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musicandchips
Thoughts from 30-Something London
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Friday, November 21, 2003 :::
The Long and Winding Road
It's a good job I can blog sitting down, because my legs are killing me today, and my back aches terribly. The reason for this is that yesterday I, along with an estimated 200,000 fellow countrymen of all ages, professions, faiths and fortunes, took to the streets of London to voice our concern over the effect George Bush's policies are having on our world. Initially I was also there to express my anger over his presence in my city, and the decision to grant his visit State status, however it became immediately evident on arriving at the march that it was his very presence that provided the focus needed to mobilise such a huge number of people on a Thursday afternoon. And it was a truly moving sight. I was on both the previous big demos prior to the invasion, both considerably larger than yesterday's (being on the weekend), but the atmosphere yesterday was slightly different. In addition to a palpable anger and dissapointment directed at Bush and Blair, there was a more subtle excitement, and almost relief, as people realised very quickly that their views were still shared by the majority of the population, that they weren't the only ones holding firm as everyone else rolled over and accepted the battle as lost, and the resulting feeling of camaraderie and union was very powerful. The first big marches, for many the first time they had ever demonstrated a cause, had the feeling of an awkward get-together, like the first day of senior school. Yesterday was more like the reunion of old friends, battle-weary veterans re-grouping for another assault, all knowing looks and grim determination. One criticism levelled at the movement has always been it's inability to unite behind one cause, rather than being a hotch-potch mixture of various complaints; Free Palestine, get out of Iraq, stick to the Kyoto accords, Anti-capitalism, etc etc. I've never personally understood why the legitimacy of these sentiments should be questionable due to their alliance, to me it's the fact there are so many interlinked issues that give the entire argument, that the current system isn't working, it's validity. But yesterday there was a common cause, a single focus for all the resentment and anger, and that focus was the person of the president.
I remember thinking as I shuffled south over Waterloo Bridge, two feet among hundreds of thousands in a 4-mile human millipede, the middle of which I could see half a mile away to my right as it worked it's way back north over Westminster Bridge adjacent to the Houses of Parliament, the head having long ago arrived in Trafalgar Square (still a couple of miles away for me); I remember thinking how odd that one man could be the focus of so much anger. I mean, how can one human being be allowed to make such a hash of his job that he p*sses everyone else off so badly that they feel the need to blow themselves up in public, or travel to their capital to protest march? Surely there must be some mechanism to prevent this kind of thing happening? I don't have any answers beyond that provided by a particularly drunk guy, leaning heavily on his home-made placard featuring a picture of a cow, and bellowing at the top of his voice every few minutes, "George Bush, Ger orf moi laaaand!"
After the march and a wander around a distinctly unfamiliar-looking and completely packed Trafalgar Square, which was fantastic for seeing all the weird and wonderful costumes, banners, props and slogans people had come up with, it was off to the Fuel Bar in Covent Garden for a rest and a well-earned pint. As a quick aside, if you ever go to Covent Garden ignore the over-crowded and over-priced Punch and Judy and seek out Fuel. It's kind of secret, you have to go into what looks like a cafe's kitchen then up a spiral staircase to find it, but once there it is warm in decor, welcoming in mood, and has a great terrace with views of most of the square. Later in the evening it has a small club that opens in its basement, an old cellar with low, arched ceilings and loads of nooks and crannies. Anyhow, once inside something happened which regular readers will know is very rare in London, it's absence being a bone of some contention among many young people and fequent speculation on this blog; we had a great time with a group of complete strangers, and by the end of the night (sometime around 2) had made some new friends! Yep, all in all yesterday was a good day.
But not for all. Poor old MJ, looks like his perversions have finally caught up with him. It's a bit unfortunate that his arrest is getting so much press considering we don't yet know anything beyond the vaguest of details about the accusations being levelled against him, effectively casting him as guilty in the eyes of the world irrespective of the facts of the case, but it sure doesn't look good. His previous dalliances with the Jordy Chandler payoff and the more 'intimate' moments of the Bashir interview won't help his defence much either. I used to believe him to be innocent of the charges of child mollestation, arguing to myself the anyone so immersed in their own strange infantalism would be incapable of the very adult act of sexploitation. I mean he just didn't fit the profile of your average paedophile. Now however I'm not so sure, and the protestations of his legal team that they will fight the lies to their last breath sound hollow and boy-who-cried-wolf-ish. Whatever happens his career is over. He'll either go down for a long stretch or settle out-of-court again (although if rumour is to be believed he's pretty much on his uppers at the moment), and even if he goes to trial and is acquitted the damage to his image will have already been done. Poor sales of his last couple of albums will merely serve to drive Sony even further down the road of distancing themselves from their troubled megastar. Greatest Hits compilations are always a sign that a label has lost faith in an artist, so maybe this will be the nail in the coffin for MJ and his long, illustrious career. Shame, as he wrote some belters in his time!
Today I'm listening to some demo the chap I share an office with has on very loud. For about the hundredth time this week. It was ok the first few times, but now it's just boring and making it hard to concentrate.
::: posted by Andy at 11/21/2003 03:02:00 PM
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