Aye, but it's not you I'm gently trying to wind up


Afraid I'll be glued

The only bit of the wall-to-wall Jubilee celebrations I was unfortunate enough to catch was Jimmy Carr's link between two of the acts at the concert. Oh, and I watched Kylie with the sound off.

The rest of the whole nauseating spectacle was carefully avoided.

Oooh, cruel. But really, it's just keeping informed. Not hard




Sorry but that's just bollox and you know it. I made no such assumption so take your straw men and shove 'em. I would say the plan was to have a bit of a jolly knees up and this they seemed to me to passably well do. Overall I enjoyed it, though being able to FF through the recorded highlights was a bonus. But in terms of catering to all tastes, I reckon not too bad a job, what with Madness on the roof, the superb Bucky Palace graphics, military band, big-nmae and unknown acts, spectacular fireworks, and a bit of a Last Night of the Proms feel. I'm not overselling it, but you're definitely going OTT to deride it.


Leaving aside that you have no clue whether and to what extent she did or didn't like the entertainment, and I doubt she would agree with "idiot son", would that be perhaps because this old woman is in fact the reigning monarch whose diamond jubilee was being celebrated, and was (as per) doing her duty? (And leaving aside the fact that she did spend the first part of the concert at the hospital, so did both?) Major fail, especially missing Charles's attempt to be funny by the incongruous use of "mummy", which was in fact amusing and got a decent guffaw.

I also note your medical qualifications and diagnosis. Impressive. Just how do you get a bladder infection from being out in dismal weather, though, as I would like to avoid this myself. What did the hospitals do with teh queu of several million other people who got bladder infections from the self-same dismal weather? Must've been damn busy in A&E.

I know, but the fact remains the same, it is possible to innocently manage to miss the whole damn thing if you try hard enough

I'm sure it isn't, dear. And when next I feel a need to know about trash culture I'll ask you.



The plan, I suspect, was to put on a free event that would appeal to as many as possible, which could then be presented as a picture of happy Brits all loving HM, and nothing to do with getting to be at a free bash.

Bread and circuses.



Well indeed. Who would possibly attend a concert and expect the singers to be in tune?

I understand that that's totally out of fashion these days, with the TV 'talent' shows regularly using technology to ensure that singers who can't are made to sound as though they can.



Oh yes – "duty". It's the "duty" of a pensioner to stand around smiling and waving at people at a pop concert. What a bleedin' state the country's in.



Jim Davidson still gets laughs too, I hear. Saw that bit live. Thought the "guffaw" was embarrassed and thought HM cringed.



Yeah. You're right. An elderly man, standing for hours in driving rain and a chill wind wouldn't cause any problem.

Last time I had a chill on the bladder, it was years ago, living in draft-ridden lodgings in the middle of the winter, with inadequate heating and the pipes all frozen. Total coincidence, of course.

And because it does happen in such circumstances does not mean that it happens to everyone in such circumstances. But standing in the wind and rain for three hours will hardly have helped.

It's also worth pointing out that the people there would have laughed if Charles had told a chicken crossing the road joke.

Good point, well made.

I quite like Prince Charles and his sidekick, although I suspect that its only me and his sidekick that feel that way.

Hes quite a handy watercolourist too.

:kka2u4iu
I'll do my best to help, ma'am.

:kka2u4iu
As much as it irritates you, that was pretty much what we got. Your free bash point falls down when you consider how many stood in the wind and rain, including elderly no doubt at great risk to their bladders, just to watch Brenda's boat slide by in a few hours tiem. That was not really any sort of "bash" but they were there in huge numbers.

:kka2u4iu
As you keep parroting that one, I'll dispose of it by making the obvious point that even if we were at the height of economic boomtime, and everyone was a millionaire, there is no question that a similar show would have been put on for the Diamond Jubilee. Again irritating for you, but Brenda is held in great affection by millions, and respected by millions more. It isn't compulsory, but those are the facts.

:kka2u4iu
She isn't a pensioner, she still works full-time, and was working that night too. HTH.

:kka2u4iu
As would I, but then that's the sort of OK lady she is, and the humour was of the groan-inducing variety rather than riotous laughter. But comparing Charlie with Jim Davidson is good even by your standards, I'll grant.

:kka2u4iu
Your medical expertise is noted and admired. Especially having driving rain and wind inside your lodgings. (Though from my perspective as a kid, in our brown paper bag in the sewer, you were in luxury). Not your best comparison ever. "Mintball gets chill on the bladder in heated lodgings, so no pensioner must ever brave the elements in June".



However he seemed to be well wrapped up to me, and I doubt he chilled his nads. How do you know he wasn't wearing the Damart thermals that they send him every year? Oh and you are grossly exaggerating the wetaher and what you claim he did, but it just makes your attempt to diagnose Phil the Greek even funnier.


What is your actual point, about this, because I'm totally bemused by this. That he should have been forcibly prevented from going with the missus on her big day, as he was a bit off it? Or that he's knocking on a bit and might catch a chill or something? He seems to be made of sterner stuff. Would you have stopped him? How, exactly?

