Mark Watson the Comedian

59 comments

1. Posted by Paul on July 14, 2010

   Hello.

   This is my first comment on the blog. I hope it won’t be my last; I am endeavouring to make sure I keep reading every day and following the comments that are made. I can’t claim to have read every single one of Mark’s posts since starting the TYSIC, and I certainly haven’t read even a majority of the comments made on them. I’ve tried to catch up as best I can, however.

   It feels welcoming and fun here, so I thought it worth trying to join in. I like the mood of optimism (which is the general idea, so I understand!).

   For what it matters to anyone, I’ve enjoyed Mark’s contributions to entertainment for a few years now, mainly through Fighting Talk on Radio 5. I was at the Stafford gig last year, and e-mailed Mark the following day because it had been a great show depsite the lack of a capacity crowd. I said that I hoped he wouldn’t be put off coming to the area, and so I duly have my ticket for the show in Stoke in October. If it’s a rip-roaring success then I shall try and claim some credit; if not, I will curse the people of North Staffordshire and keep my mouth shut (!).

   Anyway, self-indulgent interludes aside, I thought I’d have a go at contributing to one of these reviews, so here goes:

   SIGH NO MORE
   I have never listened to folk music, and am not about to start doing so. That I love this album therefore probably indicates that I’m more inclined toward the mainstream than I would ordinarily like to believe. I can live with that, though, when music is this much fun to sing along to. A lot of the songs are really quite repetitive, but they build to such marvellous crescendos that it seems impossible not to have fun listening to them. 9/10.

   GRAHAM NORTON
   Despite being unable to abide any light entertainment show he fronts, I quite enjoyed his Eurovision commentaries. He is also, as others have pointed out, in Father Ted. I therefore have no choice but to give him 8/10.

   SKIING
   Did one session at a dry slope in Stoke as part of some school-trip outward-bound sort of thing. Going quickly (or attempting to, at least), downhill, without the necessary reflexes or reactions to control said motion made me realise that it’s a foolish pasttime. That I then also fell over and ripped my trousers in a place I’d have preferred they not rip only added to my distaste.

   Saying that, I like watching it on television. Therefore a nice average 5/10.

   ABSINTHE
   A bit like skiing, tried a (very) small amount once. Thought I was going to throw up. Didn’t. Sat at my friend’s kitchen table until about two in the morning having quite severe acid reflux (I think that’s what it’s called). Might not have helped that my friend forced some plum brandy upon me first, but even so – 1/10.

   PURPLE
   King of colours. Or Queen. Some sort of royalty anyway. Purple possesses the best qualities of every other colour but with none of the drawbacks. 10/10.

2. Posted by Meg on July 13, 2010

   GRAHAM NORTON: 9/10
   I think he’s great! His chat show is always good to watch and he seems like a really nice person. However, his laugh is just scary!

   FOUR LIONS: -
   I’m not really allowed to comment on this one because I haven’t actually seen it. But here’s some interesting trivia:
   My dad’s step-mum’s daughter’s husband (so basically my step-uncle) plays one of the main 4 people in it. He could even be the main person but I’m not sure as I haven’t seen it. Anyway, he is a fantastic actor so I’m assuming the rest of the film is as good as he is. Which is very good. My mum and dad have seen it and they gave it an 8/10. So there we go. It must be a good film.

3. Posted by Heather on July 13, 2010

   Purple – I like it more the closer it gets to being blue. 8.5/10

   Graham Norton – I like a lot of his interviews, and I sort of remember him being good on Father Ted, but I often find him too over the top, and the segments of his show that involve the audience usually make me cringe and he often comes across as rather mean. 6/10

4. Posted by Linsey on July 12, 2010

   Sigh No More is incredible, it’s really listenable and beautiful and is capable of giving you a shuddery sensation (in a good way). It’s wonderful. 10/10.

   Graham Norton, however, gets right on my tits (in a non good way). The overly camp facade, when executed neither carefully or intelligently, doesn’t seem relevant or, indeed, funny. Plus, the twat ruined a great episode of Doctor Who, and then made a joke out of the people who were annoyed. Which would have been ok IF IT WAS FUNNY. 0/10

5. Posted by Steph Baross on July 12, 2010

   Sigh No More
   Just brilliant. One of the best albums I’ve heard in a while. Although, my review may be swayed by the fact I saw them live at T in the Park on Saturday and made some new friends and did some very fun drunk dancing with them.
   10000/10

6. Posted by Catherine on July 11, 2010

   MUMFORD & SONS

   I have been listening to Mumford & Sons “Sigh No More” over and over this weekend. I know I was supposed to be listening to Minchin today, but I’ve been having computer issues. Still sorting them out.

   Anyway, I really like like “Sigh No More”, especially the tunes ‘The Cave’ and ‘Little Lion Man.’ I’m a sucker for acoustic guitar and a banjo. Folk rock seems like the closest genre to put Mumford & Sons.

   Mumford & Sons is a group of four friends from West London. One biography I read compared them to Crosby, Stills, & Nash and to Kings of Leon. I’m very familiary with CSN but will have to bone up on KOL. I will also say I am a Frank Turner fanatic and find them to be similar.

   Their official website is http://www.mumfordandsons.com/. You can also see their videos on YouTube to know if you like them before plucking down money for the LP.

   I rate it 9.5/10 only because nobody is perfect. But they come pretty close.

