Sunday 29 August 2010

Langkawi Day3/4

Starting to settle in to the time difference now, ie not waking up at 2.30 am thinking its time to get up.

Spent an afternoon in the main attraction of this stretch of beach - Underwater World - an aquarium. To be honest I have been to better in both Brest and Cape Town, but it was interesting enough in its own way. Although just a touch incongruous coming to the tropics to see a tank full of penguins. Seemed more popular with the locals than tourists, and even then so many seemed just to want to take photos of themselves next to a fish (albeit maybe the fish was a shark).

More exciting was the jungle trek I undertook last night. There is a morning or evening option for this. The heat and humidity explain why midday is not a choice. By about halfway round I was hallucinating about a cold shower. Mildly disappointed that our guide, having warned us about snakes, and that only a couple of days earler a group had come across a python in the middle of eating a lemur, didn't arrange an encounter with even one, feeding or not. But we did see both flying squirrels and flying lemurs, doing the flying (well, gliding) bit. Very impressive. Sorry no photos - they are fast moving objects in the dark. Not a chance. Also came across a sea cucumber for the first time (we started down on the shore-line and moved up.) If you have never encountered one before, think large black slug, a foot long and as thick as your arm. A delicacy in Chinese restaurants, but I think I will give it a miss. As much as I like to think of myself as adventurous on the cuisine front, I am not a kamikaze.

Sadly, despite long trousers and copious quantities of insect repellant I am scratching away at a couple of mosquito bites. Well, knew it was too good to last and frankly one trip on Mauritius left me with two bites per sqaure inch so feel I got off lightly. And as the guide said, at least there are no leeches, just mozzies, spiders, (non-poisonous), snakes and termites. And thorns with tiny leaves attached. Anyway, great trip, though I guzzled two bottles of mineral water in no time and just couldn't wait to hit the shower.

But nice to get back and be able to watch the Premier League - double dose of Blackburn v Arsenal and Chelsea v Stoke. Clearly our greatest export.

Otherwise its really just a case of lazing by the pool or the beach and then taking  few shots of the spectacular sunsets. I am still coming to grips with how quiet the place is. There are just so few tourists but they are catering for I don't know, 5 -10 times the number here. I am not complaining, its not like I want Butlins on a Bank Holiday. But it just seems a shame to have these vast swimming pools (with swim up bar for those occasions when getting out of the water for a drink is just too much effort) wth hardly anyone in them. They are all set up for volleyball and all sorts of water sports, but really no takers. I know its supposed to be the wet season (ie after 4 days here we had about 15 minutes of rain this morning), but it is still school-holidays. Surely not everyone has decided its Skegness this year.

Thursday 26 August 2010

Langkawi - Day 2

What happened to day 1 a diligent follower may ask? Don't know really, just disappeared in a haze of jet lag. Actually really good flight, noon away from Heathrow, basically a 12 hour flight  to Kuala Lumpur, so a bit of kip "overnight" on the plane between lunch and breakfast, since Malaysia is 7 hours ahead. So we landed just after midnight UK time, but early morning in Malaysia. Easy transit to local flight and into hotel for 2nd breakfast if I had wanted it. Instead just unpacked, and then went on for a bit of an explore up the road.

Will add some photos when I get back (hey, I hope you are impressed I found an internet cafe just to update this without getting pics too. But I hope I can chuck some in retrospectively when home). But wonderful beach and all that, great resort (Meritus Pelangi resort if you want to google it), although also hardly unspoilt paradise. Actually that suits me fine. My little jaunt up the road (well good half hour up the road - I like exploring, and its too hot and humid to rush) probably yielded a hundred restaurants, cafes and bars. Only one Irish pub, which seems a little under-represented given their global reach. Pick from Western, Chinese, Indian, Mexican, Middle-Eastern, Italian, Thai and yes even Malay. And its out of season, and I am told even for out of season it is very quite, so its really, really quiet. So when I finally picked a beach cafe (a Western/Indian restaurant somewhat oddly called "Oasis") I was its first customer. And the hotel, with its two huge pools, and two lakes, is way under capacity. So a shortage of screaming kids tearing about the place. Boo hoo.

Anyway, after lunch just flopped in a deck chair, made a cursory attempt to start my third book (two having been done on the journey out), but quickly dozed off listening to Echo & the Bunnymen (no reflection on the quality of Mr McCullough).

Oh and other brilliant thing out here - pretty much no mozzies. So here I am lunchtime second day with no sunburn and no bites. Result.