Most bladder infections are caused by bacteria from the bowels ending up in the bladder. Much more common in the ladies but does happen in men. Never heard of them being caused by cold or wet weather. Can be quite serious, as when my father in law suffered from them. Particularly a problem for the very elderly. Can cause severe confusion and disorientation leading to falls.

Bumped into a mate of mine today who is very left wing, republican. The members of the charity that she runs comprises largely of older people that love the monarchy. She's spent the last week organising street party type jubilee celebrations. Couldnt wait to get to work today to take down the bunting!

You are aware that it is entirely possible to work full-time AND draw the state pension aren't you?

I bet they'd not have laughed if he'd told the "Why did Diana cross the road" joke...

I probably would have though.

Anyone notice that there seems to be a bit of North/South divide in attitudes towards the Royals? I've a decent geographical mix amongst my Facebook friends, and found that most of the folk from North of Watford Gap were pretty condeming of the weekend's events, whilst those from in and around the London area were full of patriotic glory.
Personally, I can't stand the ongoing concept of a Monarchy. Everyone's entitled to their opinion in my world, but to fawn over an institution that stands for nothing but overt societal inequality is absolutely crazy.

Should say I agree Macca's voice is also shot, but unlike Cliff I can forgive him for that, and I'd love to go to a concert if he stuck to Beatles stuff.

disagree mate - I think it would be very embarassing if his rendition of 'Oh Blah Dee Oh Blah Dah' was anything to go by ! The mans a superhero with a great career behind him so let him stick to songwriting

according to Lennon, on his 'Imagine' album on 'How Do You Sleep' he says of McCartney 'The only good thing you done was Yesterday,but since you've gone your just Another Day' so Lennon thought he was rubbish after the Beatles split ! a bit harsh methinks ?

doesn't mean to say all the oldies are spent - I went to a Quo concert last year and they were as good as the first time I saw them in '73 !

Some would say that don't have as far to slide as Paul.

Anyway, I'm not surprised Quo are still as rocking as ever. They are a cracking band. No pretentions, they just seem to really enjoy playing.

Totally agree. IIRC, Coddy has said, more than once, that the Stones are still superb live. Springsteen is still a top, top performer. I'd go to see Dylan if I had the chance – you couldn't wreck that voice anyway – and I'd not turn my nose up at see Status Quo either.

In the last couple of years, I've seen Ultravox and the Selector live – and had a ball. About three years ago we saw Blondie – okay, Debbie looked a tad like Blanche out of the [iGolden Girls[/i, but she's still got it.

Of the bits I saw on Monday, it seemed as though Madness can still do it too.

Although I'd be very surprised if anyone actually cared, I'd just like to say that I've enjoyed this thread more than any other Sin Bin thread for a very long time.

I have definitely noticed a difference.
e.g. Working in the South, I brought the topic up in the pub last week and I was the only one of five of us who was a non-monarchist. In the office loads of people actually went "up" to London and had what they say was a great time.
From what I gather, they didn't actually "do" anything, just went where everyone else was and waved a flag at a distant figure.

My view on the monarchy is that it is a gob-smackingly feudal and hopelessly outdated idea that is, fortunately, neutered by lack of real, useable power.
As far as I can understand, people like having a monarch because they don't ever want to see a "politician" in the role of head of state. Also, I think they like having a parental figure to look up to and it fits into the still-extant-and-observeable class system quite nicely in that, no matter who you are or where you are in the hierarchy, toff or not, you know that everyone is subordinate to her, so it's not so bad for you.
Personally, I think that's all bollox of course and, although it might seem fairly benign to have a powerless figurehead, there's a lot more to it than that. The British monarch is the mainstay of the entire class, nobility and establishment system, undemocratically dishing out knighthoods and peerages ensuring that, while she is personally essentially powerless, her existence preserves the power of the establishment elite.

Televised concerts tend to highlight vocal weaknesses far more than when you're actually there. Macca's had some great reviews for his recent concerts. Also Stevie Wonder sounded vocally much better when I saw him at the NEC a couple of years ago.

Must admit I felt asleep when I saw Dylan a few years ago. The whole "I'm not playing any of my older, famous stuff and dont think I'm going to talk to you" thing can be taken too far. Shame really because his voice seems to have improved.

That's a bit like saying Robert Mugabe has got a bit less despotty. I honestly don't get the whole Dylan thing. Sure, his lyrics are clever, but his singing is utterly terrible. Sitting through a full set of his stuff would be my idea of torture.

I love, love, love [iModern Times[/i, but the not-talking-to-the-audience thing would get me too.

The only time I've seen someone behave like that was Robert Palmer. And it really damages a concert.

You had to be there

Clearly. Though I love lots of music for which I wasn't there, and can see why it was (and still is) popular.

I think thats very true and there aren't many of us who would sound good (even those who CAN sing) when amplified in a live situation whether on tv or in a concert hall.

I also appreciate a performer who is prepared to stick his/her neck out and sing live even to a backing track and conversly despise any self-styled performer who simply mouths the words to a backing track, if I've paid a lot of money to see an act I don't want to listen to the recorded music, I can buy a CD for that, I want to watch and listen to them, flaws or not.