The Promise

The Promise  is a 2005 Chinese epic fantasy film directed by Chen Kaige and is based on the Wuxia romance The Kun-lun Slave, written by Pei Hsing at the time of the Tang Dynasty.The budget was rumored to be $42M, surpassing the cost of Hero, and is yet again as with all Chinese films beautifully shot by Peter Pau.
Convoluted storyline and not the best of the recent chinese films we have seen, but its cinematography more than makes up for it short comings.
8/10

Tales of the Red Tuft

An exclusive book to Kindle
Tales of the Red Tuft, Prince Harry's tale

The American

Very decent thriller in the european fashion...not a lot of action...brooding silences...great photography...but an edge of seat movie just the same. Clooney yet again picks a decent role...has he had a dud role in the last decade? and he can pick his co-actresses. Which is the source of the only grumble...you would not get that class of hooker in an out of the way Italian hill town.

8.9 / 10

New Delhi

Tuk Tuk, note Swastika

Statue in Hari Krishna Temple

Taxi Drivers smoking Hash!

Top Gear nightmare

That Swastika emblem again. The swastika is one of the 108 symbols of Hindu deity Vishnu and represents the Sun's rays, upon which life depends.

Goa (days 3/4)

Goa (day 2 cont)

More rain but by mid afternoon a clearance had started ending in a reasonable sunset promising more for day three. Short lived as it rained yet again during the night but this morning its hot, steamy and blue skies.

Goa (day 2)

Monsoon still around here so its heavy showers and occasional sunshine. Even the locals say it is the latest they have know it to disappear.

The cows here like the beach life however!

Show of Hands

 

I had heard some good things about Show of Hands but it took an interview and a couple of numbers on Radcliffe and Marconi's Jurassic Walk a couple of weeks ago which made me sit up and notice.  With Empty Rooms promoting them in Buckingham' St Peter and St Paul's parish church as part of SOH Cathedrals and Churches tour a last minute appearance by me on the door would not prove a problem. And so it proved, Feeling fit enough after arriving back in Oxford at 7.30 from London, which was followed by a forty minute drive, I managed to park up close by and walk up to the church through the old centre of the town. I had driven past the church many a time, but had never stopped to look.

As I walked through the west  door, the group emerged onto a wide raised stage located in front of the rood screen with the choir behind. I took a spare seat upstairs as this was indeed a sell out of some 300+. 

There then followed three numbers by Steve Knightley and Phil Beer accompanied by Miranda Sykes on double bass and what a superb sound they made fully utilising the acoustics of the church. Vocally it was the best sound I have ever heard at a gig and in Steve Knightley, the best male singer I have witnessed.

They took a break after the opening numbers, introducing their support singer Jackie Oakes, another Devonian. More in the folk tradition, she was totally unaccompanied, the opening number in which she sat down sang whilst playing two fiddles laid on her lap, one hand picking the bass line on one fiddle whilst the other picked out the lead line on the other, quite extraordinary. What X Factor and the like are doing I have simply no idea, and it is in fact contemptible, for her was real talent on show. She did three songs, and SOH came back on for a further three before breaking for 20 minutes. 

I moved down from the balcony, grabbing a glass of wine (all for church funds of course) and explored the church looking for other vantage points to take photos, and to stand as sitting down is most stultifying.

Second half started with Steve Knightley singing away from the mike and stage in the centre aisle, two verses went by when the third verse, and totally unnoticed by me as I was practically standing next to her at the rear, Jackie Sykes, playing violin as she sang, started to walk down the aisle. They swooped verses, Steve standing still and Jackie preceding down the aisle. It was a song about marriage, and a excellent way of staging it. Jackie eventually reaching Steve by the altar.

Sykes then did a further three songs,followed by SOH winding up proceeding with two of the songs I had heard on the R&M show, AIG (Arrogance, Ignorance and Greed), Boys of Summer and a song co written back in 1992 with three exiled Chilean musicians, the leader a mining engineer, called Santiago. This of all nights when the miners were being bought to the surface over in Chile.

