I can’t also figure out why Taylor was ’shocked’ each time she won her 200 awards? Is she the only one who doesn’t realize what a year she has had. Anyway good luck to the girl, young, talented , popular she deserves it. Which kind of brings me to Houston W. Not sure she meets any of the criteria now, maybe in the past but must we keep dragging her out just because there are viewers. When will she just go away? What do we give her next year, a more appearances on any awards show award? Was this to to prove she can string a sentence together after Good Morning America and (was it )X Factor where should looked totally X’d. How many times MUST we pamper to the QUEEN OF REDEMPTION. Who ever gets that many chances?

Can someone please explain the philanthropist bit? What one earth has she done to help the cause? I’m totally flabbergasted, she’s only ever been about her.Oh and Clive, nice to see he got a name check. I noticed the new vampire film surpassed him this week, that must have been hard. These two vampires will last though, we’ve watched them sap the blood from the industry for too long. GO AWAY! In case you hadn’t gathered, Whitney Houston is my least favorite person the planet , I can only hope she puts herself up for a trip to the  space station. One way. Who’s up for the whip round?

Adam Lambert’s performance was hyped up as expected, I think maybe he tried a little too hard, maybe Whitney made him puke and the vocals at then end were really just him hurling. He’s a talent though and I think he’s set for a good career. He’s certainly X Factor and the right X.

That’ll do for now, no need for a tirade unless I turn the TV on and SHE”S on.

Here’s a little something/someone we have all encountered. No apologies if you’re in the chosen category.

The Asshole

Identifying the asshole

The music business is full of assholes. Right, like accountancy, education, coal mining and water polo aren’t and not to mention fencing, waste management and a thousand other work places. Problem is spotting them. Assholes can attract assholes too…bottom line (every pun intended!)

No one likes working with an asshole. It’s much harder to be personable and affable than to be a jerk. Sadly however, the asshole has a problem identifying this. That’s why they’re an asshole. To them they are misunderstood, it’s others are being awkward, uncooperative and generally just not prepared to help. It isn’t because they necessarily disagree with them, they don’t want to be in the same room as them. The appearance of the asshole at a gathering or function is not welcome, they are not liked and people don’t want to do business with them. Make you’re excuses and leave, it’ll end in tears anyway.

Lonely is the asshole

Now the asshole is left wanting, they are insecure. The asshole has no purpose, no one loves them. If they can’t realize people don’t like them then it’s not your job to fix it. If you employed them it is, now who’s the asshole.

He who shouts the loudest is often heard the least.

Those who are belligerent and obnoxious are to be avoided, they feel that shouting gets them heard. Getting heard and being noticed are two entirely different things. People who scream and shout are probably the type who get the runaround at home. They come to work pissed off and need to vent their fury and it’s usually some quite unassuming character that gets the brunt of it.

January has been a fairly miserable start to the year with more job losses and more still to come and today is going to energize us all. I was pleased to see that all the music industry people and comments on Facebook are all pro Obama so let’s hope that optimism shines through our industry. The music industry could do well to practice what the new President preaches, all of us working together, rallying round to help make it happen. In an industry as fragmented as the music industry has become we need direction, we need something to inspire and motivate. Record companies used to have belief in their artists, the belief that they had what it took and with that came the hope to succeed. Politics or music it’s all the same, you have to believe in your ability to make it happen.

With hope will come opportunities and we’ll need to be ready for those opportunities, we’ll need to be prepared. I think that’s all anyone can ever hope for, to be given the opportunity and to be just given that chance. Too many have had too many disappointments for too long now. There is no consolation no matter how bad things get when you look over your shoulder and see people losing their homes, their jobs and most all their dignity. All people who were once proud have taken the slings and arrows and deserve more. So much has so little to do with them yet they suffer the injustices. Seems wrong that George Bush could drag America through so much of a mess and walk back to the safe haven that is his world, no cash flow problems, business as usual, oblivious to what we alll have to deal with. And he didn’t even get made redundant, he retired!

It’s a mad mad world where those that create the mess, whether it be politics, banking, insurance etc walk away unscathed, even with bonuses! And yet others lose so much.

Here’s to the new boss, not the same as the old boss. Not even close.

Springsteen has done well to hold on to his crown but when you look around it’s not hard to understand why. He’s the real thing, he lives and breathes every minute of every show. What I love about him is that even though he has adoring fans he still plays as though he wants to win over a new crowd. His stamina never falters and he has a unique charisma. Springsteen plays like he is playing just for you. I think he is still the greatest exponent at working a crowd, he pushes each and every button, every time. You certainly know when you’ve been to a Bruce Springsteen concert.

Bruce has sincerity, he’s one of us. He feels for the common man and he cares and although he has amassed a small fortune from his many years at the top he still has an understanding of the world we live in and he prays for things to change. He’s the sort of guy you feel you’d like to get to know, the type you could sit and have a beer with him. If you had a problem, you could tell him. In fact when I met him briefly after the Talking Heads,U2 show in London in the early 80’s he was lovely, a real gent. I wanted to take him home and sit up all night listening to and discussing records. I wanted to find out all about him.