Tuesday 24 August 2010

Sunday 22 August - V Festival day two

Decent night's sleep, a bath and feeling right for day two. (So much prefer commuting to camping)

Saw Doctors
Have sen these old troopers so many times, and they don't disappoint. Feel good band again, with  great back catalogue. Should have been more famous that they are.

B+

Plan B
My first time seeing Plan B. Not sure about him. Well, I am in that he has a great voice, but I so much prefer the soul stuff to the rapping. And also a little put off by the very juvenile audience surrounding us. I can take being surrounded by 20 year olds, but this lot we guessed were around 13. And that just makes me feel too old. Also can't really believe his accent - just too Mockney. But all trivial grouses really, and I do rate the bloke. Not, as my mate G summarised, pants, so I left G with Seasick Steve.

B+

Madness

Talking of old troopers. But they really are crowd pleasers. Even way at the back people were going mental. Very safe band to add to a festival. They won't disappoint.

B+ Consistent performers

Eliza Doolittle
Now part of the attraction was having her recommended by a friend, and part the fact that she was in a tent and it had started raining, and while I could smugly put up the hood of my shower proof jacket, Jen was just in a jumper. Well, very decent voice, nice personality and my god she filled out her hotpants well (do they still call them hotpants?), but the songs are just a bit too saccharine for my tastes

B, although the girl has potential to go far. Up on Pixie Lott for example.

Paolo Nutini
Didn't see all of him, but same saccharin problem for me. Nice voice, but nothing else. Best thing was his cover of MGMT's Fated to Pretend. But his, to be honest better crafted, version wasn't an improvement in my view.

B-. And don't copy off others

The Kooks
Third time I have seen them and didn't hold out much hope as they were really dull before. Much better on record. But wow. It was if they had just gone on a festival rock course ad passed with honours. So much more animated. Really excellent set.

A. Great improvement. Keep up the good work.

Calvin Harris
Just caught the end of his set, but what I heard was great and really went down well with the audience

A

The Doves
Oh dear. Now this was just a misjudgement by the organisers in my view. Doves were over-promoted above their status rather than their ability. I really like them,  a talented genial band. Unfortunately I felt rather alone in the audience, and part of the problem was they don't have a repertoire of sing a long hits, and part they were too grown up for the audience awaiting the Prodigy. Just didn't work, and the band weren't too impressed by the plastic bottle throwing. Calvin Harris would have been a better choice for this slot

A-, but I may be almost alone in my appreciation. Maybe stepping down a class would help.

The Prodigy
My mistake, but I went for the front at the Prodigy, and indeed achieved a place at the front barrier, rather than go for the safe option of Kasabian on the man stage. Well I had never seen the Prodigy before, so wanted to see what the fuss was about. Just didn't do it for me. The profanities didn't enliven the inanities of the patter, and frankly swearing over a serious bass beat with a decent light show just isn't enough for me. Not overly impressed by swaggering, sneering tough guy Keith Flint coming down to the audience, but walking past with the security guard on the outside making sure that none of the hands of the teenage girls at the front might touch his delicate skin.
Quite simply, there just wasn't enough music in it for me. Too much attitude, not enough class. And it was pissing it down. And being at the front I lacked a certain amount of protection from the crowd.

B- Should know better at their age

 So departed at the encore and felt somewhat bedraggled as I found a bus after midnight in the City to take me home. Drat the Tubes stopping an hour early on A Sunday.

But still looking forward to next year. Very much. Have bought ticket already but need to find a willing victim to join me in Jen's absence.

Saturday 21 August - V Festival day one.

Well tight but got back out of the house with about 5 hours sleep to head off to V Festival in Chelmsford. Now only real way of relating this is to report on the bands I saw, as unlike many I do actually go for the music, not the drink etc. (Though no objection to those who want to party, and for example, seeing a bunch of blokes all dressed as Fred Flinstone does add to the event. And indeed part of the joy of festivals is just seeing thousands of people having a good time in the way they want. But me, I like to get down to the front and see the whites of the eyes of the performers).

So for what its worth here is my take on the weekend,

Magic Numbers
Nice to see them back. Very much feelgood band to start off a day.

B

The Divine Comedy
Now Neil Hannon is a class performer. Unlikely person for a main stage at a festival, but actually just he and his piano hold the big stage surprisingly well. Brilliant lyricist, very nice performance, and why don't more chaps come out in suit and tie with a bottle of claret, rather than old t-shirt and a beer?