Not a foot tapper of a gig, as they had modified their set to use the churches acoustic qualities, but nonetheless, xxxxxxx excellent!

Eilen Jewell Band

For the third year running, a late summer early autumn Eilen Jewell Band gig and she never fails to give a great performance. Back again at Tingewick we came along in a party of 14, missing the opening number due to being in the pub opposite with its slow serving. We were greeted by rows of seats taking up the body of the hall which was a great disappointment, but I quickly headed for the front side and stood. The serried ranks of seated cut the atmosphere somewhat and if it was not for some heckling from the side (me) and a number of those standing at the back, Eilen would have had a problem of whipping the audience up, although must say the seated ones were certainly enjoying it.
So what must have been a 100 minute set, she covered songs from all four of the studio albums plus one of the Sacred Shakers side project. A mixture of mainly her own penned songs, and a couple of covers the heckling started when introducing one of her songs, the audience decided it was time for requests. Although known for playing numbers suggested by the audience, she appeared initially taken aback, but soon went for it and for the last third of the set played the requests. In doing so she then entered a dialogue with the audience and reduced the dulling effect of the seated ones immediately in front of her.
Before the two number encore the band did the ever expected Shakin All Over, which of course featured a tour de force of Gretsch guitar playing from Jerry Miller.
And so everybody then went home happy except for the few that made it back over to the pub for a further drink, to be joined by the band again, it had been suggested. I stood the band a drink which was reciprocated by Eilen back to me. Our party had been debating before the band came in how they make a living out of touring so I asked Johnny Sciascia to explain it to the gathered throng. He took my place at the table, and i think the much appreciated discussion went on for another twenty minutes.
Thank you Johnny for being such a good egg, and thank you Eilen for the drink. Next tour it has to be Oxford.
 The only downside arrived next day when I realised that I had left the smeary UV filter on my camera which notched the aperture down by one stop and with the minimal lighting in the venue, rendered the images rather unexposed. I have tried my best to enhance them but they have become rather grainy. I need a much faster lens if I am going to carry on doing this.

Avatar

Take Roger Dean's art work from the 70s', add a bang bang, shoot them up, good v evil, 'man with no name' storyline and you have Avatar.
After half way I was rather bored with it as it descended into a stereo-typical Hollywood movie.
For the half a billion dollars it cost, a complete waste of money.
Very disappointed, expected something much better.

As a film, 5/10
As a visual experience, 9.75/10

Tamara Drewe

Adapted from Posy Simmonds's Guardian comic strip we thoroughly enjoyed this BBC film probably more so because we knew nothing about the comic strip or even the film itself. After all it was a Saturday night and nothing to do after such a fun packed weekend previously.

And it was that fun packed weekend that for us was the key. Set in Dorset, which becomes more attractive everytime we set eyes on it, that link was quickly established, and the writers, living in Oxford, became oh so real. Then the double whammy, Tamara Drewe, being a journalist, goes off to do some work, open shot of music festival with in the foreground the Tipi Tent and the Big Top beyond, surely not the EOTR festival? Oh yes it is, for next shot is the Garden Stage looking out at the audience with the trees and follies forming the backdrop of the outside auditorium. Full crowd and we were there only six days previous. Could not believe our eyes.
The storyline gets a bit thin from the middle onwards as it tries to resolve itself in this compressed format but excellent performance by Tamsin Grieg as the wife and Roger Hallam as the philandering author, and Gemma Arterton is not bad as Tamara Drewe.
Again I have to agree with Rotten Tomatoes rating
7.8 / 10

The Felice Brothers @ The Troxy

So three days after seeing them at EOTR, here we are on the Commercial Road in London's east end seeing the Felices again.

The Troxy is a grade 2 listed Art deco cinema converted into a multi use venue. Holding 2600 it certainly is not a Hammersmith Apollo, or the old fabulous Rainbow, let alone Shepherds Bush Empire, a fact the James Felice obliquely refers to during the gig. It is a cavernous space, with a small stage and a poor sound system.

We arrived and made our way down to the front, previous act just finishing off, when the Felices come out and start setting up their gear. The drum kit is assembled before our eyes and then everything is then all miked up. This did not look right to me, main act should not be having to do this, and it ate into their allotted time.

