Bets on the next two weeks going at double speed?

Made it to Christmas! There were a few times back there that I thought I wouldn't but here I am. I'm slowly getting over my bad mood that my darling form class managed to put me in today and I am very excited about the next two weeks. We have some good YF stuff coming up, there's Coldplay to see, and of course Christmas. Right now I'm watching 'Walk the Line', it is one of my most favourite films ever. Although I did just have to fast forward through the bit with the saw.

Anyway here are the two 'cultural' events of late.

1. The Feeling

Who doesn't like this band? Who doesn't get into a better mood when a song of theirs come on? It was a brilliant gig. Oh I sound like a Radio 1 DJ! They played all the songs I knew and a few bonus extras, and they finished with my most favourite song, 'Love It When You Call'. For the encore, with it being Christmas and what not, they did a few Christmas songs. And there was a surprise 'special guest'. Who did they manage to get for this special performance?! Sinead Quinn! No really, the actual runner up to Fame Academy a billion years ago! It made more sense when they explained she was about to marry the drummer from the band. They sang the Pogues 'Fairytale of New York' which was brill!

The only bad thing about the whole thing was the fact one of the fellow concert goers had obviously eaten something entirely disagreeable a few hours beforehand and keep letting the most gut wrenching sulphuric farts every ten minutes or so. One woman in front of us kept on turning around and we were at pains to show disgust on our faces so she wouldn't think it was us.

One thing I did forget to do was bring ear plugs. I know, so rock and roll, me. But for most of the next day I couldn't hear anything my students said. I felt like I was underwater or something. 

See, it's so loud my mobile couldn't cope with it.

The drum proves it was The Feeling. But really, who else could pick them out of an identity parade?

2. Sex Bombs

I get emails from the BBC about audiences for their shows. They're always, always in London. Except for the odd Ulster Orchestra one which are usually full up. The exception to this was 'Sex Bombs', a pilot panel show of men against women hosted by Ed Bryne. Ed Bryne is funny so I thought I'd apply. 

It really wasn't what I expected. For one they expected audience participation in the form of voting on little key pads. Then they would potentially come to you and ask you why you voted the way you did. Oh. Die. But worse still, because of all that they wanted us to sit alternate boy-girl. 'Fine', I thought, 'sure it'll be a bit of craic'. That was until I ended up at the end of a row, with the world's biggest man sitting up between me and Ruth. Seriously, and I really don't want to be rude, but he blocked me off from seeing three quarters of the audience. Half the joy of a joke is sharing it with someone else but I felt like I was watching on my own.

This was my first 'recorded' TV show. 'The Kelly Show' was live, and 'The Daily Show' was as live, straight through, no retakes. To be honest, it would put me off another one. There was lots of Ed having to say certain lines again, the autocue messing up, us having to laugh at the same line, applaud at the same point, don't applaud, vote again...you name it we did it twice. By the end of the 2 hour record (for presumably a 30 minute show) my butt was d.e.a.d.  But still a free night out and reasonable craic!

Even with the retakes and the dead butt though, it did make me want to go see 'Have I Got News For You' because it's actually funny. I'm no TV exec but I wouldn't commission 'Sex Bombs'. I can't see where they can go with it. There's only so many jokes about men being lazy or women gossipping. Although, now that I've said that, it'll be the TV sensation of 2009.