Lou Reed Wolverhampton Civic Hall 1st July 2011

It didn't start well. As I walked through the entrance a friend who works at the Civic Hall told me, "He's not going on for another hour, he shuffled in earlier and overran the sound-check, also, the bar is shutting at 9" (5 mins!) Now I know he is pushing 70, and has legendary temper tantrums and mood swings, but it was not a good start if I was missing much needed imbibement. I had missed seeing the reformed Velvet Underground in 1994 at Glastonbury, so I was really looking forward to the gig, as the music press had said it would be the 'Greatest Hits' of Lou Reed.

The much delayed start prompted some deserved, if not poor, heckling. Some was aimed at me from the two couples behind who asked "Why have you got 4 pints?, it's bloody sloshing everywhere" I informed her of the imminent bar curfew & politely offered them one for a tenner (he did think about it for a few seconds, but declined looking deflated & thirsty) I plonked myself down splashing the lady & her daughter next to me.

A frail looking Mr Burns, I mean Reed walked on stage as the band chimed into ‘Who Loves The Sun’ A favourite of mine, off the 1970 Loaded album, sung by Doug Yule. To say the sound was a bit rough round the edges, is an understatement, Lou was immediately off key, out of time, and struggling with the lyrics. After a few songs it became clear that the band were using this gig as a warm up for the tour. They tried in vain to decipher Lou's arm waving to 'bring the groove down' but didn't really know he meant so carried on. The promise of greatest hits disappeared quickly with late 70's album tracks ‘Senselessly Cruel’ & ‘Temporary Thing’ given a dust off. Lou hasn't performed these songs in over 30 years and to be fair to the band they did start to come together after 4-5 songs. ‘Smalltown’ clearly had been rehearsed and was a tighter progression than the previous songs. It's dark, dynamic of loud/quiet Pixie's style arrangement worked really well. A cover of  ‘Mother’ (John Lennon) was leftfield, and it was surprisingly good in places, with Lou giving the lyrics a real pounding, but again, it was over-long  and you felt it should have finished 3-4 minutes sooner.

For me, the best part of the show was the Velvet Underground & Nico LP  ‘unplugged’ section. ‘Venus In Furs’ was a faithful, powerful rendition, with great musicianship from the band. ‘Sunday Morning’ & ‘Femme Fatale’ were stripped down and delicately delivered, but when the lady next to you with the damp Stella Artois stained trousers says "Ohhh you have got a lovely voice" as I harmonised the backing to 'Femme Fatale' it confirmed Lou Reed was not giving one of his seminal performances.

The encore of 'Sweet Jane' & 'Charleys Girl' again were not received greatly, and you could sense even the die hard fans were forcing the 'whoo's' and 'Looooou' as Sweet Jane plodded on. Reed hardly played his guitar all through the set which was very disappointing, but maybe it was down to age or just wanting to drop in and out of the songs where he felt it was needed, he clearly felt the waving of his arms up & down throughout was more important. The last song was ‘The Bells’ which according to Reed, had "Sold 30 copies" he went on to say "it was one of his favourite songs" Not mine Lou. 

Okay it started late and there were technical problems, the band was under rehearsed , it was only a warm up, but I paid £38 & I expected a more professional approach to the show from him. My friend went on Monday to the  London show, and said "He played much better than you told me, but you never mentioned the gut!" Writing this blog, I viewed the London shows on You-Tube, he was wrong, but he also likes Ozric Tentacles.

Set List

1 Intro
2 Who Loves The Sun
3 Senselessly Cruel
4 Temporary Thing
5 Ecstacy
6 Smalltown
7 Mother (John Lennon cover)
8 Venus In Furs
9 Sunday Morning
10 Femme Fatale
11 Think It Over
12 Fly Into The Sun
13 All Through The Night
14 Encore 1
15 Charley's Girl
16 Sweet Jane
17 The Bells 

RORY MCILROY US OPEN & BRITISH OPEN CHAMPION 2011?

I went to a local PGA event (The Belfry, Quinn British Masters) in 2007. It was Rory Mcilroy's first event as a pro I believe. I was already aware of him as the No 1 amateur, and fully expected him, based on those performances, to easily make the smooth transition into the pro ranks. He did. As I followed this 17 year old around the Brabazon back nine, I was amazed by two things at this now defunct event (that's another blog, the lack of UK tournaments). Firstly, it was the 'sound' the ball and club made when Rory struck shots, and secondly, just how far this young kid was hitting it. I have played with scratch players and local pro's and yes, they were good, but they never sounded like that when they tee'd off. Mcilroy ultimately finished a disappointing T42 in his first pro event. 

