Rules:


01. Post this meme along with your current wallpaper.
02. Explain in five sentences why you're using that wallpaper!
03. Don't change your wallpaper before doing this! The point is to see what you had on!

(click to enlarge)

Coherent sentences impossible but will try.

1. Jimmy Page. 2. Ciggy-in-mouth. 3. Earl's Court hair. 4. Black dragon suit. 5. Supersexy Guitar God backlit with devil's glow hotness.

What, you expected nekkid men?! :D

Dammit so far as I am aware It Might Get Loud STILL has no definite UK theatrical release! Grrrrrrr Aaaaaargh




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In 1979 filmmaker Derek Jarman made 3 music videos for Marianne Faithfull's album Broken English.

Broken English




Ballad of Lucy Jordan



Haven't been able to find Jarman's video for Witches Song, sadly. You can, however, watch BBC4 programme Close Up with Marianne (1999), in 5 parts

Sound quality on this clip is AWFUL but it is SO funny I had to post it anyway. Jack White shows how to deal with an audience member who jumped onstage during a White Stripes performance (2005). That inconsiderate idiot is damn lucky he only received a verbal assault given Jack's proven pugilistic skills and strong right arm!

BTW Jack's creative commentary is helpfully transcribed under 'More info' and the song is Fell in Love with a Girl.

Can anyone recommend a free (idiot proof) program to convert mp4 to mp3 so I can listen to the file on my cd/mp3 player?

In a week that saw Adam Lambert lose the American Idol contest he was tipped to win, widely believed because he's flamboyantly gay, and Church of England bishops fight for the right to criticise gay lifestyle in opposition to UK government plans to amend the incitement to hatred laws, it is important to remember how far we have come since the Stonewall riots 40 years ago next month.

Late last night the Church of Scotland voted to uphold the decision to appoint an openly gay minister to an Aberdeen kirk. Rev Scott Rennie had been supported by a majority of his congregation, but the appointment went to a vote because of the opposition of a small but vociferous minority backed by an assortment of anti-gay campaigners.

Meanwhile in the US Prsident Obama seems to be setting the tone for a quiet revolution in gay rights, according to an article in today's Observer:

Even 40 years on, police officer Seymour Pine is still amazed. "We knew something had happened that had never happened before. We'd never had any trouble, but it just came out of nowhere," he said.

"It" was the Stonewall riot in the early hours of 28 June, 1969, in New York's Greenwich Village, when, sick of being harassed, the gay community fought back en masse for the first time and the grassroots gay and lesbian equality movement was born.

Deputy Inspector Pine led the raid on the Stonewall Inn that night, when his handful of club-wielding officers suddenly came under siege from an angry mob of gay men and women.

"It was never the same again," the 89-year-old retired policeman said from New Jersey last week, admitting that the police were anti-gay, but just "doing our jobs" when the raid turned into a riot.

Now he's witnessing another gay revolution across the US - less violent, but no less significant, and one he is comfortable with. "It's another turning point. The country has come a long way," he said.

click to read the rest of the article

I am not suggesting the battles have been won and all is sweetness and light in the garden, far from it even in Europe and North America, and things are considerably worse for GLBT people in many parts of the world such as Islamic countries. There is still a casual acceptance of homophobia, as evidenced by the reaction on Led Zeppelin boards, for e.g., to Adam Lambert's performance of Whole Lotta Love as I have posted about recently. However, there are good signs the majority of people just don't see sexuality as an issue any more, which gives hope for the future.

This evening we went to see one of my favourite musicians, Dougie MacLean, in concert, and it was wonderful.

I love Dougie's music so muich, and This Love Will Carry is my favourite of his songs. Tonight, just as I was thinking he wasn't going to do it, there it was, the final song of his set. Beautiful in every way. He is a lovely man who knows how to work an audience. Enjoy!

I had never seen this clip before, Wes Scantlin & Fred Durst at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2001, cover Thank You, with Jimmy Page (he strolls onstage with his doubleneck around 2:00 mins.) Apparently the performance was pretty much a last minute thing to cover for a no-show act. The first time I watched I thought it pretty awful, but it has grown on me. The best part though is Wes & Fred fanboying Jimmy- like when they both turn to look at him on the line "If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you" at 4:35. Wes said in an interview he was shaking the whole time.

The two guitars don't seem to my ears to mesh particularly well, and though Fred obviously sings with feeling in his heart, he sure ain't no Percy Plant. Still, it's not that bad and probably introduced Zep to a lot of fans who'd never heard their music before, which is a pretty good reason for Jimmy to agree to these things.




It's Banker Jimmy :)

WOW!!!!!