7. Posted by Megan on July 11, 2010

   Hah, Seamus. I noticed it to…after Mark posted it. But I thought that being a pedant about my own post would cause some kind of vortex and we would all perish. (Or something.)

   (But yeah, I freely admit to being mighty fallible. Especially when math and proofreading are involved. Eesh.)

8. Posted by Seamus on July 10, 2010

   I love being an annoying pedant, so I thought I would point out that 8 out of 24 people (snorkelling) is a third, not a quarter. Yeah. I’m one of THOSE people. I don’t like it either.

   Anyway: Purple. As a colour I think it’s pretty good. It has good associations with music (Deep Purple, Purple Rain, Purple Haze etc.), and is quite an interesting colour. It’s more complicated than blue, and less stereotypically “girly” than pink. However, from my experience, it tends to be worn by slightly effeminate power metal fans, who are slightly annoying and are very big Lord of the Rings fans. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with that as such, but personally, and these reviews are very much about personal opinion, from what I can tell, that loses it a few marks. I’d say 7.5/10 seems fair. It isn’t perfect, but it is by no means the worst colour.

9. Posted by Nicola on July 9, 2010

   ABSINTHE: I know I’ve tried it, but I don’t remember doing it. I remember waking up the next morning and realising that I’d lost both of my own shoes but gained one that didn’t belong to me, and had several texts congratulating me on having made full use of the ‘makeout’ room at the Fresher’s ball. Never drank it again. 8/10

   (I also remember one of my drama lecturers setting fire to it during a seminar in my second year. I’m sure it was educational but I can’t remember how… The only note I took about it was “Sets booze on fire”. I’m not sure I did very well in that exam.)

   PURPLE: It’s the colour of my cheerleading uniform. I like it because after three years of wearing it quite a lot I’ve just been conditioned into it. It’s easier that way. 10/10

10. Posted by (Magnificent) Josh on July 9, 2010

    I forgot to mention another reason I love Mumford & Sons. The “fuck” in Little Lion Man. It’s like an unexpected burst of pleasure.

11. Posted by (Magnificent) Josh on July 9, 2010

    SIGH NO MORE 99/10
    I love it so much. It’s everything an album should be and more. Also, it’s such good value for money, it’s so long and every track is beautiful. It’s so good that I’m not sure I can come up with anything particularly useful to say about it. I agree very much with Evan’s point on the folk thing, LISTEN TO FOLK. Listen to Mumford & Sons too though, it really is splendid.
    Also I think Glamlovinkitty’s score should be discounted as she’s never listened to it.

    GRAHAM NORTON 6/10
    Sometimes it’s OK to eat a Pot Noodle, even if you really like proper noodles or food in general. The same concept works with Graham Norton. He’s hardly the worlds most sophisticated fellow, his humour can pretty much be summed up as “OOOoh, I’m a homosexual”, and yet I find him pretty hard to hate. Granted, he’s nowhere near as good as Wogan on Eurovision, the Andrew Lloyd-Webber based shows he hosts are dire and his laugh has destroyed the minds of better men than I, but as a package (a phrase he would no doubt make a joke out of) he’s not bad.

    SKIING 8/10
    I’ve never been skiing on snow so I don’t want to give it any more than that but I really enjoyed it. At first it seems a fairly nonsensical thing to do, but within a couple of hours it just starts to make sense. It’s just tilty, tilty, bend knees, stop. I’d like to do it on snow, that’d be good. Word of warning though, it’s easy to think you’re a lot better than you actually are and then crash into a lion or a fire or something.

    PURPLE 8.8/10
    One of my friends once came out with “Purple is Underrated”, a sentence that was of course mocked. There is quite a lot of truth in it though; ask people to name colours and purple will probably come somewhere between turquoise and burgundy. Purple’s problem, and also it’s greatest strength, is that it’s got so many shades. It’s even got two in the spectrum for pity’s sake (unless you’re Pink Floyd). So, all in all, Purple’s fundamentally flawed but yet a loveable underdog. (I bumped it up a point because I’m wearing Purple today)

12. Posted by Charlie 'Tribal' Brades on July 9, 2010

    SIGH NO MORE by Mumford and Sons 10/10 The best album I’ve ever owned (much to the disgust of the workers of Rough Trade. When I announced this they replied “How can you pick just one album? That’s a bold statement!” Well just like this.) Upon hearing The album in it’s entirety for the first time in my car I burst into tears with relief someone released the album I’ve waited for my whole life. A beautiful mix of heartbreak and angst that has a maturity that sets it aside from other artists which similar subject matters. I even wrote the lyrics on a toilet wall with eyeliner in a pub in Camden where someone had written “Is there any hope?”. I’d suggest seeing them live if you want to get into them, if you can get tickets it’s breathtaking. But be warned Mumfords are for those with an open heart, you have to be ready to feel things you may not have realised you were feeling.

    GRAHAM NORTON: 4/10Getting older and creepier by the minute. Preferred him being more risqué on C4.

    SKIING 6/10 If you manage to get to a slop where your not surrounded by large toothed, privately educated wallies then it’s actually quite fun. But be warned there will be people around who’s parents just pay for them to ski their whole lives and are complete out of touch with reality and actually think the extortionate drinks prices in the ski lodge are “what you have to expect”. But as a sport, really fun, good for the thighs.

