Earlier this week one of the bands that I spent a lot of my hard earned paper round money on vinyl announced that they were stopping touring. Now that is some time ago, even more spectacular is that is had been 15 years since their charismatic front man Michael Hutchence was found dead in a hotel room. But after 35 years as an excellent live band INXS have announced that they are parking the tour bus for good.
Many people will only have heard of INXS for the first time after I already had a fair amount of them on vinyl on 13 July 1985 when they were this Australian insert into Live Aid. This is how they blasted into many people's lives and made it a lot easier for the rest of us UK fans to find their singles and albums.
However, even after Live Aid that single What You Need only reached 51 in the UK charts, it did reach number 5 in the US Billboard Charts though.
As I said I was into them thanks to a penfriend from Australia who told me they great and to look out for their stuff as early as 1983 (another from New Zealand told be about Split Endz who later morphed into Crowded House). So I was into them a whole Album before the Album Listen Like Thieves.
I can't find videos of The Swing but somebody has very cleverly linked the phrase "Heart shaped hedges, Japanese Gardens" as inspiration with the music of Johnson's Aeroplane for this very effective montage.
It was only when they performed on the Sound Track of The Lost Boys with Jimmy Barnes that they actually broke into the top 40 with a number 18 hit with Good Times.
That was followed by Need You Tonight their only US number 1, number 2 here in the UK, their highet UK chart position.
Unfortunately a lot of the clips I can find of their last concert on YouTube are disabled for embedding. But here is Never Tear Us Apart which I think should be a fitting epitaph.
But I know you want to see a little of that last gig so here is Falling Down the Mountain (Kiss the Dirt).
Friday, 16 November 2012
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
PA two intials that everyone knew
Some people like Madonna or Kylie are known by one name, but others are known simply by their initials. Today the LGBT community in Northern Ireland lost the man who initials we all knew.
There are two names that are closely associated historically with the fight for LGBT rights in Northern Ireland one of course is Jeff Dudgeon who took his test case to the European Court of Human Rights to get homosexuality legalised here, the other was known to all of us simply as PA.
PA Mag Lochlainn was the President of the Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association from before many of us younger LGBT activists in Northern Ireland were either out or born.
PA was often the go to voice that the media would turn to for comment about the latest LGBT issue to affect Northern Ireland in the 30 years since Dudgeon's test case he would often be the one that would appear on the local Northern Ireland news programmes or be quoted in our newspapers for comment.
At the 2011 Belfast Pride Ball to mark the 21st anniversary I was fortunate to be sitting at the table with these two men as there were both honoured; PA for services to Belfast Pride. One thing that struck me on that occasion was these two names at the very forefront of all things LGBT here in Northern Ireland was the interest and encouragement they took and gave in those of us with 'less' years under our belt.
Earlier this year while we were celebrating the success of Dudgeon v UK thirty years ago I was standing around afterwards talking with PA and Jeff. We were there to celebrate a break through event but the two of them were talking about how they were glad there was a whole range of vocal and able younger LGBT activists to take up the torch and carry things through for many years to come.
The last time I saw PA in person was on 1 October this year, we were sitting beside each other as the MLAs voted on the equal marriage motion. We were facing the Aye lobby and trying to work out who was going through those doors. He remarked how he was pleased to see one of his fellow SDLP members head through the door with "Good, there goes Alban," little did we know he was also to vote in the No lobby. Then when the voting came to a very close defeat, he turned to me and said, "We'll get it next time."
Since I found out the news this evening that PA passed on this morning I've been thinking of all the meetings I will be going to in the future and the chair that PA will no longer fill. The laugh that was so distinctive and the encouragement that was always genuine. I think that we will never wait in anticipation before any Pride parade to see what costume PA will turn up wearing as he prepared to set off on his mobility scooter with the rest of us.
One thing that also comes from the likes of PA and Jeff is that the two men were firm friends through years of association, showing that the LGBT community was one of the first in Northern Ireland to unite people from across the traditional divide. Something that those in the unionist community would do well to remember.
PA may have gone but his years of serving the LGBT community here in Northern Ireland will be a lasting legacy.
