Field Theory: In closing
40 Responses
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Fuck it was quite good to see Field Theory back in action. Cheers!
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choose sport?
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Choose Life
126th on the CIA list for population
16th on the Medal list . . . :)Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.- Longfellow
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I don't think anyone expected the way the games would become such a showcase for the best of British aspirations -- it turned out that Danny Boyle's opening ceremony was perfectly pitched for what followed. It set out what Britons want to feel about themselves.
The slightly humdrum closing ceremony really only underlined how extraordinary Boyle's great expression to open the party had been.
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Hadyn Green, in reply to
The slightly humdrum closing ceremony
See I didn't really mind the closing ceremony (beyond the poor sound). It's meant to be a "just play your hits" kind of event. The idea is it's meant to be a sing-along for the athletes to get out and have fun, rather than the opening which is meant to be symbolic and shit.
For example, Rebecca Adlington said: "Ahhhh can't believe were missing one direction as were not allowed in!!!!!! Grrrr" then "Ahhh love this Muse song!!! Incredible!!! What an amazing closing ceremony/concert!!!!!! Amazing!!" And she was serious.
You could also see it in the American athlete who was singing Wonderwall to the camera, while most of twitter were grumbling about Oasis. Personally I would've liked more Prodigy and less Jessie J but it wasn't for me, it was for all of the athletes standing in the middle (half-cut) and dancing.
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Sacha, in reply to
(half-cut) and dancing
surely Prodigy, Chemical Bros, etc would have made more sense than pap, then?
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Russell Brown, in reply to
See I didn’t really mind the closing ceremony (beyond the poor sound). It’s meant to be a “just play your hits” kind of event. The idea is it’s meant to be a sing-along for the athletes to get out and have fun, rather than the opening which is meant to be symbolic and shit.
Sure. But why didn't Annie Lennox sing 'Sweet Dreams Are Made of This' and why was George Michael allowed to do his grim new song that no one knows the words to? Why wasn't he forced to share a stage with Andrew Ridgely?
Kim Davis set his own benchmark when he said the show would be the DJ after the wedding -- but he turned out to be a rubbish DJ. Did he really think Jessie J would be an adequate stand-in for Freddie Mercury? If they were going to do 'Another One Bites the Dust', why did no one have the sense to get a rapper in? Did no one point out to Brian May that no one wanted to hear him noodling on the guitar for ages? Why didn't they play 'We Are the Champions'?
And why in god's name did they throw away 'Bohemian Rhapsody' as a wholly inappropriate segue intro to 'Imagine'? That should have been the centrepiece to a visual spectacular, incorporating the original, much-loved video.
What was with all the fucking medleys? Where were Motorhead and Soul II Soul? Why have the Kaiser Chiefs cover a Who song when the Who were going to play half an hour later? I actually thought Ed Sheeran did an okay job of 'Wish You Were Here', but the attempt to recreate the album cover was ghastly. And how did the director manage to miss the key shot as John Lennon's face was assembled out of blocks? (You could tell the crowd could see it for a lot longer than we could.)
There were various other fuckups -- miscalculating the time for the athletes to enter the stadium so badly that all the songs had to be played twice, the Who's backing track unexpectedly restarting after they'd finished.
And the sound was abysmal. The opening ceremony sounded amazing on our home theatre system -- but this morning I had to put my ear next to the subwoofer to hear anything from it at all. When they played a little snippet of the Beatles' 'A Day in the Life', the vocals were coming from the rear speakers. WTF?
I really thought it was a production shambles, programmed by someone who just had no feel for music.
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I agree with Russell 100%. That was awful. UK is the spiritual home of live music TV how could they fail so badly?
The highlight for me was probably Take That. And I don't really like Take That. They are tolerable.
Also I got confused and thought Blur were supposed to be playing.
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Judi Lapsley Miller, in reply to
Did no one point out to Brian May that no one wanted to hear him noodling on the guitar for ages? Why didn't they play 'We Are the Champions'?
Hee - to see Brian May noodling was the only reason I bothered to watch :-D. But yes, peculiar that they didn't play We Are the Champions.
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vangam, in reply to
Did no one point out to Brian May that no one wanted to hear him noodling on the guitar for ages?
I think it needed more screeching guitar and distorted feedback, after all, Lou Reed was in town...
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JacksonP, in reply to
Why wasn’t [George Michael] forced to share a stage with Andrew Ridgely?
Or what's left of Queen. At least his Freddy would be better than Jessie J. He could have sung 'Somebody to love'. It would have had high ironic value, if nothing else.
I've only actually seen the abbreviated highlights package, which included Eric Idle. Did he sing the bit of 'Always look on the bright side' that goes 'Life's a piece of shit/ When you look at it'?
While I agree Monty Python has a significant place in British history, really? 'Crucifixion? First door on the left, one cross each.'
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Robyn Gallagher, in reply to
I really thought it was a production shambles, programmed by someone who just had no feel for music.
The most cringy moment for me was the use of Bowie's "Fashion" during the fashion section. Ugh. Because for the last 30 years, that song has been the uninspired soundtrack for fashion montages all over the telly. The closing ceremony didn't do anything new or amazing with it. It was as inspired as typing "fashion" into iTunes.
But the Spice Girls were fabulous. They performed the right songs, they gave an enthusiastic performance, and even Posh looked like she was enjoying herself.
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Robyn Gallagher, in reply to
The highlight for me was probably Take That. And I don’t really like Take That. They are tolerable.
Gary Barlow, who this week has been privately dealing with a family tragedy, was incredible. That performance almost made up for all the previous quibbles.
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Russell Brown, in reply to
Gary Barlow, who this week has been privately dealing with a family tragedy, was incredible. That performance almost made up for all the previous quibbles.
Yes. That and, as you say, the Spice Girls. They did what they were there to do.
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Russell Brown, in reply to
The most cringy moment for me was the use of Bowie’s “Fashion” during the fashion section. Ugh.
And they couldn't even let that stand on its own without a bloody medley intro.
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I'm watching the repeat now and must note that the profoundly weird unappealingness of Annie Lennox's Ship of Vivienne Westwood Viking Death was kinda great. When it first started I said 'is this a tribute to the "Wild Boys" video?'
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Sacha, in reply to
What was with all the fucking medleys?
Jodi Ihaka reckons we're just codgers, and cites interesting 'proof'.
Medleys are about this generation old people. Thank Glee. That rocked.
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Danielle, in reply to
But the Spice Girls were fabulous.
+1. People of the world, spice up your life.
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Russell Brown, in reply to
Jodi Ihaka reckons we’re just codgers, and cites interesting ‘proof’.
Ahem. My generation had 'Stars on 45'.
All right then: why were the medleys such shite? Seriously. They weren't even good medleys.
Otoh, this, the Team GB medallists miming to Queen's 'Don't Stop me Now', this is good.
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Sacha, in reply to
My generation had 'Stars on 45'
enough counter-proof, I'd say
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I feel this sums it up well:
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/200643_10151994725075596_341083951_n.jpg
(No idea if it’s possible to display an image on this hurrr message board)
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Russell Brown, in reply to
No idea if it’s possible to display an image on this hurrr message board
Yes, it's very easy. Just click the "choose file" button and select your image from your computer. It will slot in above your text.
I popped in and did this one for you :-)
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Sacha, in reply to
and tweeted it for good measure :)
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WOAH.
Nadzeya Ostapchuk has failed a drug test and been stripped of her medal.
Valerie Adams is now the gold medalist.
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I confess, I bubbled for 3 hours of the closing ceromony,
t'was rich,emotionally & in oh so many ways, simply marvalous,
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