    FOUR LIONS: 9/10 Haven’t laughed at a film so hard in a long time. Some truly hilarious moments that you go away feeling guilty about laughing at. Warning: Don’t repeat these jokes to your friends who haven’t seen it. It will make you seem like a terrorist!

    ABSINTHE N/A Not sampled. Although have seen people be violently sick after a night drinking it.

    PURPLE 5/10 Apart from reminding me of that silly American dinosaur it’s alright as far as colours go. Much better than orange, bleuh!

13. Posted by Al Kennedy on July 9, 2010

    Just realised I forgot to rate Four Lions or Absinthe out of ten, which goes to show that there is little so simple that I can’t make a hash of it.

    9/10 and 2/10 respectively.

14. Posted by Al Kennedy on July 9, 2010

    FOUR LIONS

    Absolutely fantastic. Simultaneously one of the most underwear-cleanliness-threateningly funny and heart-stompingly sad movies I’ve ever seen. Riz Ahmed is great in it but the whole cast are pretty amazing. The only drawback was when Benedict Cumberbatch and the actor Kevin Eldon made their appearances – they’re both very funny in the film but they’re so well-known that when they turned up it took me completely out of the movie.

    ABSINTHE

    Vile stuff. Tastes like rancid cat wee and the only reason it exists at all is because of taxes on other, better booze.

15. Posted by Alistair on July 9, 2010

    SIGH NO MORE by Mumford and Sons (album)

    Very good album and part of a wider folk influence on popular music at the moment which is ace, everyone should just start listening to Fairport Convention.

    9/10

    GRAHAM NORTON (person)

    I don’t enjoy camp comedians but he does seem popular for some reason.

    2/10

    SKIING (activity)

    Only been skiing a couple of times, really enjoyed it but think its a bit too expensive for Brits, unless like this year we get decent snow, like this year.

    6/10

    FOUR LIONS (film)

    Laughed alot but it lacked a strong narritive and at times felt like it would have made a better TV series than a film.

    7/10

    ABSINTHE (drink)

    All very strong booze is basically a novelty thing so the fact that it tastes shit is pretty much par for the course. The whole theatre aspect when properly fucking around with sugar cubes and absinthe spoons adds to the novelty and can turn drinking into a bit of an occasion but i think by the time you’ve left university your probably too old for it.

    6/10

    PURPLE (colour)

    I don’t get particularly excited by the particular frequency of electromagnetic radiation. I find it hard to imagine why anyone would have any strong feelings on this.

    5/10

16. Posted by glamlovinkitty on July 9, 2010

    Chris P – not any specific album, but the various singles I’ve heard. For a while a few years back the Kerrang channel seemed to be obsessed with Muse, which puzzled me, as I dont consider them to be in any way rock (although, as time’s gone on, I believe this of a good deal of stuff on the K channel…)

    I just think they’re generally appalling. I particularly dislike the way the guy sings – yes, ok, he’s distinctive, but that doesn’t make it listenable. I think ‘pretentious wank’ is a pretty fair assessment.

    I doubt there would be any Muse song I would like, as it’s their general ‘style’ that I can’t stand. You know how sometimes there’s a band that you just know you will never, ever like. Muse are one of mine.

17. Posted by Ben Draper on July 9, 2010

    SIGH NO MORE – Yea, it’s okay. It’s not as good as Fleet Foxes and it sounds too similar. However, my friend did see them before they were popular playing in a record store in Bath or something and they gave her a free single on vinyl and signed it which is really cool.

    6/10 entirely due to the anecdote.

    GRAHAM NORTON – People say he will be the next Jonothan Ross. Which is lies. His show is alright but that’s entirely due to the comedy guest whom he needs on screen the whole time to provide the entertainment whilst Graham tries to make Americans who aren’t famous in the UK or third rate pop acts become funny when they just aren’t capable. What I do like is when they mix the guests in a funny way, like when they had Jimmy Carr sitting next to 50 Cent. That was gold. Nothing to do with Graham though. Eurovision is also shit.

    0/10 (the first I’ve ever given).

    SKIING – Not only the best thing you can do in France but the best thing you can do in a French speaking country. It takes a few weeks to get into and reach the stage where you’re confident to tackle most any slope but after that it becomes the most exhilarating experience of your life. I wish I could do it more than once or twice a year. I never want to do any other holidays. Honestly, I couldn’t recommend it highly enough!

    10/10 (Also, the first one I’ve given.

    ABSINTHE – It tastes a hell of a lot like sambouka or perno, which I find disgusting. And the way you “brew” it is bullshit. Waste of time and effort, I think, however if you like anaceed then you’ll like the drink. Also, gotta do it once in your life.

    3/10

    PURPLE – Superfluous colour. Who has a purple anything (body parts not included – there are weird people out there)? Up-side: Lets you know when people are suffocating.

    2/10

18. Posted by Madeleine on July 9, 2010

    Chris P – I was mainly talking about the resistance/ absolution. I didn’t HATE showbiz. Also undisclosed desires is an okay song. If the rest of The Resistance was as good as that the it could have been half decent, but the rest is total wank: “Paranoia is in bloom, the PR transmissions will resume, push drugs to keep us all dumbed down, so we will never see the truth around” I know there’s worse examples, but I think I’ve repressed most of that dreadful album.