There are two names that are closely associated historically with the fight for LGBT rights in Northern Ireland one of course is Jeff Dudgeon who took his test case to the European Court of Human Rights to get homosexuality legalised here, the other was known to all of us simply as PA.
 | |
| Picture by Phil O'Kane at 2011 Belfast Pride Ball |
PA was often the go to voice that the media would turn to for comment about the latest LGBT issue to affect Northern Ireland in the 30 years since Dudgeon's test case he would often be the one that would appear on the local Northern Ireland news programmes or be quoted in our newspapers for comment.
At the 2011 Belfast Pride Ball to mark the 21st anniversary I was fortunate to be sitting at the table with these two men as there were both honoured; PA for services to Belfast Pride. One thing that struck me on that occasion was these two names at the very forefront of all things LGBT here in Northern Ireland was the interest and encouragement they took and gave in those of us with 'less' years under our belt.
Earlier this year while we were celebrating the success of Dudgeon v UK thirty years ago I was standing around afterwards talking with PA and Jeff. We were there to celebrate a break through event but the two of them were talking about how they were glad there was a whole range of vocal and able younger LGBT activists to take up the torch and carry things through for many years to come.
The last time I saw PA in person was on 1 October this year, we were sitting beside each other as the MLAs voted on the equal marriage motion. We were facing the Aye lobby and trying to work out who was going through those doors. He remarked how he was pleased to see one of his fellow SDLP members head through the door with "Good, there goes Alban," little did we know he was also to vote in the No lobby. Then when the voting came to a very close defeat, he turned to me and said, "We'll get it next time."
Since I found out the news this evening that PA passed on this morning I've been thinking of all the meetings I will be going to in the future and the chair that PA will no longer fill. The laugh that was so distinctive and the encouragement that was always genuine. I think that we will never wait in anticipation before any Pride parade to see what costume PA will turn up wearing as he prepared to set off on his mobility scooter with the rest of us.
One thing that also comes from the likes of PA and Jeff is that the two men were firm friends through years of association, showing that the LGBT community was one of the first in Northern Ireland to unite people from across the traditional divide. Something that those in the unionist community would do well to remember.
PA may have gone but his years of serving the LGBT community here in Northern Ireland will be a lasting legacy.
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Council vote not synonymous with progress
The following are taken from the websites of two Northern Irish political parties:
First:
Second:
I'll give you no prizes for guesses that these are the two Unionist parties, first the DUP then the UUP.
Well this evening being synonymous with progress, maximising the quality of life for all people, normalising institutions to bring about fairness and equality of opportunity for all saw these two parties, along with the independents and Adam Harbinson the co-opted Alliance Councillor for Bangor West, all feel this meant voting down an equal marriage motion in the chamber.
As a result North Down's contribution was defeated as giving fairness of opportunity to all to get married. The DUP may want "the natural beauty and the friendly character of our people to be promoted to make Northern Ireland 'the place to visit'". However, they have shown once again that they don't really want it to be the place that the LGBT community in Northern Ireland can see the friendly character.
Of course I know of a number of North Down residents who want to have the option of same sex marriage. What would happen should we go to Scotland, England or Wales once they introduce same-sex marriage and have a ceremony there? Should we come back to Northern Ireland we would not be civil partner and civil partner, but husband and husband or wife and wife.
Of course the people here in Northern Ireland including one of our MLAs who during that debate last month said this was a Scottish issue are ignoring the fact that without recognition that Northern Ireland will not be recognising legal UK marriages if they carry on in mindless opposition. The Equality Minister Maria Millar at the weekend said that laws would be introduced that would prevent same-sex couples suing churches that refused to marry them. Of course civil marriage or allowing churches that want to would not be affected by this, indeed these were the areas that tonight's motion was actually outlaying.
Sadly the DUP or UUP cannot bring about normalisation of politics here while they continue to legislate for only one narrow world view of what should be allowed. While they continue to put up the blinkers and barriers to LGBT equality legislation and only pay lip service to anti-sectarian or anti-racist measures they are only going so far. Once against they show myopia about what equality actually entails.