Indeed long may Bruce Springsteen reign, he’s a hard act to follow. When I saw him earlier this year it was a particularly difficult time for him as he’s lost his long time friend and fellow band member Danny Federici after a long illness. The show was on off for a few days but eventually he played and although a little subdued to begin with he still gave us all a great show. I only wished it could have been at a small, intimate venue not just for me but for him too.

Although he passed all his exams, I’m not sure his parents enrolled him at public school for the other education he was to receive, the one he loved the most. He left with a passion for music that has never subsided.

The new national station Radio One had recently started and though no real substitute for the recently outlawed pirates, at least they provided an opportunity to hear the exciting bands that were all around, on both sides of the Atlantic. Here on Saturday afternoons resided the legend who was and always will be John Peel. For all of us growing up in the 60’s ‘Top Gear’ introduced us to the music that would change our lives…forever. The record I first remember hearing was Mr Tambourine Man by The Byrds, for Barry it was Electricity by Captain Beefheart. We were both in for the ride, and we weren’t getting off.

Music was the common denominator for all of us. We’d compare notes, see what records each of us had bought and then find out where these amazing bands would be playing. Most of them came to Manchester and if they didn’t, we went to them. Houldsworth Hall on Peter Street would put on ‘Grass Eye benefits’ and great as they were I’ve yet to discover who they benefited apart from us. Further up the street stood The Free Trade Hall. Everyone has their own special memories of where they saw their favorite bands and for me it will always be here. Over the years I saw a multitude of bands at dozens of venues all over the country but I will always hold my fondest memories for The Free Trade Hall.

I missed the legendary Bob Dylan ‘Judas’ gig in 1966 but it was still where I saw Led Zeppelin and The Pink Floyd for the first time, and both for under a pound!

Rob had many qualities not least of all his humility. Most of you reading this won’t know who he was and that’s a shame. He was a hugely talented PR blessed with remarkable communication skills and someone adept at identifying and nurturing talent. I can imagine the impact his death will have had on so many artists from U2 to Tom Waits from just reading the tributes Johnny Marr and Marianne Faithful have already offered. Marianne said he was one of the greatest men she had ever met, Billboard referred to him as a PR giant. Words could never serve to do him justice, he was a very special human being.

Rob was the first person to spot the talent that was U2 and gave his employer Island Records the heads up, yet he was never one to gloat over it. I often wonder if U2 would have gone on to become what they are today without Island and especially without Rob Partridge. He had a unique ability when it came to dealing with artists, he took time to understand them and they in turn loved working with him.

The last time I saw him was maybe 10 years ago yet but when I read the tributes and e-mails and see his picture it’s like I’m there in his front room and he’s defending his dedication to Queens Park Rangers like only Rob could. And always there at his side his wonderful and loving wife Tina. A remarkable half of a remarkable whole.

I’m not the only one who will miss him and look forward to the day someone walks on to a stage to receive the Rob Partridge Lifetime Achievement Award.

Everything on both sides of the motorway was at a standstill, the traffic was going nowhere. I glanced out of the car window and noticed a very nice lady in a beautiful old red Mercedes sports alongside me in the outside lane, not looking too stressed and hastily applying her make up. From what I saw she didn’t need any and when I saw a mobile phone on the seat beside her that was it, I was in love! No I wasn’t going to steal it but could I just borrow it to make a call? I was in the middle lane, luckily she hadn’t spotted me staring at her gently stroking lipstick on to her luscious, pouting lips. Whoops I was slowly drifting back momentarily to that incident. Then she stopped and started to puck her lips. That was it, we were already on a deserted island together and she was wafting me with a giant palm whilst feeding me strawberries out of her cleavage. Damn wrong again, it was pissing down with rain, bleak and foggy on the M62 and I was probably surrounded by Leeds United supporters. I checked for traces of ‘Man United scum’ scarves, rattles, mugs, jerseys anything that would alert a baying mob. Not a popular choice of club the other side of ‘The Hills’.

I instinctively glanced over to see what my alternative was in the inside lane, secretly hoping it was a some old hippie with a headband, rolling papers, some beads and a Grateful Dead album who hadn’t even noticed the seventies let alone the eighties and wouldn’t know about mobile phones unless he could drop in a piece of Lebanese hash and take a toke. I was just looking for someone to make my choice of phone begging easier…but it was even better than that, a sweet elderly couple who, first of all would never have had a cell phone and secondly I didn’t dare risk frightening, albeit my intentions being good. I was back to Lady Mercedes. By now the lip gloss was on but luscious lips were busy mouthing the lyrics to what seemed like Jammin’ by Bob Marley?? I edged my window down ever so slightly to check. Brilliant it was! I had an ‘in,’ he was one of my artists. OK pretty lame I admit but that’s my type of logic, it gave a me an opportunity to communicate.