19. Posted by isabelle on July 8, 2010

    Skiing: being canadian I’ve been skiing since I was a kid, which means I should probably be better at it than I am at this point in my life. It’s pretty fun and exhilarating when you aren’t worrying about smashing into a tree. So many factors can make the day horrible: massive lines to get on the lift, ten billion people on the slopes, it being -40 and your toes feeling like they’re going to fall off, snowboarders in general, 9 year old kids which are obviously better than you are and thinking you can do that double diamond path and realizing halfway through you’re probably going to tumble down the slope rather than ski down it. Also, as a side note, I never understand how there are some people who always look incredibly good in their ski outfits, after half an hour on the slopes my hair is all over the place, my cheeks are red, snot is pouring from my nose and I look like a man in my coat; they look like supermodels. Yes, well, I guess I’ll give skiing a 6/10. It’s fun, but it can suck too. Expensive too.

    Absinthe: I tried absinthe. It was disgusting. I wasn’t even able to finish my glass. Plus I had no idea how to prepare it, something about a sugar cube and fire or something. If you like Pastis you should like it though, it’s basically the same thing. 1/10

    purple: I like purple. 8/10

20. Posted by Amy on July 8, 2010

    MUMFORD & SONS: I love Sigh No More, it’s a 9.5/10 from me. However I also love ‘I Am the One and Only’ by Chesney Hawkes, so I’m not sure my musical taste can really be trusted.

    GRAHAM NORTON: I like him, but at the same time I can understand why others don’t. I liked him in Father Ted when he played the annoying priest Father Noel(?) too, but this talent for playing an irritant probably explains the divide in opinions. 7/10 (though I do feel a bit strange rating a person for being themselves!)

    PURPLE: One of my favourites (it’s going to be used in my new online craft shop, part of my TYSIC), and it’s meant to be relaxing. I once got told (in a design class, not in casual conversation) that when some friends thought of me the colour they thought of was purple. I don’t know what that says about me. 10/10

21. Posted by Kathryn on July 8, 2010

    Sigh no more:

    Brilliant. I listened to it on repeat over study leave until I could sing all the harmony parts. Equally good for bouncing around to at a party (the cave), driving to (dust bowl dance) or lying awake late at night singing “and I will die alone…” (after the storm). At the same time it’s not the best album I own, but it’s pretty good. I’m not sure if I bought it just to have mainstream indie pretensions though. Overall 8.7/10.

    Purple:

    Around 40% of the things I own are purple. Strangely attractive. 9.8/10

    Skiing:

    My brother broke his thumb on a dry ski slope two weeks before our planned ski trip when I was 10, so I have no first-hand experience, but the prospect of hurtling down a mountain on poles with no easy way of braking and not crashing into a tree is not very appealing. 3/10

22. Posted by Lynsey on July 8, 2010

    Purple – It is my sister’s favourite colour. I quite like it too – although I did go off it a bit when the high school I went to incorporated it into the uniform when I was in year 10 (it is definitely not a school uniform colour, as someone else has said here). 8.5/10

    Skiiing – Never done it, but it looks like fun. However, I would probably end up making a prat of myself if I ever did try it. 7/10

    Graham Norton – Not really a fan of him, to be honest. I pretty much avoid every TV show that he appears on – apart from when his animated self appeared on Doctor Who. I’m sure he’s a nice bloke, really. 4.5/10

    Sigh No More – I haven’t heard the album all the way through, so I don’t think I could give it a proper rating yet. I have enjoyed what songs I have heard from it though.

23. Posted by Rosie on July 8, 2010

    GRAHAM NORTON
    I’m really unsure about him. I don’t particularly like the ‘naughty’ humour (yes, it’s a dildo, full points for observation well done) and I think that the uber-flamboyant, naughty, punning version of gayness that he represents can skirt uncomfortably close to unhelpful stereotype. On the other hand, I feel bad criticising him as a person because perhaps he is really like that and it makes him happy. Plus he was OK on Eurovision.
    A slightly uncomfortable 3.5/10

    ABSINTHE
    I have only had this once and only had one shot, but good god did I feel drunk afterwards. I suppose it depends whether that’s the effect you’re going for. I dislike aniseed, but quite liked Absinthe anyway. So… 5/10
    (Not from direct personal experience but happened to a friend of mine: never, ever, ever mix it with mead. Trust me.)

    PURPLE
    Purple is one of the best colours. Everything is better with purple. Colour of royalty, plums, and really satisfyingly painful-looking bruises. Plus it sounds funny. 10/10

24. Posted by Aislinn on July 8, 2010

    Here are opinions on the only two of the new things that I have experienced:

    GRAHAM NORTON – 6.5/10
    It wasn’t as if he actually strolled on in front of people’s television at homes with the Doctor Who fiasco, so whilst I’m not going easy on him for that, I do find it a bit unfair that he gets the blame for it.

    If it wasn’t for his slightly over-the-top persona/clothing/voice, I’d find him a lot more bearable. I think he’s funnier than I like to admit.

    PURPLE – 8/10
    It’s versatile, it comes in lots of different tones, it looks good on most people in one shade or another and I might attempt to do a ‘retro’ look and get my hair cut short and dye it a sort of light purple this summer. Like Frenchie from Grease but gone wrong a bit.

    It gets minus two points because it looks revolting on school uniforms.