Update meanwhile normalisation in Belfast means distributing a leaflet in Alliance Party colours over flags from the DUP.
First:
"We want to normalise our institutions and political arrangements to demonstrate that democratic standards apply and fairness and equality of opportunity is the right of all.
"We wants to strengthen our relationship within the United Kingdom. Our representatives in Westminster dedicate themselves to involvement in the affairs of the Nation and in partnership with their Stormont colleagues maximise Northern Ireland’s contribution to the United Kingdom. We will work to increase the respect and status of our region within the Union....
"We want the name of Northern Ireland to be synonymous with progress."
Second:
"We recognise the value of culture, arts and leisure in encouraging economic growth as well as maximising quality of life for the people of Northern Ireland. Cultural identity is an important aspect of our make-up."
I'll give you no prizes for guesses that these are the two Unionist parties, first the DUP then the UUP.
Well this evening being synonymous with progress, maximising the quality of life for all people, normalising institutions to bring about fairness and equality of opportunity for all saw these two parties, along with the independents and Adam Harbinson the co-opted Alliance Councillor for Bangor West, all feel this meant voting down an equal marriage motion in the chamber.
As a result North Down's contribution was defeated as giving fairness of opportunity to all to get married. The DUP may want "the natural beauty and the friendly character of our people to be promoted to make Northern Ireland 'the place to visit'". However, they have shown once again that they don't really want it to be the place that the LGBT community in Northern Ireland can see the friendly character.
Of course I know of a number of North Down residents who want to have the option of same sex marriage. What would happen should we go to Scotland, England or Wales once they introduce same-sex marriage and have a ceremony there? Should we come back to Northern Ireland we would not be civil partner and civil partner, but husband and husband or wife and wife.
Of course the people here in Northern Ireland including one of our MLAs who during that debate last month said this was a Scottish issue are ignoring the fact that without recognition that Northern Ireland will not be recognising legal UK marriages if they carry on in mindless opposition. The Equality Minister Maria Millar at the weekend said that laws would be introduced that would prevent same-sex couples suing churches that refused to marry them. Of course civil marriage or allowing churches that want to would not be affected by this, indeed these were the areas that tonight's motion was actually outlaying.
Sadly the DUP or UUP cannot bring about normalisation of politics here while they continue to legislate for only one narrow world view of what should be allowed. While they continue to put up the blinkers and barriers to LGBT equality legislation and only pay lip service to anti-sectarian or anti-racist measures they are only going so far. Once against they show myopia about what equality actually entails.
Update meanwhile normalisation in Belfast means distributing a leaflet in Alliance Party colours over flags from the DUP.
Saturday, 10 November 2012
DG falls on sword, but will Schofield fall off his sofa?
He committed the Hari Kiri step too late for the evening news, so many of us switched over to the BBC News channel and missed the start of the Festival of Remembrance. You'd have thought that the DG would have tried harder to have his resignation statement carried live during the news on his stations own main channel.
His crime was being in charge when Newsnight hinted at but did not name, nor display a list of names, anyone in a story that hinted that a high ranking Conservative politician of the Thatcher era may have been involved in child sexual abuse. The Newsnight team had also failed to show the victim the correct picture of the person who they felt that they had collared their guy.
This was on the back of failing to air the investigation into Jimmy Savile at the end of last year, not on Entwistle's watch, although the fall-out was.
This does raise the question about the Good Morning sofa over on ITV. On Friday Eamon Holmes was filling in for Phillip Schofield. But what if ITV bosses need someone who will not fall for internet speculation, produce it in front of a guest without checking, foolishly twist it towards camera. It needs someone used to dealing with live television as Schofield did as the continuity link of Children's Television all those years ago. Who could be a long term, cuddly replacement that fits the chat remit. Someone that could bounce of Holly Willoughby, be a favourite of the audience and the guests would relax with.
I give you my potential replacement.
Friday, 9 November 2012
David Cameron's remark 24 hours on in Northern Ireland
Growing up in Northern Ireland I was rather blessed by my name. My surname is neither Protestant nor Catholic. Indeed look at historic records for the middle of the 19th Century and in Londonderry/Derry there are an even split of both with the surname.