A smooth, solid, satisfying thwack, a bit like a VW car door closing shut. More importantly it just seemed so fluid and effortless. 

 

Vorsprung Durch Technik

17 year old Rory at The Quinn Masters 2007

Can Rory go on and achieve multiple majors? Yes. Look at his record in the last few majors. Tied 3rd in 2010 at the USPGA and The Open. It seems his game is now prepared to peak around the big tournaments just like Tiger. He could possibly go on to topple Jacks record of 18 comfortably if he continues to progress and win at this rate. Rory has at least another 80 potential starts in majors! Is he our Tiger?, only time will tell. All golf fans need someone to root for coming down the back nine on a Sunday, now that Eldrick sadly seems to be too hampered by long term knee injuries and off course shenanigans. He is slowly turning into a star zoo curio, that can still do a good matinee turn, but clearly has been out in the sun for too long to do the evening show without needing forty winks.

Meltdown at Augusta

This years Masters, where Rory tried to protect his lead, plus the added pressure of winning his first major, probably became the factors for him not playing his natural game and attacking the course like he did the first 3 days. He went into the final round with a four-shot lead, but was ultimately devastated when he ended up finishing in joint 15th place. He took to hiding his crushed face in the crook of his arm when it all started to go wrong, or as my friends Dad put it "I knew he was in trouble when he started sniffing his armpit" That final round 80 could just prove to be the most influential round of golf mentally for Rory in the long run.  I am also glossing over the fact I had a tenner at approx 30/1 on him to win. I did drown my sorrows with friends over a few beer's and a curry, washed down with white chocolate buttons. Wounder.

Anything you can do....

Jack Nicklaus also believes Rory can do great things, "only if he keeps his head together" I can't see this being a problem, the way the game is structured today, thanks to the likes of Palmer, Nicklaus and Seve, who were the first superstars. Rory has been groomed to be a global superstar from a very early age, with a network of people behind him, including his family and charismatic manager Chubby Chandler to look after him. He also has Gmac, Poulter, Westwood and all the other Ryder Cup players to bring him back down to earth on Twitter, who would have guessed Westwood can be quite funny? Poulter, on the other hand, comes over exactly like you you thought he would.

Young Rory with his dad Gerry

Happy Fathers Day

I have been watching golf on Sky Sports for the last 6 or 7 years, and I am really struggling to think of a more precise 4 rounds of 'exhibition' golf that delivered such a crushing winning margin by any other player in that time, in any tournament, let alone a major. I unfortunately missed Tiger in his pomp during 2000, but have watched him close out tournaments week after week on tour and in majors with ease in that 2005-2008 period. Rory may not have that cloak of 'invincibility' yet or the 'Tiger Fear Factor'. But he surely is not far away from it. 

Mines a Guinness as he climbs to 4th in the rankings

Sorry Rory, but I will be putting some dough on you to win at Royal St Georges in a few weeks.......

Rory Gallagher

Pete Yorn HMV Institute Birmingham

I missed seeing Pete Yorn play around 8 years ago, because a friend & his then girlfriend,  were on the rocks. I decided not to go to the gig with them to give them a chance to reconnect without my usual drunk ramblings getting in the way. I had to wait until May 2011 for Pete to tour the UK again. When he came on stage with his band, they looked like street fighter's from Scorsese's Gangs Of New York. The guitarist with his long, lank hair and switch-blade eyes played sparingly throughout the set adding only 'just enough' to the songs. The bass player resembles Mario out of the popular Nintendo game, but plumbing aside, he effortlessly sang perfect harmonies, even doing Scarlett Johansson's vocal part on the 2009 hit, Relator. Pete Yorn may just have *THE* best hair in modern rock. Tonight's particular barnet resembled Mario Kempes awesome 1978 World Cup winning thatch. 














Yorn is a great showman, who really delivers a good, solid set, sometimes mercurial, especially with an acoustic guitar. He goes into a trance like state occasionally on-stage, completely lost in his music & almost seemingly reliving his lyrics. The opening cover of The Smiths 'Panic' was an easy song to segue into his well known originals such as, Life On A Chain, Strange Condition, All At Once & For Nancy, which is where Pete really sounds at his best. Yorn has released 5 full length records since Music For The Morning After, and hasn't really delivered on the early promise of his first two records. Nightcrawler (3rd lp) and Back & Forth (4th) had their moments, but for me, didn't contain the catchy power pop singles that his early albums had. The record with Johansson  has some catchy tunes, but was probably a vehicle by the record company to get them both some exposure. His contemporary Jesse Malin has a similar vibe on his early records (The Fine Art Of Self Destruction & The Heat) but changed back to his earlier punk sound (D Generation) to refresh his output. Maybe Yorn needs to have a look at his own back catalogue. However, his live show is fantastic, with similarities to Springsteen and Big Star to keep the set pumping for 90 minutes. I hope Pete tours again in the Uk, preferably before 2019. 