25. Posted by Laurs on July 8, 2010

    GRAHAM NORTON (person) I used to like him, but then he went mainstream and lost some of his edge… Though I do think that he does a good job on Eurovision, which is high praise as I didn’t think anyone could replace Sir Terry! 5/10 (a nice sitting on the fence type score!)

    SKIING: Something that I’ve never had an inclination to participate in; seems like a foolish hobby to me, think of the potential injuries!

    1/10

    FOUR LIONS: I really want to see think and I am annoyed that I haven’t yet… of course this means that I can’t really give it a score, but I’ll go for a pre-emptive 6/10.

    ABSINTHE: I tried this once when I was seventeen… even watered down, literally, I have never felt so ill after drinking it and will never ever go near it again… And I didn’t even see a green fairy. 1/10

    PURPLE: I love the colour purple. It’s my favourite colour by far, any shade! It works really well as a main colour or complementing another. The only downside to purple is that anything coloured purple in terms of toiletries/candles etc are usually scented with lavendar and I’m allergic to that. I was very impressed with my best mate who managed to source some purple smellies that I can use cos they don’t go near lavendar!!! 10/10

26. Posted by DeborahF on July 8, 2010

    Sigh No More. – I love the album so 9 out of 10 from me. Though I’m not sure why it just kind of seeps into your brain and you find yourself singing along even though you never really paid attention to the words in the first place. Perhaps it brainwashed me :s

    Graham Norton a 7 out of 10. I think he’s a nice guy deep down – I just find him slightly annoying – the sort of person I can watch for a while but have to switch off at some point to stop me shouting at the telly.

    I’m sat watching the coverage of the Hampton Court Flower show and they’ve just said that purple is an excellent colour for flowers as bees can see purple. So 10 out of 10 for purple – anything that helps the bees is good with me

27. Posted by ChrisP on July 8, 2010

    Also, just noticed some people slating Muse. I have heard several people now describe Muse as being a load of pretentious wank, most famously their lead singer/front man. There is a lot of tongue in cheek involved in the records. I’m an ex big fan of the band so I would be interested to know which album is being reviewed by you two, I wonder if it’s one of the good ones or bad ones.

    I’m trying to be very brief here. I could write a lot on this subject.

28. Posted by louisel on July 8, 2010

    Skiing- I’ve only been once, on a school trip to an indoor slope thing. Our sadistic PE teacher decided to join in and yell encouragement like “MY NAN CAN SKI BETTER THAN YOU, AND SHE’S 92!” Everyone else enjoyed it but I’m fairly clumsy at the best of times; I ended up falling over quite spectacularly at the bottom of the slope, being crashed into by 3 people and speared by their skiis. It was painful, but very funny. I guess it’s the sort of thing that’s amazing if you can do it, and painful but still fun for those who can’t. 5/10

    Purple- My favourite colour. My bedroom used to be purple, my prom dress was purple and my nails are usually painted purple (as I typed this, I realised how weird the word purple is). 9/10

29. Posted by Megan on July 8, 2010

    I win at redundancy today. *headdesk*

30. Posted by ChrisP on July 8, 2010

    Thank you very much to Megan to my comment as interesting.

    Absynth- There seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding regarding ‘the Green Fairy’; it is a very acquired taste. When I say ‘taste’ I am of course meaning those metaphorical tastes people refer to, depending on how you plan your evening can give great results. It’s real taste isn’t great. It’s not an aperitif and not for everybody.

    The key issues here are what you want from your evening, the quality of the absynth and what you consume with the absynth. The good stuff contains a hallucinogenic in it so it is not ‘just for getting drunk on’, this is a completely different beast. Obviously do not mix with other heavy spirits. As I said, it’s not for everybody, but definitely something for some people.

    7/10 (would be better if it didn’t taste like Sambuca with a dash of napalm)

    Four Lions- I get the impression that you have seen Four Lions but havn’t made an opinion yet? Same here. I was left a bit disappointed I think, I feel it should have evaluated the issues in greater depth and focusing on wider issues but still it was dealing with a sensitive topic. But we don’t watch Chris Morris because he’s sensitive, as touching as it was it lacked the cutting observant edge that Brass Eye epitomised.

    6/10

31. Posted by Megan on July 8, 2010

    Is it a conflict of interest to post? Are the rules that strict?

    SIGH NO MORE – I can’t rate this, as I don’t know it, but my friend Erica is boycotting the VLR because since she read this blog entry, she’s had a different ‘Sigh No More’ in her head, driving her slowly mad (the one from ‘Much Ado About Nothing’).

    GRAHAM NORTON – I think I mentioned in the comments about campness that I much prefer him on radio (mostly ‘Just a Minute’). He wasn’t bad on QI either and his chatshow (which airs here on BBC Canada, a couple of weeks late) is entertaining enough, but I really don’t like his showmanly craziness on variety/searching-for-ingenue shows. 7/10

    SKIING – I haven’t been since I was a teenager (my family didn’t ski, so I went with a ski club organised by school). I stopped when I started getting mild vertigo on chairlifts. I injured myself often, and was never very good, but injured myself a few times. (My wrist still pops out of place on occasion.) 7/10

    ABSINTHE – Pastis with a hint of evil. 8/10

    PURPLE – It’s a colour I often enjoy, but find difficult to wear. 8/10

32. Posted by Custard_Cream_Dreams on July 8, 2010

    Absinthe is good if you want to get drunk, but it tastes pretty bad (like most neat spirits). I will say it’s three times as bad coming back up as it is when it goes down, like the alcohol-equivalent of holding a tennis ball under water. So, 3/10. It’s better than tequila.

