Saturday, January 26, 2008

Weekend entertainment - Portishead

I happened to be in a bar the other night (now there's a surprise!) where the TV screen was showing a film of Portishead in concert. Utterly mesmerising, even without the sound (though it was rather disconcerting, annoying to have other background music playing over the top of it - why??). I'd never seen this film before. Apparently it was recorded at New York's Roseland Ballroom in late 1997. I think I'm going to have to get this DVD.

Their fantastic debut album Dummy came out just before my first visit to China in 1994, and I was introduced to it by Toby, one of the friends I visited out here. I don't think he gave me a tape of it, as he did with one or two other albums of his that I liked, but the songs lingered in my head so powerfully that I always think of them as part of the 'soundtrack' of my travels that year.

I had intended to start posting some favourite songs from YouTube on here every week or so, or at least once or twice a month; but I haven't quite got into the habit yet. I will try and do better from now on. I did make a faltering start a while back, with clips of Liz Phair and Belly.

I learn from a quick noodle around the Internet that, after a 10-year walkabout, Portishead are finally about to bring out a third album in just a few months' time. I look foward to it.

And yes, I am hopelessly, hopelessly smitten with Beth Gibbons.

This is the song Roads from that Roseland performance.


5 comments:

Tulsa said...

how drunk were you/disoriented by the overhead, live band, concert video disconnect were you last night? Do I need to provide useful reminders about additional challenges?

by the way, Dear Readers, check out the Dating Series on The Bar Prop... well worth the click-over.

Anonymous said...

How many women are you smitten with??
I think you should have an article about this. "All the women who don't know I'm in love with them".

The list will be long. It would be really grate if you also posted a picture of each of them as well.

I look forward to that post.

Earthling.

Froog said...

I am getting around to it, Earthling, in serial form.

There is something of a difference between women I'm "in love with" who I will never meet (and would never stand a chance with if I did) - like [cue list of devastatingly talented redheaded singers] Beth Gibbons, Margo Timmins, Eddi Reader - and women I actually know and swoon for secretly (only one, not a redhead).

Pictures are appearing in the 'My Fantasy Girlfriends' series. Foibles of tact and decency will probably prevent me ever posting pictures of women I am actually dating or trying to date - sorry.

Anonymous said...

A very lovely lady indeed.

Can we assume that the lovely Madame X is also a redhead?

Froog said...

Ah, Snopes, still with the taunting?

X is not a redhead. I give you no more than that.