Rik Mayall - Rest in Peace

This is a post I really never thought I'd have to write, so i'm gonna try and hold it together.

Later today one of my comedy heroes is being laid to rest and to be completely honest I'm still as dazed as I was the minute I heard about it last week. Rik Mayall has always been a huge factor in my life but like thousands of the other grieving fans around the world I have been stunned by how strong this sense of grief really is. I never had the honour of meeting the man himself but yet i feel like i've lost a friend or a member of my own family.

I have spent many minutes in the past week watching episodes of The Young Ones and Bottom reliving the memory of this fabulous human being. Episodes that i haven't seen for many years. See, i grew up watching Rik and his alternative comedy. Most of the time this was done in secret, having to sneak around and having the TV unbelievable quietly so my parents didn't know i was watching something so inappropriate for a little girl of  5 years old. This man soon became my little secret. So as I write this with an hour until his funeral, as a 24yr old woman I feel like that secret part of my childhood has been taken away from me.

I Couldn't put in to words what Rik meant or represented to me until i watched of of his movies at the weekend. The brilliant Drop Dead Fred tells the story of a girl who's world falls apart after losing her job, husband and car all in one lunchtime, she moves back home and is soon visited by her childhood imaginary friend (Played by Mayall) Madness soon ensues as she goes about getting her husband back with the help of Fred. We soon find out that in his own way Fred is helping her get her life back on track and give her strength to carry on and realise her worth.We see flash backs of her causing chaos with Fred as a child. These flashbacks resonated with me and reminded me of sneaking around just so i could watch him in the latest episode of bottom.As a well behaved young girl, this i guess was my small act of rebelion in a world of innocnece, an innocence that is lost as you grow up. To me I guess Rik represents freedom, he truly embodies Fred as everyone's imaginary friend and i will always hold on to that.

So as the time comes to lay the great man to rest, we can only imagine what the future could've held for him but i'm going to treasure the laughs and the giggle he gave me. He will always be my little secret.

I hate goodbyes, they seem too final
 
"Just Kiss Me and say Drop Dead Fred" 
       

Date or no date?

I have just stumbled upon this draft of a blog i meant to submit a few weeks ago, after reading through it i am still none the wiser about dating as a whole.

Thursday night at 9 and I'm watching First Dates on Channel 4.
I have been fascinated by this show since it started. About how people deal with first date nerves, small talk and awkward silences (of which there seem to be many)
The idea behind the show is that the initial 'couples' applied on line and from then on, throughout the week, members of the public can apply via the website to go on a date with a particular person on the show and so on and so forth as the weeks go on. A subtle reality dating show perhaps? This also translates as an interesting social experiment into showing the dating habits and personality traits that we find attractive or not. Although i am currently puzzled by the couple right now who are taking it in turns to say the guy's name - Hank. Hmmmm, Struggling for conversation??
In full honesty it is a clear way of highlighting that some people just aren't compatible but too many relationships are lived out over the cybersphere, in a world of emoticons and lol's. When it comes to a traditional 'date' have we completely forgotten how to act?? Or do we even go on traditional first dates anymore??

http://cdn.sheknows.com/articles/2011/07/woman-on-bad-date.jpg

 Speaking from experience, i have been on one 'official' first date. All i will say is that first impressions mean everything and this person's red velvet attire didn't impress me in the slightest! It still makes me cringe to this day!
I had been chatting to the person by text for a few days and seemed to get on OK but then the red suit put me off. Is it shallow of me to base the rest of the evening's enjoyment on that one first look i had of him in that hideous suit??

 On the show, all the women came up dressed to the nines while the men looked much more casual and to be honest in most cases, the women seemed to flow through the conversations whist the men stumbled and stutter.  
Do we put too much pressure on ourselves when getting ready for a date over what we wear, what we need to say, how we put ourselves across because we no longer have a computer screen to hide behind?? or a couple of minutes to think of a witty/flirtatious reply to a text/e-mail

Perhaps i should set myself a little social experiment of my own and go out on a 'first date'

REVIEW: David Bowie is at the V&A

As a big David Bowie fan i had to see the David Bowie is, exhibition at London's V&A museum. I discovered to my horror months ago that all pre released tickets had sold out instantly so i would have to get all retro and go down south and queue outside the venue. Saying that my visit to the exhibition was more than half way in to the exhibition's residency by the time it got to 10am, there was a large queue of like minded fans who had missed out on the original ticket sale. The V&A release an undisclosed number of tickets each day for people wanting to queue. All i will say is that if you want to get your hands on one of these tickets, you need to be there early.

The David Bowie is.. Exhibition is a previously unseen selection of notes, costumes, video footage and photographs that allows us to get a step closer to forever elusive and rather mysterious David Bowie. This icon of style and music still intrigues his fans to this day. Long gone are the days of Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin sane but the mystery of this star man remains.

The 300exhibits on display have been selected by the V&A and plot the career of Bowie from his humble beginnings as David Jones to the release of his latest, somewhat surprise of an album, “The next Day”

Just the mere selection of photos of illustrate the monumental changes (Didn’t mean to quote the man himself) that he has gone through throughout his career. At the peak of his career, Bowie’s alter egos allowed him a force field operate behind without baring himself to the world. This allowed his creativity to flow. We are treated to a view of how he created some of his more famous lyrics with a process of word selection. (see Below)  

Cut up lyrics for ‘Blackout’ from “Heroes”, David Bowie 1977, © The David Bowie Archive 2012. Image © V&A Images.

 

One major factor became increasingly obvious while looking around the exhibition is that we see how Bowie influenced and was also influenced by contemporary art and culture; the art of Andy Warhol, and also the fashion house of Alexander McQueen to name a few..Without this man, where would we be? Would we have artists like Lady Gaga? He has well and truly embedded himself in the fabric of contemporary culture and i am happy to say, that is where he will stay.

The performance footage allows the visitors the chance to step back in time and give them the feeling of seeing him in person. The star man exhibit especially! I had to remind myself that i wasn't actually at one of his gigs (unfortunately) 

This is a must see exhibition for any Bowie fan but also for any music fan around the world!

REVIEW: Eddie Izzard - Force Majeure

Saying as i haven't been blogging regularly for a while i feel that i need to catch up so expect lots of random blogs in the next few weeks until I feel satisfied

On the 10th May i went to see one of my favourite human beings! Eddie Izzard brought his latest world tour to the steel city! Force Majeure covers topics such as the puzzling sport of dressage to an argument over the final plate of spaghetti carbonara between god and Darth Vader. 

Loyal fans of  Izzard will be accustomed to his unique delivery and once again, the subject matter doesn't disappoint. Izzard's surreal comedy has brought him an army of fans all over the world and he continues to offer the public a breath of fresh air from panel show regulars that grace our screens most nights. His storytelling is as gripping as it has been since the famous brought up by wolves sketch.

The colossal Force Majeure world tour is a true reflection of Izzard's all or nothing way of life. This multi marathon running action transvestite never seems to sit down and has now set his sights on politics - he has set himself a time plan of his goals and his step in to politics is set for 2020. He gets my vote, that is for sure!
Eddie bring his passion of politics in to his stand up by making stabs at the far right wing and even at the late Margaret Thatcher (Which went down very well in Sheffield)

This tour is definitely one for his loyal fans who understand Eddie's comedy as newbies may struggle to keep up with his train of thought. It is still an amazing show and lucky for us it will be out on DVD winter 2013