33. Posted by amycool on July 8, 2010

    Oops, sorry, forgot to score purple

    Purple gets 4/10

34. Posted by amycool on July 8, 2010

    SIGH NO MORE by Mumford and Sons – I loved it at first and listened to it lots of times on Spotify with the intention of buying it. But my liking didn’t seem to last very long and now I can take it or leave it. There are some very catchy tunes but the lyrics don’t seem to do anything for me.
    7/10

    GRAHAM NORTON (person) – There was a brief period a few years ago where I couldn’t stand him, but I love his current TV show. As someone else has mentioned, he seems to get even the most uptight guests to relax and he seems very laid back with his questioning. Some of his jokes are a bit lame but he seems like a nice chap and he makes me laugh.
    8/10

    SKIING – I don’t know if this counts but I went dry slope skiing when I was 10 on a school trip. There were so many of us that we only got to go down the nursery slope about 4 times. From what I remember, it was physically quite difficult but lots of fun. I have no co-ordination and I’m very clumsy so I probably wouldn’t choose to go again (unless someone offered to pay for the trip).
    5/10

    FOUR LIONS – Unfortunately, I watched this in an almost empty cinema and I felt too self-conscious to laugh as nobody else seemed to be (perhaps they were thinking the same thing). Consequently, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I imagine I would at home. However, on the bus home it was all I could think about and it just seemed to get better and better in my mind. It’s both funny and heart-breaking and I would definitely get it on DVD.
    9/10

    PURPLE – I have gone off purple over the last few years. I used to have a purple bedroom but it’s all about red and green nowadays.

35. Posted by Marie on July 8, 2010

    Can only comment on a couple this time…

    GRAHAM NORTON: I love him. Saw him in La Cage Aux Folles last year, and met him at the stage door afterwards, so can say that he appears to be a thoroughly lovely guy in person as well. I adore his show – he has a knack of making every guest feel comfortable, and as a result, some celebrities who have appeared uptight on other chatshows end up having a blast and revealing the better parts of their personalities. I’ve even read Graham’s autobiography – and I’m not a big celebrity autobiography reader – and found it hilarious. Some of the observations about growing up in Ireland rang painfully true, even now. 10/10

    (I’m not Graham’s mother or agent, btw. Or even Graham himself…)

    ABSINTHE: Avoid like the plague. That is all. 0/10

    PURPLE: Like it a lot. Can be sophisticated, sexy or casual and goes with black, denim and pretty much everything. 9/10

36. Posted by Helen on July 8, 2010

    whoops forgot to put a score for purple :O many/10

37. Posted by Helen on July 8, 2010

    Sigh No More: Generally good but some songs get boring easily. Makes you want to buy a banjo. 6.5/10

    Graham Norton: His show is good but the other musically stuff he does is a bit rubbish. 6/10

    *PURPLE* xD : The best colour. In the world. Ever.

38. Posted by Bethany on July 8, 2010

    Sigh No More by Mumford & Sons – I know so many people who love this album. It’s not too surprising – M&S are probably the blandest of that ever-expanding ‘nu-folk’ collective, and people do tend to go for bland things. It’s just a shame that other folk musicians like Johnny Flynn are getting less recognition, despite producing far richer and more thought-provoking music. – 5/10

39. Posted by EmT on July 8, 2010

    SIGH NO MORE: I absolutely love this album and have had it as my driving music for a while now. I am not great at articulating my love for music but, yeah, bloody brilliant. 9/10

    GRAHAM NORTON: Meh, at times very funny, at times not so much. Think he was funnier when on Channel 4, watered down somewhat on the beeb. A middle of the road/sitting on the fence 5/10.

    SKIING: I maintain a 100% record in the activity category… I challenge you to choose something that I not done next time. Not surprisingly I love skiing, everything about it is fantastic. I very rarely take summer holidays, it is all about the winter fun. Just to get to do a bit more skiing this year I took a very boozy 10 hour overnight train journey just to ski for one and a half days, and it was completely worth it. But that’s just me. Skiing after a few vin chaud at lunch makes even more fun, although probably even more dangerous. And most likely frowned upon by health and safety types. 10/10

40. Posted by Rachael on July 8, 2010

    Purple: I have nothing against it but it is no red or blue. 5/10

41. Posted by glamlovinkitty on July 8, 2010

    Sorry Madeleine – I know it seems unfair, but even that minute-long snippet made me 100% certain, with no shadow of a doubt, that I never, ever wanted to hear another peep out of them.

    I agree with you about Muse. Absolutely HATE them.

42. Posted by Madeleine on July 8, 2010

    Oh, anyone who likes Mumford and Sons should check out Boy and Bear. They’re Australian and awesome and their EP’s up on itunes. “Rabbit Song” is probably the best.