Trigger, Roger Lloyd-Pack, came and stood in front of me with his daughter Emily Lloyd in tow (it could have been the other way around) and we proceeded to have a pleasant chat whilst the stage was readied, that is his mop of grey hair in the photo taken from my phone.

Anyway we got a full set, with I think three new songs, one of which sounded promising, 'Helen Fry' was added, but no St Stephens End, and to the disappointment of sections of the audience, no 'Whiskey in my Whiskey'.I thought they reluctantly did it at EOTR so maybe they are dropping it from their repertoire.

James F as always was immense in all meanings of the word. Farley was enjoying himself roving around the set. doubling up with the drumming occasionally near the end and using his washboard to crash the crash symbols. But their antics were restricted by the small stage.

The gospel song 'Two Hands' as second encore concluded the proceedings.

The Felices have hardened their sound, and listening to a bootleg recording of a year previous afterwards confirms this.

The Troxy's sound system mushed everything.

Set List

1. Marlboro Man
2. White Limo
3. Run Chicken Run
4. Murder By Mistletoe
5. Step Dad
6. River Jordan
7. Love Me Tenderly
8. Goddamn You, Jim
9. Roll On Arte
10. Fire!
11. Frankie's Gun
12. Turn On The TV
13. Frontiers
14. Let Me Come Home
15. Take This Bread

Encore

1. Helen Fry
2. Two Hands

End of The Road Festival

Finally after getting the tickets some two months previous, we arrive at the festival with it already underway. We check into our B&B just over a mile away, and go for an early evening meal in the 'Museum Pub' in the village of Farnham where we were staying. It is fair to say that it was the most expensive gastropub I have ever been in, but I can easily attest, I had the best steak I have ever had, wit for the first time, tripple cooked chips. Superb poached fig afterwards which we shared and it was back to the B&B where the other half not surprisingly opted for an early bed whilst I got on my bed, and in the pitch dark...no road lights..I cycled up the road then track heading for the lights and banners, then tents, then tall Indian folly standing in a field, then find the entrance, then given my first arm band of honour.

Our friends were already at the Garden Stage for Modest Mouse, and with reasonably explicit directions went to find them. I was wearing a Hi-Viz orange jacket and although I hand told Mike that was what I was wearing, must have walked straight past them, and not to meet up with them until the next morning.

So what follows are all the bands we got to see in chronological order.

But one interesting note, the hi-viz gives you access, or questions...'do you know when its predicted to rain' was one such question. Walk through a crowd, easy they just part aside. Big 35mm digital camera around your neck and you pass for officialdom.

Modest Mouse

All I knew about Modest Mouse was a colleague at work said they were a bit to heavy for his tastes having seen them at Glastonbury this year. And so it turned out. Driven on by two drummers sitting side by side, a sight I have not seen since the mid 70s with the likes of the Dobbie Brothers and Weather Report, it was not surprising, but throw into that mix, lead guitarist, Issac Brook playing Ukele and banjo as well, then an interesting mix is guaranteed. At times very good but yes, a bit to heavy. 

Edwin Collins

Just caught the closing numbers of this set and the first time I had seen him. Considering he has suffered two strokes I was mightily impressed. He bowed out to a great version of his hit, 'A Girl Like You' which featured a first rate guitar solo from an unknown woman. Who was she? (if it was a she)

The New Pornographers

Looking forward to this gig of the closing headliners in the Big Top but was a little disappointed. Went close to the stage to begin with but the vocal mix was poor so headed to behind the mixing desk which did improve the sound somewhat. But the lightness of their vocal interplay on the record was missing for most parts but the sound of four of them whistling in harmony on one particular song was a joy. But again like Modest Mouse, interesting in places. 

Citay

Never heard of Citay until a few days beforehand when I got notice from The Band Room in the North York Moors that they were playing there the night before this gig. The boys up in North Yorks know their music so that was good enough for me. We arrived late after a memourable tour around Salisbury Cathedral and they sounded rather good in a Grateful Dead type of way. Must look out for them again.

