That Was That...

Today I saw 'Michael Jackson's This Is It' for the 2nd time in a week. A glutton for punishment some may say, others may think of me as one of those crazies that were all over the news when he moonwalked off this planet. I think I'm right in the middle.

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with him. There is video existing somewhere of me and my sister doing the full routine from the 'Scream' video when it came out. We were at my grandparents house and I'd taped the premiere of the video on Top Of The Pops the night before. I must have watched it on a loop for the entire day before I somehow roped my sister into doing the dance with me. I remember spending ages getting the moves exactly right and then getting my Grandad to film it on his breezeblock of a video camera, which I then watched back over and over too. Over the years I kind of out grew him (it's pretty safe to say his 90's output wasn't amazing, plus I had Madonna to contend with, but that's a different story...), but I always held a special place for him and his music, even if it was uncool to listen to.

My friend Lola, another lifelong fan who I went with today, said something that made me remember all of this. She said 'Michael Jackson really was the first person I ever gave my heart to', which is also true of myself. Between his and Madonna's music and videos, I can remember specific moments of my childhood, where I was, what I was doing, how I felt. It makes me sad that he's gone, but watching this film really hammers home the fact that he actually was one of the most talented individuals.

There is nothing in the film that is not about the music. His family aren't in it, he doesn't get interviewed, there's nothing about the press speculation of the tour, just the music. And it just so happens that the music sounds better than it has ever done. It's an odd feeling going to the cinema, but not to see a 'film'. You kind of feel like one of the team members working on the show, just doing your job, but there happens to be the most famous male popstar on the planet 3 feet from you giving his all in a rehearsal for a show that would've placed him right back at the top of the pop pile. That's the real tragedy here, that he wasn't able to do for his fans what they had wanted for the best part of 15 years. I didn't even try to get tickets for the shows, but I feel like I've missed out.

Polishing a turd...

Ok so Celebration is out, and putting all mastering errors and shit DVD quality aside, it has given us two new Madonna tracks: the poppers o'clock gayarama of 'Celebration' and the autotuned-to-fuck cover that is 'Revolver'.

Upon first hearing the demo of 'Revolver' some months ago, I loved it but I couldn't imagine Madonna singing it. It was catchy, it was well produced, but above all it was sang by someone who could actually sing that kind of song and not sound like a robot doing karaoke. The Madonna version is just the wrong side of that analogy unfortunately, and with the inclusion of the badly edited Lil Wayne rap, it goes far and beyond what a Madonna song should be.

HOWEVER. Rumours of 'Revolver' becoming a single seemed more true yesterday when David Guetta premiered his remix of the track during a set he was playing. I LOVE IT. It's a full on rave rework, the only thing from the album version that survives is the lifeless electronic vocal, which sounds more fitting to this mix (not to mention you can actually hear Madonna's voice, or what's left of it). Check out the video below and skip to the 5.30 mark to hear it. Guetta says (in french) that it's the next single and that he made the remix literally the day before and that it's not quite finished yet.

Why not?

Just like Raindrops...

Basement Jaxx are one of those bands that I always forget about, until they bring a new single out and I realise I fucking love them. Their new single 'Raindrops' has already infiltrated my brain and is going to be one of my most played songs this summer by far. It's 100% Jaxx whilst being totally new at the same time. It sounds like it could've been on Rooty, yet also sounds like the soundtrack to summer 2020, which of course is amazing.

I was on the train today, 'Breakaway' from Rooty blasting in my ears, and I didn't have a care in the world. I need to enjoy this summer, uni is over, i've worked hard for three years, i need to make this summer count...

Uni

University is finally coming to an end. Three long, hard, stressfilled years. And now the final push, this week I hand my dissertation in (if you can call it that, it's only 4000 words, I've written two other essays of that length this year).

I'm happy to be moving on, to be getting out into the real world and making my life what I want it to be. But I can't help but wonder how life is going to be without seeing the same faces day in, day out. It's going to be strange not dragging myself in at 9am on a Sunday for Interface rehearsals and laughing at the Duffy's 'scouse-isms', or looking around in Michelle's contemporary class and seeing everyone giving her the side eye for making us do an extra set of press ups, or deciding to jib Tracy's jazz class to go for dinner with my Ginger sistas instead.

There's probably a lot of the 45 people on my course that I'll never see again, and that is a sad thought. This week I've come to realise that, I've hated uni, the campus, the trek to and from it, the course itself, most of the modules, the unfair marking system etc... but what I have enjoyed is spending time with some fabulous people who make me laugh no end, are there for each other, and are always willing to accept people no mater what (mostly haha).

Two more weeks...

Danielle of the Triffyds

Oh dear...

...the morning after the night before

Ah, lazy saturdays...

...you can't beat Come Dine With Me!

3 hours later...

...not a happy woman

Hard at work...

Bored shitless...

...and still a tranny :(

My view...

...from the lighting desk

And after an hour and a half of waiting around...

...the first bit is filmed. RIDICULOUS.

Craig is make up

BAD TRANNY YOU LAD!

Ali gets made up

I want to go out...

...as soon as the next loan comes in.

Summer is here...

... Or at least it was yesterday when I went for one of the few drinks i've ever had with uni people. A good time was had by all. It's amazing what a few cans of lager and a handstand or two can do!