People

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM8Sa2UaV/

In the following clip Keith Flint and Richard Russell discuss their perspective on the lawless rave years.

The rave years with Keith Flint and Richard Russell

https://youtu.be/waAkAlbmu-k

I wonder if they will ever replace Keith?  It would be a very challenging task as he was so talented and unique. Here is hoping.

All the best

Stay Fab

Adele

I was on my way to Bull Island in Clontarf. An invitation for a talk on Bull Island by a representative from An Taisce (The National Trust for Ireland) had been sent to me by a friend. We were to meet at the Interpretative center where we would be enlightened with the Island’s history and its many birds.

When I got there my friend had befriended another attendee whilst she was waiting for me. This girl was dressed for a festival. Multi colored beanie with sown on dread locks and a denim jacket emblazoned with a giant butterfly on the back. My kinda style. I immediately warmed to her.  She had previously worked for An Taisce and regaled us with the story of the Blue Flag beach scams of the 90’s.

She told us of how people from various councils around the country pretended that their beach was blue flag. They would change the year that the flag was initially granted by coloring in the numbers. This made me smile. It would only happen in Ireland. Although upon further consideration I realized just how dangerous it can be.

On my way back along the coast I stopped as I noticed a man painting the yacht. Curiosity got the better of me and I stopped the car. I couldn’t help myself and tried to engage him in conversation.

His English was very poor but he spoke with me and told me that he was from Latvia. His name was ‘Igor’. He was on a mission to restore his boat to its former glory. He told me that it is a 55-foot three berth yacht that had sailed the Mediterranean and Adriatic Sea.

All the best

Stay fab

Adele

As I drove around the corner The Grand Hotel in Malahide and the sea greeted me. My heart lifted. Witnessing the sea in all its glory never failed to fill me with awe. I made a mental note to stop on the way back to photograph the large yacht.

It had run aground in front of the Russian homeless tent commune overlooking the beach following the three storms that we had in one week. The yacht was awesome, bent over on its side on a sand bank. I daydreamed about sailing away in it.

I then began to imagine that maybe one of the Russians had manifested it running aground. It was moored directly opposite where they lived no less than 100 yards away. I am sure that they spent many hours every day gazing at it. It appeared nobody owned it as it was in dire need of repair.

I knew that the commune of tents was Russian as I heard them talking one day whilst I walked past with my two dogs Buzz and Finn. The word ‘Spasibo’ was spoken which is Russian for‘ Thankyou’.I had learnt this word (and a few others) whilst on a three-month contract in Kazakhstan as an Accreditation Healthcare Consultant in 2013.

Which incidentally was probably one of my favorite places to work. They were Muslim people and the kindest and most caring that I had ever met. They also had a great sense of humor. I will write another blog on my experiences.

All the best
Stay fab
Adele

I started a diet a few months ago and the results have been less than satisfactory. Whenever I start one all I can hear is Marjory from Little Britain screaming ‘I love a bit of cake’. And then unfortunately I become obsessed with having a bit of cake.

Little Britain – Fat fighters ‘Cake’ .

https://youtu.be/DGLOMTXL7-M

Or the prospect of having to eat dust also comes to mind.

Little Britain-Fat fighters ‘Dust’

https://youtu.be/Nv7qh_XL_yM

This type of comedy is no longer deemed correct as it is seen as being too offensive to fat people.

Little Britain – Fat fighters (Marjory)

https://youtu.be/uaLikjgJssk

‘Hey fatty bum bum’.  I used to sing this as a child and thought that it was hilarious.  At the time it just seemed like a funny rhyme.

Little Britain is now part of the cancel culture. I don’t truly understand this thinking as I see my favorite types of comedy as being offensive. It is a breath of fresh air when a comedian says something out loud that I may have been thinking but have been too afraid to voice.

I have been at a comedy club in Dublin and been insulted.  But I just laughed wholeheartedly. Taking life seriously is a full-time job and when I am at a comedy club, I seek a break from the societal conventions of always saying and doing the right thing.

Little Britain – Fat fighters (Marjory) and Meera ‘Curry’.

https://youtu.be/YpiAhxaE_oI

This clip can be seen as quite racist but I just see it as one person not understanding the accent of another. As an Irish person we have so many different dialects and we frequently get tourists trying to imitate the Irish accent.  None of us take offence as we just see it as light hearted banter.  Am I wrong?  Let me know what you think. I ‘m off to have some dust.

All the best

Stay Fab

Adele