My given names especially my, controversial to some members on the staunch loyalist side of the family, middle name meant that I could be known by either to fit in with side depending who I was with and where I was.
As some of you know I also have both a British and Irish passport.
Therefore bizarrely I have never felt threatened by my community identity passed on where I went to church, nor where my family was from. Indeed I called Northern Ireland's second city by whatever name was more appropriate to the people I was with as another tool of camouflage.
In the last 24 hours when I have ventured out I have done what I always do and pick up snippets of conversations around me as I sit and drink coffee, or go shopping. In that time here in relatively affluent and educated Bangor in Northern Ireland I have people interchanging gay and paedophile more than I have heard in political debate here even from the DUP in recent years. In fact I don't think I heard the common person on the street mention that linkage since my return here over 2 years ago.
All that changed yesterday.
There are snippets of conversation that I pick up on. Of course me being me there are certain key words that spark my ears to hone in. There has been a lot of those snippets in the last 24 hours and it makes me feel uncomfortable.
The thing is of course I don't have a wife to hide behind. My name has appeared in the letters pages defending LGBT rights. Anyone who Googles my name will of course find out just who I am, and probably even quicker than Phillip Schofield's 3 minutes can ascertain my sexual orientation. Here is the worse case of conversation that I overheard earlier today in a local supermarket.
Now David Cameron warned yesterday against starting a witch hunt. But it appears that in certain people he has started one. One nationally known homophobe tweeted last night in relation to this:
This after he made what appeared to be unfounded allegations against certain men. He then later added a PS that is also applied to white, heteros as well.
The thing is of course that one individual on a widely watched national television programme in response to a question about paedophiles directly linked it to a certain section of society. Even if one case may well be related to that there are other ongoing investigations that are not, but are also subject to a witch hunt.It may well be that the case he was questioned about fitted the caution he was calling for, but the use of words in the minds of some has reinforced a prejudice that many have worked hard to eradicate. In the space of six short words on a sofa in a studio in London David Cameron managed to rekindle that thought in some, so much so that they feel able to articulate it out loud.
In certain areas of the country homophobia and misunderstanding of the LGBT community is higher than others, none probably more so than here in Northern Ireland. What I have witnessed in the last 24 hours gives me cause for concern.
My given names especially my, controversial to some members on the staunch loyalist side of the family, middle name meant that I could be known by either to fit in with side depending who I was with and where I was.
As some of you know I also have both a British and Irish passport.
Therefore bizarrely I have never felt threatened by my community identity passed on where I went to church, nor where my family was from. Indeed I called Northern Ireland's second city by whatever name was more appropriate to the people I was with as another tool of camouflage.
In the last 24 hours when I have ventured out I have done what I always do and pick up snippets of conversations around me as I sit and drink coffee, or go shopping. In that time here in relatively affluent and educated Bangor in Northern Ireland I have people interchanging gay and paedophile more than I have heard in political debate here even from the DUP in recent years. In fact I don't think I heard the common person on the street mention that linkage since my return here over 2 years ago.
All that changed yesterday.
There are snippets of conversation that I pick up on. Of course me being me there are certain key words that spark my ears to hone in. There has been a lot of those snippets in the last 24 hours and it makes me feel uncomfortable.
The thing is of course I don't have a wife to hide behind. My name has appeared in the letters pages defending LGBT rights. Anyone who Googles my name will of course find out just who I am, and probably even quicker than Phillip Schofield's 3 minutes can ascertain my sexual orientation. Here is the worse case of conversation that I overheard earlier today in a local supermarket.
Person A: So David Cameron doesn't want a gay witch hunt.
Person B: Why not? All those gays are at it, no young boy is safe
Now David Cameron warned yesterday against starting a witch hunt. But it appears that in certain people he has started one. One nationally known homophobe tweeted last night in relation to this:
It's time for the majority of gays who are not attracted to children to put their house in order by turning in beasts.