Ang Lee + Woodstock + pretty boys + cross-dressing + a gay coming of age story?! It's like Christmas. :D




In the summer of 1969, Elliot Tiber's life changed in a way he never could have foreseen. Greenwich Village had become the mecca for gays in America. There, Elliot had socialized with the likes of Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Andy Warhol, and a talented young photographer named Robert Mapplethorpe, and yet had managed to keep his gay life a secret from his family. Then on Friday, June 27, Elliot walked into the Stonewall Inn and witnessed the riot that would galvanize the gay movement in the United States. And on July 17, when Elliot read that the Woodstock Concert promoters had lost their license to stage the show in Wallkill, he called to offer his help in finding a new venue. In the days that followed, Elliot found himself swept up in a vortex that would change his life forever.


Taking Woodstock theatrical trailer full size

Elliot Tiber- Taking Woodstock: a true story of a riot, a concert and a life

The Advocate interview with James Schamus

Something else to look forward to this Summer.

So the runaway favourite Norway won Eurovision 2009 with a pretty twink singng his own song, Fairytale. Awwwwwwwww he is SO cute.




More fun was Ukraine's kinky entry Svetlana Loboda's Be my Valentine!.



I had a melting episode myself earlier, when somehow I managed to sit on a piece of very dark 85% cocoa chocolate and when I got up it was spldged all over the chair and my posterior not at all sexily unlike Svetlana, who tried so very hard to woo the voters.


What about delightfully campy Swedish mezo-soprano Malena Ernman's La Voix ?





The UK came fifth, our best placing in a long while, due to revised rules to prevent block voting (we have no friends) with our song off the X-Factor (just kidding but that's what it sounds like).

We went to see the new Star Trek movie last night...then later I read Kirk/Spock fanfic.

Yeah, I LOVED the film, quite against my expectations, as a fan of the original for about 40 years (EEEEK). Kirk/Spock was my first 'ship at the tender age of 12, before I knew about gay relationships never mind slash- Baby C wrote (very bad) fanfic (as it would be called now) with a friend equally obsessed. I never got into any of the follow-up series, not sure why, and though I enjoyed the films with the original characters there was always a sadness about how much older they were, particularly in those later years.

It is every bit as slashy as the original- YAY!!!

You can nitpick the plot- Kirk's meteoric rise for e.g.- but you could do THAT with the OS, too. The special effects were, of course, great but did not overwhelm the story as in so many modern blockbusters. Everything looked 'right' though subtly updated, like for e.g. the uniforms (nice to see miniskirts though the mens' tops lack the appealing clinginess of their originals, and 60s details in some makeup/wardrobe). They manage to appeal to the nostalgic like me while cleverly re-inventing the franchise so they have freedom for future productions surely to follow. There was no doubting this was Original Star Trek yet something new and exciting, too. I can't tell you how amazing it is to have a 40 year-old obsession rekindled like this!

I loved how the film focuses on Kirk/Spock but has room for Kirk/McCoy, too. To be honest I wasn't THAT impressed by Chris Pine. He LOOKS pretty and has a certain cocky charm that suits young James T Kirk, but lacks William Shatner's charisma and raw sex appeal (if you haven't seen the OST and only know later years Shatner you'll think I'm crazy here). Or maybe it's just that I am not attracted to the new guy whereas Shatner made my adolescent pants damp.

Zachary Quinto is a decent Spock, though maybe doesn't have Leonard Nimoy's calm aloofness quite nailed- yet- but LOOKS the part, which is enough. Karl Urban's McCoy probably is closest to the original- uncanny how much he SOUNDS like DeForest Kelly.

Before seeing the film I was VERY sceptical about Simon Peg as Scotty, but am now eating my words. As a Scot you have no idea how good it is to hear a creditable attempt at a Scottish accent! :D I did think they played the character a little too much for laughs, but light relief isn't a bad thing and humour was a big part of the OS.

Chekov's accent was laid on a little thick, I thought, but he is such a cute twink how can I criticise?! Sulu is gorgeous, and I liked the way they worked in his fencing, even if it wasn't shirtless, as a nod to canon.

Eric Bana as the villain Nero was a bit under-used and just not BAD enough as a result, anyway he didn't make THAT much of an impression compared with, say, Ricardo Montalban's Khan from the early 80s movie.

However, what stood out for me, and made me cry a couple of times I confess, was the presence of Leonard Nimoy and his scenes with Zachary Quinto's Spock and Chris Pine's Kirk. Lifted the film to a whole other level. It is Spock's movie as much, if not more than Kirk's and I'm very pleased about that.