43. Posted by Madeleine on July 8, 2010

    SIGH NO MORE:
    I’m very suggestible when it comes to music: sometimes I find it hard to work out what are my opinions and what are NME’s. That being said, I’m pretty sure I really like this album.
    Lyrics are what hit me first in music, and this has some crackers: “If only I had an enemy bigger than my apathy, I could have won”, “with every kiss, your beauty trumped my doubt” and basically all of Dust Bowl Dance are some of my favourites
    They do that mix of uplifting music and dreadfully heartbreaking lyrics, which I’m always a sucker for. Of course there are some really joyful “euphoric” (NME word) bits as well. It feels authentic and earthy, without pretence, which I think is why it’s still okay to like Mumford and Sons even though they’re popular.
    There’s also some real darkness in the album, although the first impression you get is so folky and country, songs like “thistle and weeds” and “Dust Bowl dance” give me the image of Marcus and co stalking the dirty streets, banjo in one hand, switchblade in the other. I used to listen to this album when I would go out at night and I think that really gave it a different dimension for me, it was actually pretty terrifying.
    It’s a really passionate, emotional album and a pretty brilliant one to me. I did not like Little Lion Man at all when I first heard it (I still think it’s the weakest song on the album) but listening to the whole thing has made me a big fan, so I would encourage you to give it another go if you haven’t listened all the way through yet Mark. (To the person who gave it zero and had only heard a little bit on an ad… That hardly seems fair, you have to give it a bit of a chance before reviewing it. I struggled through Muse’s whole album before pronouncing it pretentious Irreconcilable shit.)
    My favourites are “White Blank Page”, Dust Bowl Dance”, “After The Storm” and “Sigh No More”. But again, much richer to listen to it all the way through.
    9/10

    PURPLE:
    Brilliant! My favourite colour. My favourite shirt is purple. Purple makes things better.
    10/10

44. Posted by A lot of Rach[a]els on July 8, 2010

    Four Lions – brilliant brilliant brilliant. Everything about the film worked perfectly together. I don’t want to spoil it either so will just say “watch it”.
    10/10

45. Posted by Rick Procter on July 8, 2010

    Conflicted feelings about Alpen? What? But the raisins, dood, the raisins!

    Mumford & Sons? Nah, don’t sweat it dood – I have the same ‘should-like’ feeling myself, but bottom line is that’s very different to the ‘do-like’ feeling. Fleet Foxes is the way to go for sure.

    And while I’m on music, I should advertise publicly the fact that JESCA HOOP is stunningly good. Her album “Hunting My Dress” came out about 8 months ago – it is GREAT.

    And The Decemberists – their album “The Hazards Of Love” is an absolute masterpiece. It’s just become one of my all-time top ten favourite albums, which really is saying something – the most recent one besides is from 7 years ago.

    I’m afraid I’ve failed on the film front again – I really, really should have seen Four Lions…but once again, ‘should have’ is very different to ‘have’.

46. Posted by Daniel on July 8, 2010

    FOUR LIONS: Brilliant film. A clever, hilarious look at a contentious subject. The acting is superb and the writing is genius, no less than we’ve come to expect from Chris Morris, Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong. 10/10

47. Posted by Jay on July 8, 2010

    Sigh No More – It’s alright. Full of songs that are played on trails for various shows before programmes, altogether enjoyable but may be an acquired taste. 8/10

    Graham Norton – I prefer his show to Jonathan Ross’, much more entertaining and a better interviewer. I find myself laughing at Norton’s show much more than Ross’. 9/10

    Purple – A colour that suits me, which is rare. 10/10

48. Posted by Anji on July 8, 2010

    Ok I really need to expand my musical and movie taste.
    Norton: I used to quite like him. It’s worn off over the years. And to be honest I can’t remember what he did that I liked. I read his autobiography and still remember the but where he was trying to catch a mouse and put it in a bucket of water once the mouse trap trapped it and it turned into a surfing mouse. I’d like to see that. (and am really hoping I haven’t got boon and writer confused!)
    I think I’ll give him 2/10 he’s had his time.

    Skiing – I don’t get the fuss about it. Thankfully having a dodgy knee now means I’ll never have to do it and worry about making an excuse not to do it again. AND everyone goes and comes back with a goggle eyes tan. It just looks silly. Maybe it us something you have to do to understand it, and maybe my life will be incomplete by never trying. It’s ok I think I can live with that. 0/10

    Purple – is my Mums favourite colour. If it’s
    Purple my Mum will own it. In every shade. It is a nice colour and amazingly I don’t hate it, after being surrounded by it growing up there was a chance! It’s meant to be quite an artistic colour isn’t it? I know people refer to is as very regal – it’s a colour. A very pleasant colour. I like purple. Purple can have 7/10 it makes me happy. (pink is better though!)

49. Posted by JontyLarr on July 8, 2010

    Not heard the album, but I’ll happily declare Mumford and Sons as being for people who like to think they have an obscure musical taste, but still want to listen to Radio 1. See also Florence and the Machine.

