Mama Roisin

If it wasn't for the poor stage lighting, The Bully on Oxford's Cowley Road would be a great little venue. (not enough and what there is is too RED dominated).
Anyway it is a cold Saturday night and what better way to warming up than to go and see Mama Roisin.
A young Swiss trio playing a mixture of Cajun, Zydeco music with the energy and rawness of a punk band. Line up of percussion (including extensive use of the washboard), guitar and banjo, and accordion, with Harmonica, a loud hailer and maracas adding to the sound.

Being Swiss, and suspect from a French speaking canton around Lake Geneva, they are particularly adept in getting over the French/English sound from Americas' deep south. It was also rather charming when between songs introductions were done in heavily French accented English which I am sure the women in the audience fully appreciated.
Shortish set, which we made our entrance during the first number (75minutes) galloped along at a pace with dancing mainly by the women down at the front. Joined half way through by two Oxford based friends, they slipped into some roaring Delta blues and even a surfing song.

But in someways the highlight was their last encore number where they unplugged themselves and got down into the audience and played walking around amongst the crowd, washboard, banjo and accordion. Extraordinarily excellent.

Here is a link to a Guardian article about them.

Black Swan

Oscar winning performance from Portman although she overacted the self pleasuring scene as if she was a porn star. Probably the best central performance role for a woman in a long time, she must be in every shot.
Very decent film which builds to a climax in her performance in Swan Lake. The shots of the dancing are very well done although there is endless flutterings of arms, but the hand held camera on her shoulder got annoying.
But walked out afterwards with the glass only three quarters full.
8.25 / 10

The King's Speech

Quite simply the best movie we have seen for a long time. Colin Firth puts in a very solid and convincing performance, but for me, and SWMBO, Geoffrey Rush is the real star, watchable for every single frame he is on. Should scoop all the awards and deservedly so. Only minor quible, the period lighting is taken a little bit too far.
9.75 / 10

Kevin Montgomery and the Endangered Livers

Friday night, Tingewick, and first gig for 2011. Disappointed to see on arrival all the seats had been spread out and were at least occupied by the crowd seeing the support. Bad omen, as it will depress atmosphere. Had a quick one in the pub opposite, and notice Kevin Montgomery and band come in and take drinks back to their Winnebago parked outside the hall. Get in and position myself very close right of stage but standing up leaning against the wall.
KM opens up with him and his regular guitarist and another guy on electric piano. 3 songs during which I feel my phone going off in my pocket. Third song ends, and Weather Report's Palladium erupts from my trouser pocket, KM fortunatly makes a symphatic joke about it, I go to switch off, notice alot of repeat messages, read one,  and discover bad news which I am powerless to do really anthing about. Go outside and find higher ground as signal very poor and get the real news. Not good.
Go back inside and sit on large storage radiator at rear of hall only half listening to show so was not receptive to what was going on.
However, show was distinctly average, I suppose I imagined something a bit more, but not be. Nothing new, nothing fresh, nothing that stood out. Best song was Jackson Browne's 'These Days' where his guitarist did sound like David Lindley and there was another self composition but cant recall what is was called.
Good bloke though, and by the end at least two more orders of pints had been delivered from the pub, endangered livers indeed. I know find that although from Nashville, he lives in Glasgow, has been a backing singer for Presley and Dylan, and his father Bob, was best mates and song writing partner to Buddy Holly, so some pedigree there.

Somehow I think he needs a new and better producer.

Like Water For Chocolate

1992 Mexican film taken from a popular novel by Laura Esquivel, the director, Alfonso Arau's then wife. Based on food and lust it was rather charming and funny in places and rattled along at a quick pace which in someways was its pitfall as it really could have been a pot boiler.
Picture from the dvd was in a strange square format on our HD tele, and when changing to full screen, most of the subtitles went missing.
8.25 / 10

HDR Photography

First real attempt at HDR photography. 3 images combined into one, one under exposed by 2 stops, one normal and the third over exposed by 2 stops. Notice the ghost image of the blue rope. The normal one has been tweaked in photoshop but more understanding needed.

This one is untweaked.

New Years Goal

Set myself a target to ride 1000miles in a year. That does not sound a lot, in fact 3.65miles a day. But then I have no chance during the week so it is going to be a weekend activity, which makes it 25miles over two days.
So with the help of my trusty Garmin ETrex Venture mounted on the handlebars and Garmin Connect set up to record all my activities I was away.
So 8 miles today.