The Unthanks

First revelation of the weekend, these girls were brilliant, why have I not seen them before, a mystery! Folk music could describe it but it was much more than that.

Caitlin Rose

Second revelation of the festival following immediately after The Unthanks for me as I had heard only two tracks from her first record 'Own Side Now'. Only 23 years old, all her own songs and a killer voice, she mentioned off handely to the audience something like 'I am not a diva' but she is sure on her way to becoming one in the Patsy Cline / Loretta Lynn mode. She is more contemporary than those two giants and the sound although backed with telecaster and pedal steel is certainly not twangy in the Nashville way. Could do with adding a drummer to her live performances to give it a bit more steel. She was very well recieved from the crowd in the Local Tent, and performed a rare encore for the festival which kept strictly to their timings. One to watch out for.

Brakes

Caught a couple of songs from this Brighton based group, post punk with a bit of attitude, worth looking out for again.

Yo La Tenga

Never even heard of this cult New York band before a I have never heard such a schizophrenic group like this before. For a three piece they made a lot of noise, when they got a rhythm going it was like Scissors Sisters but only better, or it got little more experimental they were good. But then they started messing around either with extreme guitar feedback or some very twee songs and they were rubbish. In the end I did not know what to make of it. 

The Felice Brothers

The last day and after a late morning and early afternoon spent down on the coast, here are the real reason that bought us here, The Felice Brothers. We got a good position, just left of centre near the front but not to close. And what a joy they are. Songs were sung a long with by the crowd, humour appreciated, and although not as animated as we had previously seen probably because of the limitations of the stage, it was good to see a group really engaged with the crowd. James Felice, the big bear of a man, wielding his accordion around with gay abandon is the real star, overshadowing his brother Ian the lead singer. Greg Farley on violin and washboard is the mad man on stage and although restrained  today he still added as usual to the whole performance. It was interesting to note that Dave Turbeville had his drum kit set up right of stage, slightly elevated and facing in onto the stage with Christmas the bass player longside. Such a great idea as he occasionally would stand up to get more force into his bass pedal movement and it all felt more at one with the rest of the group rather than playing facing out at the rear of the rest of the group.  A curtailed set because of strict adherence to festival timings and finishing on a reluctant 'Whiskey in my Whiskey' Their sound was harder than a year ago and listening to a bootleg recording noticeably so.. The crowd wanted more and James Felice looked apologetically at us when he came back onto the stage to clear away their gear.

The festival crowd's favourite band IMHO 

Mountain Man

We came over to the Tipi Tent for a quick session of Mountain Man, three women to be precise, singing a cappella with the occasional acoustic guitar accompaniment. A sweet sound they did indeed make and worth exploring more. We stood behind the mixing desk which had a warning notice stuck to it which read, Tipi Tent, levels not to exceed 90db, No Exceptions. (90db is not particularly loud), but give him his dues, the engineer did in fact take measurements 

The Low Anthem

And now the third revelation of the weekend, The Low Anthem. Their latest cd, Charlie Darwin is OK but that just about it, but the live performance was something else. Playing mostly acoustic instruments, including a bowed saw, they filled the garden stage with a beautiful sound, slightly haunting, but fresh and quite removed from anything else we heard all weekend, and any other time to be truthful. Very enjoyable, and annoyingly they played the Bully on the Cowley Road a year ago.

Wilco

And finally the last act of the weekend, Wilco, big stage presence, a good light show, and a tremendous noise making a fitting ending to a great weekend. Will need to check out Wilco properly.

Next years earlybird tickets sold out within 9 hours of going on sale this week, and that shows what a great festival the End of The Road is. Will we go again? 

 

The Old Rectory, Farnham

Partial view of where we stayed only just over a mile from the festival site albeit downhill of it. A good steady climb up but a free wheel back down in virtual darkness. Well recommended.

 

Mike's Sunday Morning Breakfast

Sunday late morning, Mike who only had a coffee so far, was hungry and decided that it was time for breakfast (or entree for lunch later) so for that it was a beaker of jellied eels and whelks. Its called a strong stomach.