The Brit Pack

I don't give a hoot what anyone says - I like Coldplay and I also like James Blunt. Just got through reading yet more slating of the aforementioned artists in the popular press and to be frank I am sick and tired of it.

For one thing they actually have musical abilty, they sing, they write their own material, they are original (i.e. they don't just do covers and they have their own individual style), they write about stuff that is meaningful to them, they are fairly real when interviewed and they are not afraid to have opinions about things.

There's loads more slateworthy bands around at the moment, they are all over the British and American charts if you care to look. You know the type of band I mean - boy bands, girl bands, bands who only do covers, bands who don't play instruments and are incapable of writing songs themselves. Who do I maen, well to name but a few - Pussy Cat Dolls, Westlife, or those like Meck and Eric Prydz who take a sample from a famous track and put it to a dance track. When you hear most of these boy/girlie/popstar people interviewed they simper and giggle, they have no real opinions (probably because they are grooomed by their management as to what they can and can't say) and they often don't know much about music either - probably from being part of a manufactured set-up rather than from getting into music for the sheer love of it and working your way up through gigging etc.

So why so much slating of artists who obviously have some talent and so little of those who clearly have very little? Is it because if someone gets too big we want to cut them back down to size? I guess it follows the long tradition of true genius being slated by the media and critics, wasn't it Van Gogh who was only recognised by the establishment after his death? Also in Britain we do seem to like shooting people down when they are doing well - do you remember how the press turned on Phil Collins? What is it all about??

I made a concious decision that this year I would watch the Brit awards when it was on TV (normally I avoid them). This was partly due to the fact that N wanted to see them and also because there is so little music on tv these days and I am desperate for any little tit bit that comes my way! We do have MTV and VH1 but there is very little music on either channel these days - VH1 is given over largely to programmes about celebrity lifestyle and excess and MTV is full of diabolical reality tv shows, dangerous stunts and celebs playing tricks on one another - TV for the intelligent - I think not! It's truly depressing. Maybe we should rename it CTV (Celeb TV) or even CCTV.

Pupski's Rundown on the Brits

Kaiser Chiefs - Brilliant band and all critical acclaim well deserved in my opinion.

Coldplay - excellent, but what's with the tape on the fingers and could Chris Martin please stop showing us his belly button?

Prince - excellent guitarist but looking alarmingly like Michael Jackson these days.

Kelly Clarkson - Who and why?

K.T. Tunstall - pretty but I don't quite get it (I must try harder!).

James Blunt - Well deserved and refreshing to see a star who looks nervous.

Paul Weller - true genius

Best moment - when Chris Evans asked Boy George if he really called the police when he had loads of drugs stashed under his bed.

New Trends started:

Stripey leggings

Mops of curly hair (for men)

tights that have one black leg and one white

gold body paint