What I didn't like so much was the whole Uhura/Spock storyline, though I know it has canon basis. I don't know, to me it felt like they stuck it in purposefully because they decided it needed a hetero relationship to balance the flaming bromance of Kirk/Spock, which left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Could they not have developed Uhura as a strong female character, something I have no quibble with, without having to attach her romantically? Ach.

Anyway, I like how they have created something new and shiny that still is the Star Trek I grew up with and love so much. This makes me a VERY happy fangirl. Though when I think of the characters and read fanfic, it is still Shatner, Nimoy et al I see in my head not their modern versions.

I read Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic novel The Road last year, and was shattered by it, so much so there was no way I could write a review. It is a beautiful father-son story and the film adaptation comes out in October, starring Viggo Mortensen. When I heard about it I was afraid they would sugarcoat the relentless bleakness of the book, which truly is harrowing to read- parts I had to put down and come back to, one scene in particular haunts me still and always will. Well, on the basis of the trailer it looks like my concerns were unfounded.




If you haven't read the book you MUST, though it is not an easy read. The writing is simply amazing, powerful, poetic, totally and horrifically realistic. ( cut for a spoiler )

OMG Eurovision meets Rocky Horror. :D Trashy & camp, totally OTT (a bit like LZ you could say), but something about this take on Black Dog appeals to me (did I just say that?!). I have no idea what the Zodiac show is, but American Idol contestant and Zep fan Adam Lambert makes a fleeting apearance about 1:26 mins. in.




*hits replay*

Jack White knows how to pick a good song to cover, in this case the Raconteurs version of the Flamin Groovies- now THERE'S a blast from the past I hadn't thought about in YEARS!- Headin' for the Texas Border, San Francisco blues-rock from 1970 album, Flamingo. Pretty Jack and guitar duelling. Mmmmmnnnnnnn

It has been AGES since I posted any Hot Pictures of Jimmy Page, so, since I've been listening to the Blue Congo matrix boot of the show from 25th May 1975 tonight, here's some Earl's Court pretty and a clip of one of my favourite songs


( Dragon suit hotness ahead )

How I love Jimmy's '75 hair. Sigh. Now it is time for bed and sweet dreams, I hope. Have a good evening.

I haven't read Kevin Sampson's 1998 novel Awaydays but a film adaptation is coming out in a week or two that sounds rather interesting. The heart of the book/film is a coming of age story, a young lad's search for identity set in the grim wasteland of late 70s Liverpool, a scene that fused football, fighting, floppy fringes, sportswear-as-fashion, and atmospheric post-punk music from bands such as the Cure, Ultravox, Joy Division, Echo & The Bunnymen.



The story centres on the relationship between Elvis and Carty, best mates who want different things but have an intense connection. Carty is a nice middle class boy working as a juniour civil servant who spends his money on clubs & gigs, records and football to escape everyday drudgery, and Elvis, a member of a stylish gang of football hooligans called the Pack.




He had a track list to die for in his head, but only £10,000 in his pocket ... Kevin Sampson explains how he managed to wangle the ultimate soundtrack to his film: Permission impossible



Awaydays official site

Earlier this evening I watched BBC4 documentary Peter Green: Man of the World which reminded me how much I love early Fleetwood Mac and Peter Green.

Here are two tracks that couldn't be further from that piece of fun pop I posted earlier- the almost unbearable sadness and haunting melody of Man of the World followed by the dark descent of The Green Manalishi.

Just the fact Geri Halliwell disliked them so much (a touch of the green-eyed monster perhaps?) they were kicked off X-Factor a couple of years ago makes me feel good about this very British girl group whose lead singer has a distinctive Mancunian accent.

Pop should be fun and the Dollys certainly provide that! :)



I can't believe I've posted about reality TV twice in the last couple of days, though I NEVER watch the shows.

Adam Lambert seems like a sweet kid and I wish him well, honestly, but I have to say I did not like his version of Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love.

Sorry if this upsets anyone on my Friends list as I know some of you have been smitten by Adam's charms and here I am an upstart who doesn't follow the show (UK or US) and only watched this clip because of the song he chose- and hey, you know how I love pretty boys in eyeliner, but he was no Rock God for me. Sorry.

It was cheesy, but worse than that there wasn't the dirty, lowdown sexual vibe that song demands. I prefer the Leona Lewis version from the Beijing Olympics Handover show, though admittedly she had the advantage of Jimmy Page on guitar.

This is a fantastic cover of the old Byrds (written by Roger McGuinn) song Lover of the Bayou by Tom Petty with his reformed original band Mudcrutch from their self-titled album released last year.

Fantastic guitar (Mike Campbell should be better known) and keyboards (the amazing Benmont Tench). Ol' Tom looks fine.