First 4 minutes, a typical lp filler....then Life On A Chain 

The after show meet at the merch store did not go that well, as my drunk pal tried to sing harmonies with Pete. My friend "Nah...nah...you doing it wrong"......Pete "Well man, you are singin' my part.....I wrote it, I should know" 

New Americana Band Tee It Up At Colonial

With Goydos in this picture they just look like a piss poor Beach Boy's tribute act from the mid 80's. 

Possibly not since the days of Old Tom Morris and his cronies, have we seen two players in the same group, one a major winner, one a multiple tournament winner, sporting beards. Proper beards at that. Lucas Glover and Hunter Mahan look they should be playing vintage bass & guitar's respectively in a new Americana band in the style of Drive By Truckers or The Felice Brothers. Especially with the 'My Name Is Earl' quality of their trailer park style baseball caps. Beards are a new golfing trend I hope catches on, as I would love to see the anti charismatic Casey/Donald/Rose, sour puss Monty, smoothie Couples or 'Rising Damp's Frances De La Tour' lookilike Rory McIIlroy with one. Paul Goydos, on the other hand, the other player in the three ball, sported a goatee in 1996 when he won Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Invitational, which in facial fuzz stakes is a no-no unless you also work part time in Carphone Warehouse. Arnold quite rightly told him as he came off the 18th "You need to shave that stuff off.......& in the long run should I switch from pay as you go? I don't send many texts" 

Ryan Moore, getting in on the act.

Drive By Truckers

"He's in another category of woolly mammoth." Hunter Mahan on his scraggly beard, compared to that of Lucas Glover

'The ball doesn't know what I've got on my face,' Lucas Glover says about his bearded look.

"Today, Glover said to me, 'the golf ball doesn't know ugly.' I'm not sure who he was talking about, probably me."World No. 9 Paul Casey, who played alongside Glover and eventually missed the cut.

The Felice Brothers

Darren Clarke, Oddjob's & White Drivers

It was a pleasant surprise for me to see Darren Clarke in the winner’s enclosure after 3 years, and back in the World's Top 100 again (85th). I have always enjoyed watching Clarke play; he is an amazing ball striker with a great touch for a big man. I followed him round The Belfry a few years ago at The Quinn Masters, and again at The Welsh Open in 2008. He was a joy to watch, laughing and joking with the crowd, but ultimately playing sublime golf. It's a shame he hasn't been in contention much, but obviously with his personal life regaining some normality after 5 years, it's not a surprise he is beginning to enjoy golf and regain some form.

Clarke trailed England's Chris Wood by four strokes going into the final round of the Iberdrola Open but he carded a 69, this helped him to record a three-shot victory as Wood ultimately shot 6 over. Clarke has not tasted victory since winning the 2008 KLM Open, this victory has convinced him that he can still compete at the highest level and he is playing plenty of tournaments to get back into the top 50.

"I feel there is a lot of golf left in me. I need to get the consistency back again”

"I would like to qualify for another Ryder Cup team and another win would take me back into the top 50. It was nice to win again but I want to be doing it more frequently."

The Northern Irishman has not played in the Ryder Cup since helping Europe to victory at The K Club in 2006 and surely is a definite shoe in as a future captain. "My swing is getting better and better. If I can get myself into contention to win, then great, and I can get up the world rankings again."

Darren paid tribute to golfing great Seve Ballesteros as the Dungannon man ended his three-year wait for a tournament victory in Spain. It was a poignant victory for Clarke - his first since the Dutch Open in 2008 - coming as it did in Ballesteros' homeland in the aftermath of the Spanish superstar's death last week. "We wouldn't be here without him, simple as that - the European Tour would not be in the position it is today without Seve"

A Ryder Cup comeback for 2012 maybe? I wouldn’t bet against it. 

K J Choi holds his nerve to win The Players. Choi, the first Asian to win golf's unofficial fifth major, was understandably delighted to claim his eighth victory in the US, more than any other Asian player. "For some reason I felt so comfortable out there," said Choi. "The swing I have right now just doesn't break down under pressure situations. "I was able to be precise and aggressive and keep my rhythm together and that is what brought this performance."

I did however miss Alliss comparing him to OddJob, like he inappropriately does at every Masters.....

After reading loads of good reviews and a quick test of a friends club, I am seriously considering getting one of these bad boys. It did seem a bit dead off the face in terms of feedback, but boy, did it fly.