In 1979 I was working for Island myself as their regional promotions guy and visiting Piccadilly Radio in Manchester as one of my ports of call. After I’d been in to palatine Road to see Tony Wilson there a few times I got to know the girls who worked there and starting popping in once, maybe twice a week for a coffee. There was Lesley who ran the office and later went on to marry Rob Gretton, New Order’s manager and fellow Factory fellow! Tracey and Lindsay also worked there too and it became a great place to go and hang out for a while. Lindsay was also Tony’s ex wife (1st ex that is) so the whole office was quite a family affair. Alan would be in there from time to time and it’s where I first met people like James’ Tim Booth, Donald Martin from A Certain Ratio, Hooky and any number of Factory band members. It was a kind of club where people came and went. I knew that because years later when I had my own offices in Manchester it became a stopping off place for bands to pop in and raid my cupboards for free CD’s!

I used to see Tony regularly at Granada where he was a presenter/journalist or down at Factory HQ so I got to know him quite well. He would interview the bands I’d be working like The B52’s, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Steel Pulse and more notably a whacky Japanese outfit from Japan called The Plastics. In fact they were around and touring the UK quite soon after The B52’s and were a kind of Japanese version of them,only a little stranger! We’ll save that story for next time.

So many things happened in my life in that time, getting married, setting up home and embarking on one hell of a professional road trip that took my hobby to my workplace. None of which I could ever have dreamed of in the sixties. I just thought buying records and going to see bands would be what I did with the cash from my job, whatever that job might be. I never worried then about having a job, I just didn’t have a clue what job. It’s funny though, looking back I wonder if I hadn’t stumbled in to the music business, what would I have done!

As I had previously mentioned my day job at Island was how I met Tony Wilson. After starting the Factory club in Hulme that same year, Tony got the bug.He decided he wanted a label. Punk, So it Goes and the whole host of people he met along the way made it a must for him so with long time friend Alan Erasmus, designer pal Peter Saville who had studied in Manchester, and the bizarre genius that was Martin Hannett a legend was born. In 1979 Factory Records, or to be more exact Alan’s flat swung open it’s door. They were open for business though probably no idea quiet what business. And the subsequent arrival of one of our generations most seminal bands, Joy Division.

Tony had coerced me in to coming down to the Factory club and once I’d gone I was only too happy to return. I remember working the B52’s when they played there. Brilliant night, but before long all attention was focused on the label. If I went in to Granada TV to see Tony about the bands I was working and he wasn’t there, I knew where to find him. It got to where, depending on the time of day I would know his whereabouts and as Factory was situated halfway between my office and where I lived, I could call in either on my way to work or on my way home.

It wasn’t long before I’d call in regularly once or twice a week and then one Sunday at a cricket match in Ashley in Cheshire I spoke to Tony about maybe how he should think about promoting his records. I remember it well, it was the tea interval.

That’s all incidental, I was talking about daughter’s and births so to finally repair any damage meant that me and Marie were following the band out on the October tour. We did the same on the War tour but for the purposes of being factually correct and in the context of the blog, October. I’m beginning to wish I hadn’t started, I must check dates before I start to write.

What I do remember about the gig was that it was far from sold out which was weird because for Sting it was a bit of a homecoming, The Police had been out on the road for years and this was supposed to be a celebration. I also recollect The Beat, Lords of the New Church and Gang of Four being on the bill. The Gang of Four were really good that day and U2 were great but I do confess to a bit of bias. I have some brilliant photos which I’ll get round to posting, Bono being passed around the crowd above their heads and Adam’s famous haircut, certainly not top of any bill !

Bono saw every opportunity from day one to connect with a crowd, to make them pay attention and for hem to watch everything he was doing. He was a great front man and what he lacked in singing ability back then was more than compensated for by his charismatic stage presence. Their tour manager Dennis Sheehan hadn’t started to work for them then and they had an old school friend called Tim taking care of that function. There were two guys I remember, Tim and a guy called Pod, no his initial wasn’t I. Bono used to climb the PA and wave the white flag and it was impossible to stop him. Time and time again his manager as well as the rest of the band would tell him to stop it, he could fall, and time and time again he agreed. But when show time came he just went off and did it all over again. That day the PA stack was particularly high and Bono was up on the scaffolding and shinning his way along to the top of the columns. Never mind anyone else, I was shitting it, it looked very precarious.

Away again I drifted in to U2 live stories which should give me more than a good excuse to remember those brilliant times we had back at The Edge (that being the name I awarded to the family home. It seemed appropriate for the time.) I remember once doing an interview somewhere and someone asked me why did I call my house The Edge. ‘Well Bono is a pretty stupid name for a house’ I replied.

Tales from The Edge about me , Radcliffe and a bunch of notable suspects will be forthcoming.