Conversations with Nick C

As has been discussed here a tiny bit before, Nick C and I are supremely convinced that the fantastic post punk group Wire would be perfect for sports settings.  I think the song Reuters by Wire would be the perfect introduction for a closer coming in to a game.  Just as the wave of guitars start crashing after the doomy bass intro seems to me to be the ideal song for that moment.  When I listen to the song now, I can not help but imagine the pitcher warming up, and the infielders tossing the ball around the diamond.  I also see a fanatic, elated, slightly buzzed packed house going bat-shit crazy as the song whips around the stadium late at night.  I also imagine it from the other team's perspective.  Baseball players would hate to go that stadium, "Where they play that weird ass song, and the fans are so crazy."

Nick C prefers the song I Am the Fly for this setting, and has worked out a whole routine that the crowd would perform, and suggests that the closer might even wear crazy glasses, and his nickname might be "The Fly."

Ha ha ha, idle silly chatter on our parts, you might suggest.  Well, it turns out Nick C and I are not the only ones who feel like this.  Check out this quote from Sam Barton of the group Teeth of The Sea:

" [Wire] also blur the notions of high and low art which is a philosophy that ToTS have always pitched our tent around. For example, I've always had this ideal in music of the 'bohemian football hooligan anthem', it's something Jimmy [ToTS member] and I have discussed at length over the years. Basically the most perfect examples of the form are 'Needle In The Camel's Eye' by Eno and 'I Am The Fly' by Wire. That's not meant to sound flippant - if you can write an insane polyrhythmic song that lyrically makes Metamorphosis look a bit on the safe side and still make it a Saturday night air-puncher then you've truly achieved greatness. The pop thing is really important, it's not ivory tower experimentalism, it's to be put out into the world."

Now, Mr Barton has done a much better job expressing himself than Nick C and I have, but we are most certainly thinking along the same lines.

The quote comes from an excellent article from the music webzine Quietus.  Here is the link here.

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Also along post punk lines, I watched the Joy Division documentary yesterday, and although I admire Mr Curtis' unique talents a tiny bit more, I am still not convinced that he is quite the groundbreaking tragic poet figure that so many seem to believe he is.  I still prefer New Order over Joy Division, I guess.  It is prob just me.  (I do love Ian Curtis crazy trance dancing routines on stage, though.  Spooky.)

xxxoooxxx