Van Morrison Into The Mystic

Funky....

A Victory For Beards

Lucas "Brian Wilson" Glover sealed victory in an exciting play off against Jonathan Byrd on the first hole of a sudden death play-off. Glover also predicted exactly that Byrd would birdie the final hole in regulation to make the pair tee off again. This was some prediction seeing as the 18th was one of the hardest holes on a tough course. Quail Hollow, in my opinion is easily worthy of a place in the US Open roster. It seems to tick all the boxes required to make for an exciting event, so lets hope the organisers take heed of all the feedback.

Annoying South African Rory Sabbatini was also in the race, but fortunately fell short at -14. He did however shoot a flawless 65 on the final day, this doesn't help the fact he has a face that I defy anyone would not like to slap. I could easily see him playing with a chalk knob drawn on his back by a fellow pro, or a "I blow donkeys" sign, hastily masking taped on by a spectator. Rory doesn't seem to be liked that much amongst fellow pro's, pundits and fans alike. He is also a hot topic at the moment regarding slow play & etiquette issues, as he squared up nose to nose, to Sean O' Hair in the middle of the fairway for a dust up. I wish he had done that to other player in the group, Pat Perez, the feisty Perez would have knocked him square on his ample arse.

Rory Sabbatini

Repo Man Ray Lamontagne

Seve Ballesteros, Hero, Inspiration, Legend

Seve in full flow

Very upsetting news filtering through from various sources has got me thinking about Seve a lot today. I wish him all the very best.

Even before I first played golf back in the early 80's, I was aware of who he was. I was only 11 or 12 but I could tell he was special when he came on the TV screen, with his dark good looks and flashing, fearless golf power. I remember going to a Summer school at a local golf club around 1984, which was essentially, a chance for parents to get you out the house for 6 weeks & let someone else keep an eye on you for a few hours a day. It was an eye opening experience for someone so young, and to throw in a few lessons, a mini tournament, balata golf balls, plastic tee's, plus the chance to hang around a real golf club, well, it was a dream. (I revisited the course recently & a lot has changed since back then, but it has been over two decades. The car park was a gamble, 4 kids were playing football on the 18th green & the 3 holes at the turn should be renamed 'Dog Sh*t Alley) The pro who ran it turned out to be bit of a boozer with an acute gambling addiction, but that's another (familiar) story. It was Seve who I always wanted to be in the practise sessions, I tried to play all the bunker & low punchy recovery shots just like him. My friend Rob was always a Nicklaus, a Watson or a Norman. I remember asking my Mum to buy me a dark blue Slazenger sweater, dark navy trousers and white shoes so I would look the part. My school trousers and Dad's oversize Gabbici polo shirt just did not make me feel like an exciting new golf pro, more like I should be pulling pints in The Red Lion. I never did get the clothes, although I think they would have helped edge me into a first place instead of a paltry third in the final tournament of the Summer. Maybe, with that sprinkling of Spanish, Slazenger navy blue fairy dust it may have happened. Let's face it, it just wasn't going to happen in Farah knock offs and my Dad's old pigeon fanciers shirt. I got beat by my mate (Greg Norman that day) and a girl. (Who I'm sure cheated heavily and lied about being 13 years old, she was at least 5 inches taller and had 2 stone on me. Come to think of it her boyfriend had a motorbike and drank Special Brew)

I didn't look like this

When I finally got back to playing golf after 20+ years, it was Seve who I looked out for on TV and in magazines, yes he may have been way past his best, his back in bits, and missed cuts galore but he was still magical and charismatic to watch. I went to Hoylake GC in 2006 to The British Open, and it was Seve who I followed around all 18 holes. Watching him hit the ball was fantastic, his short game still as good as ever, it seemed so natural & effortless for him. His son was caddying for him that day, and it was just inspirational to see him hit shots around a tough links course, having a laugh and appearing to just enjoy being out there & playing again. 

At the Ryder Cup 2010, I was at the front of the crowd at the closing ceremony when that black and white picture of Seve & Olazabal was being paraded down from the clubhouse to the stage by the caddies. It was a fantastic moment for both teams and the crowd, to show what love and respect they had for this great ambassador of golf. (I'm getting goose bumps right now thinking about that moment)

I finally got to play The Brabazon course at The Belfry a few years ago, (and four times since) and on the 10th hole, I always try to drive the green, regardless of my score, good or bad, just like he did in that famous Ryder Cup shot from the 80's. I never make it, but I will try again everytime I go back there. When I play golf, I never lay up. It wasn't his way, it isn't mine.