No Rock And Roll Fun

TSUNAMI GIG REACTIONS: Obviously, the headline figure - £1,248,963 for the tsunami appeal - is the main thing, and you can't really quibble about the sound so many quids hitting the charity bucket, even if the spectacle itself will live forever in the collective memory as things we wish we'd never seen. As Soundgenerator reported it,Eric Clapton and Jools Holland were joined by many of the day's acts for a collaborative rendition of 'Shake, Rattle and Roll'. Truly, you have not enjoyed yourself until you've seen the Goldie Lookin' Chain peering out from a crowd of the boogie-woogieng superannuated. Or, indeed, the shots of GLC rehearsing that cropped up on Breakfast 24 of the Rap Wurzels going through their motions in their daywear of Peacocks sweaters and jeans.

BBC News Online found the organisers in buoyant mood after a succesful day: Organiser Paul Sergeant, the stadium's general manager, said the evening had been "phenomenal". He said: "The crowd have left singing. Everything has gone - for the whole three weeks - so smoothly. We have shown that this is Wales, we are capable of delivering . If the opportunity came round we would do something again." Yes, let's hope that the Millennium team don't have to wait too long for another quarter of a million deaths for their next opportunity, shall we?

We were also taken with the caption BBC News provided for this picture of Brian McFadden:



Brian McFadden, who has only recently launched a solo career, came on after Aled Jones - it's not recorded how Aled responded to this coming on.

Worldwide, it was Eric Clapton who was the main attraction - The Associated Press coverage was hung off old' Creamyhands shoulder, despite the competing demands of Lulu and Lemar.

It wasn't all best faces for the day, though, Digitalspy reports the Sunday Mirror's coverage of the negative reactions: The crowds reacted badly to Eric Clapton, Craig David, and the Manic Street Preachers, according to the newspaper. As Charlotte Church was about to be brought on-stage, she received a similar treatment, prompting presenter Edith Bowman to plead, "Come on, she's Welsh. Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were also in the crowd's bad books - by allowing their feud to continue and sending separate messages of support." - although, to be honest, we're not sure how the Mirror feels able to tell the difference between standard booing for politicians and booing over specific reasons. Maybe the crowd chants of "Goodness, Gordon, this isn't the time to be scoring points over the ongoing fall-out of the Granita dinner agreement" were faded down by the BBC.

Actually, the Mirror seems to have got it slightly wrong - Jessica of All Hail Commodore Powee - who should know, cause they were they, records Tony Blair sent a video message and got booed. Serve him right, the useless goit. Gordon Brown didn't, though, but then again he wasn't only spouting the usual "OMG SO SAD MUST ALL STICK TOGETHER VOTE FOR ME KTHXBAI" nonsense Blair was. Hurrah; obviously everyone hates Blair. Mind you, Jessica also claims that the pianist from Keane plays piano like he's having sex. One-handed?

Still with the blog reaction, Charlotte Church failed to delight A Little 2 Frank: i thought she was awful...there was a particularly cringe-worthy moment half way through where she told the audience to 'clap, clap, clap'...oh dear...you've either got stage-craft to pull something like that off, or you havent...she...didnt!.... and managed to separate out very-wrong-thoughts about Kelly Jones from his dull performance: he was looking the hottest he's looked for a long time coz he's cut off his hair etc..his voice sounded great, but he took everything so slow...in Local Boy I was watching the flippin 'clock going back'...he had all this lyrics out as well on a stand...i think Kell's losing his way...must've been hard for him with the band splitting etc, but it seems he's turned to something that was certainly taking him well out of this planet....shame Kell....he's better than that...still...he's a demi-God and i'm sure he'll come round and find a better way to face his problems....so hot, so hot!

Mark My Words spent the whole day watching on S4C, and entertainingly details the events, from Craig David's Jamie Oliver lookalike guitarist, through Snow Patrol's sound problems and past Heather Small. Apparently there's a massive gap before the Manics come on during which we are treated to comperes Alex Zane (of MTV movie reviews fame) and Fearne Cotton (of children's television fame) struggling to entertain the crowd with some unscripted 'I can't hear you' crap during the delay.

Oddly, the Manics play before Heather Small, Feeder, Lulu and Liberty X, which would normally lead you to assume that the order had been decided by drawing lots. Maybe Nicky wanted to make sure he caught a train home before the engineering work kicked in? Heather Small had been on Breakfast 24 in the morning saying that she felt it was "a duty" for her to be there, although I'm not sure there's a music lover alive who would have worried had she been excused that duty.

The one thing we can be thankfull for, I guess, is that neither of the big charity singles so far (Tears In Heaven nor Grief Never Dies) were used for the big singalong at the end. Even if it did mean that the end to what everyone is calling "the biggest benefit gig since Live Aid" (although we'd have thought the Mandela gig would have claimed that title) seemed more like last orders at a Dock Road pub on a Saturday.

It raised lots of money, but more can never hurt: DEC will gladly accept funds.