This after he made what appeared to be unfounded allegations against certain men. He then later added a PS that is also applied to white, heteros as well.
The thing is of course that one individual on a widely watched national television programme in response to a question about paedophiles directly linked it to a certain section of society. Even if one case may well be related to that there are other ongoing investigations that are not, but are also subject to a witch hunt.It may well be that the case he was questioned about fitted the caution he was calling for, but the use of words in the minds of some has reinforced a prejudice that many have worked hard to eradicate. In the space of six short words on a sofa in a studio in London David Cameron managed to rekindle that thought in some, so much so that they feel able to articulate it out loud.
In certain areas of the country homophobia and misunderstanding of the LGBT community is higher than others, none probably more so than here in Northern Ireland. What I have witnessed in the last 24 hours gives me cause for concern.
Thursday, 8 November 2012
Dave paedophiles are not a subset of gay men
Update I was not going to post this until I saw this by Tom Chivers in The Telegraph and then heard the way this was reported on the evening news.
Phillip Schofield may have ambushed David Cameron with a list of suspected paedophiles on This Morning but it is the PM's immediate response that this somewhat startling.
He did this without even looking at the names. Now if he was concerned merely about it becoming a witch hunt that would have been a fine response. But why did he add the caveat "who are gay"? Indeed until it was raised by David Cameron this morning nobody was linking the latest peadophilia with the gay community, there were a few individual cases but it wasn't so strongly linked.
The fact that the Prime Minister actually hesitated as soon as he said especially does seem to think that maybe his brain did try and catch on from his saying what came after he'd started with the caveat. Maybe his political brain kicked in, but it was too late he had already said especially. Where could he go after including that?
Not all of the victims of this high profile paedophile ring that are coming forward are male. But the linking of gay men to the accusation of paedophilia by being at the front (or indeed anywhere) in the Prime Minister's response does nothing to pull gay men away from the stigma and finger pointing that has historically been the case. It is often used by people opposed to any LGBT equality, especially the teaching of it in schools. Remember that Cameron himself voted for the retention of Section 28.
Does this 'slip' of the tongue actually reveal the true feelings of the Prime Minister about the LGBT community? Does the inclusion of this caveat actually reveal that he is not actually as comfortaable with LGBT equality as he would like for political expediency to make out.
One thing that is worrying is that by making this connection on national television David Cameron has actually thrown that image, that link back into people's minds. He may have tried to prevent a witch hunt but his misspeaking may very well have created one of his own.
Yes the speculation on the net about names can be a witch hunt, but that is not exclusive to one sexual orientation. The victims don't fit the narrowing of that definition of a witch hunt. So in mathematical terms this Venn diagram is not true.
What we do know from case histories is that men and women, straight and gay prey on underage victims.
This is the actual representation of the issue, though not to scale.
I spent a long time today musing over the rightness of posting this. As I said David Cameron was quite right not to support any witch hunt over the paedophiles that are being used. Indeed the news are highlighting not on the issue of the witch hunt but on it being about a witch hunt on gay people. Therefore my concern that more people will link paedophilia with homosexuality has as a result of Cameron's words already increased.
Thanks Dave for putting the positive message from the LGBT community back slightly all because of six words you did not need to include in your rebuttal of this issue. Having heard some comments from some of the This Morning audience while out earlier some people are talking about the link which isn't there already.
Whether he intended to or not, unprompted David Cameron went on daytime TV and linked paedophilia with homosexuality. He took it too far and the response in some quarters will be a return to linking the two.
Update I have noticed that the comments this morning have given Nick Griffen something to rant about inaccurately (warning this is the only time I will link to a Griffen Tweet).
Phillip Schofield may have ambushed David Cameron with a list of suspected paedophiles on This Morning but it is the PM's immediate response that this somewhat startling.
"I am worried this could turn into a witch hunt particularly against people who are gay.
"I've heard all sorts of names being bandied around and what then tends to happen is that everyone sits around and speculates about people some of who are alive and some of who are dead."