A-

The Coral

Only caught the end of this lot, but had seen them only a few weeks earlier on tour. Spent more time trying to meet up with my friend G and his mates. (V is a big place to try and spot people in). They are quite a different group to me, and perhaps enjoy the festival more as they don't come purely for the music. And interesting just meeting up with a group of lads (albeit 30 year old lads) left to their own natural devices. A cry of "Left" would come up, to alert the group to a passing beauty wearing something impossibly short and tight. Needless to say they were not striving to get the front. But great bunch of guys and nice of them to let an old fart like me hang about with them. And they tried to be on best behaviour with Jen around!

But they were definitely the group who would head off for Goldie Looking Chain

Goldie Looking Chain
Its noticeable the different crowd mix you get when entering some of the tents. GLC crowd is mostly male, not very young and a bit Welsh. All one can say is they are good fun, and really come under the heading of cult act to my mind

B (though maybe more for effort)

Temper Trap
Determined to see this lot having failed to escape from work to see them earlier in the summer. Didn't disappoint - not a stunning live act, but great music and Conditions is a great album. Sounded terrific.

A-, and have hopes for fine things in the future

Scouting for Girls
Now my only excuse for this is they were on the 4 music stage between acts I actually did want to see, and standing through them meant we could get close to the front for the better acts to follow. Interesting from a psychological point of view. First, the way they do the thing where if you want to pull you go out with an ugly mate. Here the uber-geek look for the bass guitarist (think Sid from the first series of Skins, then elongate and add frizzy hair) improves the position of the lead singer who is I don't doubt a decent looking bloke, but the guitarist and his checked shirt both disguise he is on the podgy side. I mention this because he is of course much desired by young girls, as testified to by the awful shrieking around us. Second, and it was Jen who pointed this out to me, he is just too old for the lyrics. They sing teenage, well school age songs. And so, so repetitive. And I hate all that "How much we love you the fans " stuff, let alone the "You are the fifth member of the band". More telling was the other guitarist in his Sonic Youth t-shirt and slightly sheepish demeanour which  seemed to say "I can actually play you know, I'm only with these guys for the money"

C. Need to grow up and act your age

White Lies

With ear drums almost perforated by juvenile screaming, and my apologies to Jen, we nevertheless did achieve the aim of almost getting to the front for White Lies. First time I had seen this lot and very impressed. Much better than on record, just because of the power of delivery. I really like this almost Goth style of music, but totally shorn of all the Goth crap fashion and pretension

A

Florence and the Machine
What can I say? Stand out performance of the weekend. Stunning voice, tremendous stage presence, theatrical, just awesome in every way. Florence Welsh is a real bona  fide star. Stunning

A*

Kings Of Leon

The big headline act, but for me just a little disappointing. Never seen them before, and nothing wrong with them, but just felt a little perfunctory. And maybe now I was getting tired and bed beckoned, after some late night travel

B+

Friday 20 August Munich to London

Typically, the nicest, warmest day of my stay. So really didn't do much more than relax in the Englischer Garten, the English style landscape garden that forms the main park. Very stylish place and can absorb a lot of people without feeling too crowded. It also, rather bizarrely, is a surfer's spot, part of the river running through it having been desigend for kayaking, so there are mini-rapids. And I guess Munich is a long way from other surf spots!

If the weather had been better I would hae been more adventurous in travelling around Bavaria, but there is enough to do indoors that doesn't make it too bad.

Then evening flight back to London. Of course in contrast to Stansted, through security in five minutes. Bit nervous about flight delays given my need to be at Liverpool Street by 10:30 am next morning for V festival, but actually only about 20minutes late and so caught last tubes home. Made it.

Thusday 19 August - Reunion and Starnberger See

This morning managed to meet up with my friend Tom, after several calls and e-mails. Tom is I guess whatever the electronic equivalent of a pen friend is nowadays (e-friend?). I first met his young family out in Mauritius. Was so touched by the way even when other English friends had left, they and another German couple would still invite me to join them for dinner, and then would even talk amongst themselves in English just so I could understand the conversation. Anyway, lovely to see him and his little girl Laurena again, even if only fleetingly. Will try to visit again at a more convenient time for him. I really do like Bavaria and indeed all the Germans I ever meet. I think if I ever had to move to another city, Munich would be my choice.


Then after lunch as Tom headed off to see his newborn nephew, I took the train to Starnberg and stepped straight on to a boat to travel round Starnberger See. This is I guess the equivalent of the Lake District.. Could have done with a brighter day for taking photos, though in part the angry sky added a certain interest.