Review of the Year

I don't know if the BBC still go in for a Review of the Year, beyond the Sports Review, but I thought it would be cool to re-inivigorate my blog with a Ste review of 2009.

Despite waking up for much of the year to doom and gloom on FiveLive, 2009 hasn’t been too bad a year. And with the recent purchase of a "Pure" DAB alarm clock

with digital stations, waking up in the dark to “Passion for the Planet.com” means the days now start with decent music, instead of Wake Up to Money!

Gig of the year

Although I didn’t see a huge number, there are several contenders. The legendary Terry Reid, back in his – and my adopted – hometown, playing the Montagu Club, of all places. What a performer. Ian Anderson’s show at Peterborough was ok, but no more. Elbow at Wembley, magnificent. Coldplay at Old Trafford, an awesome show, but given that I don’t want to give one performer all the accolades, I am nominating my gig of the year as John Bramwell, of I Am Kloot at Junction 2 in Cambridge. Not just because Damo and I met him on the way in and bought him a beer, but with no more than 80 in the tiny auditorium, it was more than an intimate performance. Here’s Johnny…and me, before I started growing my flowing locks again!

Album of the year

Typical that I manage to pick an album of the year which came out in 1976. However, despite tuning in to some awesome new bands, and Mumford and Sons and The Fancy Toys would have to be right up there, it was the ‘discovery’ of Terry Reid which was the jaw-dropper of the year. If you have never heard of him, then shame on your house. Get him googled now, get onto You Tube, and discover this brilliant performer and read his history. And buy his truly wonderful 1976 album, Seed of Memory.

Close second comes a man who, sadly, was dead at just 26 years of age. So affected by the music of Nick Drake was I that when the opportunity presented itself, I took a detour into Tanworth in Arden and sat for a few minutes in contemplative silence at his graveside. Many have done the same before me; more will in the future. Five Leaves Left was a close second in my choice of album.

Play of the year

This is a bit of a one horse race….as Ailsa and I have seen just the one show this year, called Sign of the Times, and starring Stephen Tomkinson, which we went to see on the spur of the moment, at Cambridge Arts Theatre. We have tickets for The 39 Steps, in London, over Christmas, so if that is excellent, it’ll go into the running for next year.

Film of the year

There’s a danger with lists like these that you choose what is freshest in the memory, and in this category I might be deemed to fall foul of that very thing. However, the impact of The Age of Stupid should not be underestimated, and if you care about this wonderful planet of ours, then get it watched and join up to 10:10….cos we are rapidly stripping the planet earth of its natural resources and our great-grandchildren won’t have a chance to post things like this on the web cos there won’t be a planet earth left.

Football team of the year

No contest!!

Here are the current Cambridge and District under 16b league LEADERS.

Go Spartans.