He did this without even looking at the names. Now if he was concerned merely about it becoming a witch hunt that would have been a fine response. But why did he add the caveat "who are gay"? Indeed until it was raised by David Cameron this morning nobody was linking the latest peadophilia with the gay community, there were a few individual cases but it wasn't so strongly linked.
The fact that the Prime Minister actually hesitated as soon as he said especially does seem to think that maybe his brain did try and catch on from his saying what came after he'd started with the caveat. Maybe his political brain kicked in, but it was too late he had already said especially. Where could he go after including that?
Not all of the victims of this high profile paedophile ring that are coming forward are male. But the linking of gay men to the accusation of paedophilia by being at the front (or indeed anywhere) in the Prime Minister's response does nothing to pull gay men away from the stigma and finger pointing that has historically been the case. It is often used by people opposed to any LGBT equality, especially the teaching of it in schools. Remember that Cameron himself voted for the retention of Section 28.
Does this 'slip' of the tongue actually reveal the true feelings of the Prime Minister about the LGBT community? Does the inclusion of this caveat actually reveal that he is not actually as comfortaable with LGBT equality as he would like for political expediency to make out.
One thing that is worrying is that by making this connection on national television David Cameron has actually thrown that image, that link back into people's minds. He may have tried to prevent a witch hunt but his misspeaking may very well have created one of his own.
Yes the speculation on the net about names can be a witch hunt, but that is not exclusive to one sexual orientation. The victims don't fit the narrowing of that definition of a witch hunt. So in mathematical terms this Venn diagram is not true.
This is the actual representation of the issue, though not to scale.
Thanks Dave for putting the positive message from the LGBT community back slightly all because of six words you did not need to include in your rebuttal of this issue. Having heard some comments from some of the This Morning audience while out earlier some people are talking about the link which isn't there already.
Whether he intended to or not, unprompted David Cameron went on daytime TV and linked paedophilia with homosexuality. He took it too far and the response in some quarters will be a return to linking the two.
Update I have noticed that the comments this morning have given Nick Griffen something to rant about inaccurately (warning this is the only time I will link to a Griffen Tweet).
It can happen to even the greatest cyclists #roadsafety
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| Not Bradley Wiggins crash |
While I was a student in Kingston I soon learnt that not all road users could follow simple rules such as:
- Lane markings: I once got squeezed between two cars while turning right, the one of my left was in a left turn only lane at the lights.
- Overtaking without due caution: I was once looking to turn right, and waited for a van to come past me before heading to the centre of the road. As I checked over my shoulder to move out the van broke right in front of me breaking my jaw.
- Pulling across lanes without checking: I was once cycling along in a cycle lane in rush hour traffic for a car to turn through the gap left my a car right in front of me. I couldn't break in 1m so took an excursion over their bonnet.
- Open doors without checking: On a different day but on the same stretch of cycle lane a car once parked in a no-parking zone for that time of the morning, straddled the cycle lane. I had to pull out to go around them, only to be greeted by an opening driver's door in the face. Fortunately the car behind me managed to stop just in time to merely tap my back as I lay on the ground.
I admit those misadventures happened over 20 years ago. However, they did total a couple of bike frames and several wheels, and could easily have been fatal, bike helmets weren't en vogue then and I wasn't wearing one. However, there are still stories about cyclists who are obeying the rules of the road suffering injuries or death as a result of other road users, protected in their steel shell not seeing them or taking attention of them.
Here are some tips.
- If there is a cycle lane, check if there is a cyclist in it
- Even if there isn't a cyclist may be coming up the inside of traffic.
- If you are a cyclist obey traffic lights and stop signs (indeed any part of the highway code) yourself
- Leave room on the inside of a slow moving queue of traffic, that is where the cyclists should be able to go safely.
- If you are going to be parking all day (while going to work etc) don't park over a cycling lane on a main road use a side road
- Cyclists wear a helmet, armour sadly is a little impractical for side impact protection.
- Give cyclists room both while overtaking and after you have overtaken, don't take an immediate left after overtaking them wait for them to cross the junction first
- If driving always be aware of cyclists
- If cycling always be aware of other vehicles and ride at an appropriate speed for the surroundings (it isn't always a individual time trial)
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