Elvis in Rare UK Concert Appearance

ReadyToHearTheWorst · Post by **ReadyToHearTheWorst** » Thu Jul 17, 2003 2:36 pm

Elvis Costello is to appear in a 'concert of words and music', on September 15th in London, it was announced this evening (well, more like mentioned in passing really).

BBC Radio 2 Dj, and one time rock journalist, Stuart MaConie was in converstaion with Chris Difford when he happened to mention the up coming event.

Apparently the gig will be broadcast (didn't say when) as part of the BBC's 'sold on song' season, and in support of the new album 'North', which Mr Difford referred to as 'stunning'.

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Thu Jul 17, 2003 2:49 pm

Ohhh, excellent!!

Paul McCartney did something like this on Radio 2 recently where he spoke about the whole songwriting process etc. I'm sure that was part of the "Sold on Song" season. Let's hope this is what Elvis'll do.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Thu Jul 17, 2003 3:07 pm

Oi! When's he gonna do a tour of the States???

Jackson Doofster · Post by **Jackson Doofster** » Thu Jul 17, 2003 5:01 pm

Sounds great!

As an aside, I once wrote to Chris Difford through 'Friendsreunited'. I wrote - "Do you know that you and Elvis wrote the soundtrack to my life from 12 years onwards?"

He actually wrote back and said "It's recieving messages like these, from complete strangers in internetland that make it all seem worthwhile"

Do you think he was taking the piss?

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Thu Jul 17, 2003 5:37 pm

Watch it Chelski fan, this is a very sensitive issue!

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Fri Jul 18, 2003 9:33 am

Jackson Doofster wrote:Sounds great!

As an aside, I once wrote to Chris Difford through 'Friendsreunited'. I wrote - "Do you know that you and Elvis wrote the soundtrack to my life from 12 years onwards?"

He actually wrote back and said "It's recieving messages like these, from complete strangers in internetland that make it all seem worthwhile"

Do you think he was taking the piss?

I wrote him after seeing him support EC at Hammersmith last year and asked him how he managed to cock up Cool for Cats despite singing it for the last 25 years. He didn't reply though.

Was it something that I said as The Ruts once said?

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Fri Jul 18, 2003 7:06 pm

I saw that night too, VG, and he was crap, wan't he? It was just sad.

martinfoyle · Post by **martinfoyle** » Fri Jul 18, 2003 7:19 pm

Otis Westinghouse wrote:I saw that night too, VG, and he was crap, wan't he? It was just sad.

He was pretty lame in Dublin as well. Glenn Tillbrook puts on a much better show, always a good night out.

LessThanZero · Post by **LessThanZero** » Fri Jul 18, 2003 7:24 pm

Doofster, taking the piss?

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Fri Jul 18, 2003 8:02 pm

If I may... it's like taking the mickey, it means making fun of someone or being sarcastic.

LessThanZero · Post by **LessThanZero** » Fri Jul 18, 2003 9:05 pm

thanks b

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Fri Jul 18, 2003 9:27 pm

Difford = Time for one last drink/fag. Then you lose your prime view point (slightly to EC's right, gob-shot distance away; inbetween the sad 30-something singleton, sing-a-long Billy, and the pogoing kid (what a great band name)). What do you do?

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Sat Jul 19, 2003 2:52 am

Say politely 'Excuse me, I think I was there', and if that fails, kick them in the shins. Is the singleton necessarily sad? Maybe s/he like his/her own company?

I am the only person I know who uses the possessive adjective rather than the definite article with 'take + piss'. I'm sure I grew up doing this, but none of my schoolfriends do it, so search me. But I think it's more graphic and indicative of personal fron this way, no? So my question would be 'Are you taking my piss?'

stormwarning · Post by **stormwarning** » Sat Jul 19, 2003 3:17 am

I think you're alone there Otis. Be careful where you use that expression, I know places where it could get you into trouble.

sulkygirl · Post by **sulkygirl** » Sat Jul 19, 2003 3:21 pm

Ah, slang...

My son has developed a VERY bad habit; he & his friend's refer to something being "gay", as in "not cool" or "stupid". We live in a town with a very large Hispanic population, and not all of them speak English well. My greatest fear is that some macho Mexican will over hear him make a statement using that gawd-awful word, and he'll find himself being, a) beat to a pulp, b) stabbed, or c) shot (yes, there are some gangs in these parts, too).

I keep trying to explain this to him, but he's just NOT getting it. I hate for him to learn the hard way that this is entirely inappropriate...not to mention, it's NOT exactly P.C. (Politically Correct).

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Sun Jul 20, 2003 3:54 am

And what about any gay people who hear him saying it, not very pleasant for them too hear this usage! How sad that a word that was appropriated from one meaning to another has now been sabotaged in this way to give it an ironic twist in relation to the original meaning. I've heard this usage quite a bit over here. Needless to say I thought it was an English usage, but of course it turns out not to be, so devoted are we to just copying US slang. Hope he stops using it soon!

sulkygirl · Post by **sulkygirl** » Sun Jul 20, 2003 4:14 am

Otis, thanks for the commiseration.

I lived for about a year on "Capitol Hill" in Seattle...there was a very large 'gay" community, but many of these were VERY talented artists (in ALL fields), and very worthwhile contributors to the community. My favorite place to shop (4 blocks from home, home/garden/European educational toys, hardware, electrical--gawd, you name it!!) was "City People's Mercantile", had a truck garden (all wonderful organic hybrid seed from the University of Oregon)...

They razed the area a few years back, I'm told, for some Corporate Monstrosity (Wal-Mart? K-Mart?? I'll get back to you), but the original co-op favored 'gay' employees. I met a lot of very interesting & talented people while living in the area (my son was only 3-4 at the time). The few females that did proposition me had no problem w/ my 'pat' answer:

"Look...I don't have a problem with you, as a person, or your sexual preference. I, myself, am strictly heterosexual, and that just happens to be my personal choice, or preference, if you will."

I had a lot of friends out there, albeit casual friends...wish I'd have kept in better touch with them.

I hope that, some day, my son encounters someone of that particular caliber that will help him change his mind.

Joe Jackson, mayhap??

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Sun Jul 20, 2003 9:29 am

Sulky-- I heart that a ton, it's entirely common, sadly. I'll bet you Noise and anyone else here who's a teacher will tell you the same. Just the current form of homophobia, nothing more, nothing less.

Encouragingly, I have heard/seen a few kids get checked on this, as in, "Hey my sister/father/whatever's gay so fuck off!". Just as it should be.

Can't help you with pisstaking, Otis, or at least not in the usage sense, of course! Such a great expression. Where the hell did it come from? Why would anyone want someone else's piss??

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Mon Jul 21, 2003 1:09 pm

So what/whose piss is being taken in the standard use of the phrase? If someone relieves a full bladder, it brings comfort, so this is an odd concept. Maybe I'm the only person on the whole planet who says 'Stop taking my piss'!