4 March 2010

Many years ago, I was walking from Surbiton Station to my small flat in a place called St Andrews Square. There is a busy road which I had to cross to arrive in the square, and on this particular evening I found myself in the square but couldn’t remember crossing that very busy road. It was a defining moment for me as I realised that while my mind was wondering I had crossed this road without being conscious of it, and could well have been killed or badly injured during my ’sleep-walk.’ From that day on I have tried to be aware always of what’s around me. I don’t possess an MP3 player or mobile phone - for me major distractions - and I find inspiration now in the smallest thing. Perhaps that’s why my passions in life are photography and music. I find inspiration in many things and I suspect it also lies behind the work of great musicians, actors, directors, artists, photographers and even the more enlightened business managers. But inspiration can appy to anyone, anywhere, any time.

I find inspiration in anything and everything, like the above snow scene while walking my little dog. It could be a teardrop of water hanging precariously on a leaf, a flower, a face, an event, a piece of writing, a melody, a performance, a movie - the list is endless. Photographers sometimes used the word ‘capture’ to describe the shooting of a special moment; it’s something you know when you see it or experience it; and as long as one remains aware and awake, the world one inhabits can be a special place. I never got to the cinema (I fall asleep as soon as the lights go out) and so am continually playing catch-up via DVDs and videos. In the last three days I have watched three inspiring and very moving films: The Visitor, Seven Pounds and a German film called The Life Of Others. All three had the common theme of humanity prompted by tragedy; a crisis point. On a personal level, one can map life’s landmarks that resulted in a change and/or enhanced awareness of self and others. They are locked memories, and I have so many. In music, two events in particular have influenced the minimum quality standard I apply to everything musical I hear and see. The first time I heard Jeff Buckley’s Grace album coincided with the precise moment I heard about the death of a young friend.  I was midway through the album, which to that point had blown me away, when the phone call was received. I went back into my study, sank back in my chair and heard ‘Lover, You Should’ve Come Over.’ At that moment, in that scenario, its meaning and quality became clear. The second event was Nirvana playing ‘Teen Spirit’ for the first time on TV. I remember the exhileration of seeing and hearing it performed and immediately rung my son to relate the experience.

Today, it seems to me, that the wrong things inspire - fear, winning, wealth, power, convenience, speed and materialism especially seem to dominate right now. It’s true of the creative industries and influences the way way we are governed. We all have memories, perhaps now is the time to use them.

2 March 2010

So what does Mr Thompson do? He closes the only (marginally) distinctive popular music UK station where presenters play music they actually like (or so we are led to believe) rather than the committee-selected, mainstream mediocrity on commercial and BBC Radio 1 & 2 stations. Radio 6’s budget could have been dramatically cut and still would have been able to sustain its more distinctive output - no need for failed musician Laverne… here’s an outline of the changes proposed:

http://www.shakenstir.co.uk/index.php/news/bbc-strategic-review-2010/news/15320/

This is not a strategic review, it’s a cost cutting review which drives more money into the musical mediocrity represented by  Radio 1 and 2. The figures of money spent by the BBC are mind-boggling: £177 million - website, £7 million - Radio 6, BBC Radio1 per hour £1,204 (2007-8), BBC Radio 2 per hour £2,222 (2007-8), Radio 6 per hour £561, Radio 5 Live - £70 million (2007-8), Jonathan Ross - £18 million  (3 year contract).  The savings announced amount to £600 million.