50. Posted by Iona on July 8, 2010

    Sigh no more:
    awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome.
    I think you get the idea I really like mumford and sons. Folk that you can sing along to. Little Lion man and the cave are my favourites. And I’m seeing them live soon. So excited. 10/10

    Graham Norton:
    I really like him. I think he’s really funny and his show is hilarious. Though I can see why not everyone would like him. 9/10

    Skiing:
    I’m showing how posh I am by this but I really like it. I haven’t been for ages but it was amazing. Try it. 10/10

    Purple:
    Good colour. There’s not really much to say about it but most people seem to like it. 9/10

    Wow, I’m suprised by how positive I was, it must be an optimistic day

51. Posted by Weaselspoon on July 8, 2010

    SKIING – 9/10
    I learnt to ski at a Solihull dry slope when I was at primary school. I then didn’t even think about it until ten years later when some branch of my family was going on a skiing trip and asked if I’d like to join them and I realised I was actually quite good. Last year I went on a skiing holiday with my friends and had a genuinely inspiring teacher (one who considered pistes as boring) and enjoyed it. Not the “ooo I’m going down a hill and not falling over” but the feeling of a skill learnt to the point of forgetting it and enjoying the flow down the hillside and the satisfaction of channeling a huge quantity of energy into graceful motion. So for me, now a nine out of ten. But that’s like someone who plays the guitar telling you you should take up the guitar because it feels great once you can play it well.

    Also, skiing is quite similar to ice skating with the big difference being that you spend your energy in skating giving yourself thrust and in skiing trying to slow yourself down.

    ABSINTHE – 7/10
    The first time I had absinthe was lazing by a pool by a chateaux in the South of France, and the last was at a tasting at Bourne and Hollingsworth. I”m not that keen on aniseed so it’s never going to be my favourite tipple, but a good absinthe served with sugar and water is a refreshing drink that still demands to be sipped. The problem is that a cheap absinthe (in the tasting it was a budget Czech brand) is something you probably set fire to, tastes like (as Ivan says) badly flavoured vodka and the best you can say of it is it gets you drunk quickly.

    BTW Misha, if this was at the last 24 hour show I think I was playing the “boyfriend” who believed he was a timelord. Have I got the right story?

    PURPLE – 9/10
    The purple section of the spectrum, otherwise known as the lying end, has it’s respectable tones and it’s vibrant hues in a way that yellow just can’t compete with. A colour for everybody.

52. Posted by Hannahq on July 8, 2010

    Graham Norton – I love him! Most people I know think he is very annoying, and OTT, and also too ubiquitous. But I think he’s quite funny, and although he wears hideous suits, sort of manages to poull them off. Also, he is a fine substitute for Terry Wogan on Eurovision. So – 9/10

    Skiing – I’ve only been once, on a school trip, but it was possibly the best week of my life, despite having an awful nosebleed, and having my leg trapped under someone’s skis when they fell over. Memorable moments: the same someone putting their boots on the wrong feet (the instructors all laughed and took picures); the same someone AGAIN sliding backwards and falling down a little ditch when we were meeting the instructors. (Again, pictures were taken, until a teacher finally put down the camera and helped him up).
    Anyway, it was very very fun, and very very funny, but also quite scary. Our instructor was amazing, which helped. – 10/10

53. Posted by Jon on July 8, 2010

    GRAHAM NORTON – I got trapped in a lift with him once. Seven whole minutes. I ripped his face off. BBC replaced him with a robot which they prefer because they can switch it off at the end of each show. I got a letter from his mother thanking me. Some of the above may not be true. 0.74/10

    SKIING – Doesn’t really appeal to me. It is, however, a useful barometer for measuring someone’s poshness. Its unit of measure is the age that a person first went skiing. The lower the number the posher they are. A score under 10 is uber-posh. Somewhere in the mid-teens is semi-posh (ie – you probably did it on a school trip or something). Twenties is about normal. You sort of see the point, right? 5/10

    ABSINTHE – Tastes like ouzo… aniseed basically. Really needs to be poured through sugar to make it palatable. You can get special spoons for this, but a tea-strainer will do a similar job. If you’ve absolutely, positively got to get smashed and this is all that’s in the cupboard, it’ll do the job. Otherwise, just have some wine. 3/10

    PURPLE – Never heard of it. 10/10

    Wish I could have been more positive.

54. Posted by glamlovinkitty on July 8, 2010

    SIGH NO MORE by Mumford and Sons – I haven’t heard this album and hope I never will. I’ve seen an advert for it though and that one minute of ear-pollution is quite enough for a lifetime. Sounds like a load of drunks in Molly Malone’s pub at kicking out time. Horrendous. 0/10

    GRAHAM NORTON – love him in Father Ted, otherwise, he doesn’t bother me one way or another. Although he does annoy me a little doing the Eurovision. Wogan was a far wittier, more sarcastic host, Norton just doesn’t cut it. 5/10

    SKIING – never done it, and I hear it gives you a sore arse. I try to avoid any activity with that outcome.

    FOUR LIONS – not seen it.

    ABSINTHE – disgusting beyond measure, despite the many cool people in the past who drank it. 3/10 only for the historical cool factor.

    PURPLE – purple is cool though I feel I may overuse/wear it sometimes. My bedroom is a variety of shades of purple and I like my bedroom so 8/10.

55. Posted by Ivan on July 8, 2010

    SIGH NO MORE by Mumford and Sons: 9/10

    I love the folky melancholy of this band, and their popularity hasn’t perturbed me mostly because I’ve recently taken to ignoring everybody else’s musical tastes. However, if everyone loves folky music so much, WHY DON’T THEY START LISTENING TO FOLK?

    GRAHAM NORTON (person): 3/10

    I imagine he’s lovely to just chat to, but I hate the way he says “EHM” all the time, and recently, when an animated depiction of the little chap intruded on the end of a Doctor Who episode, I wept.

    ABSINTHE: 6/10

    It’s fine – I just don’t get the attraction. Soak some liquorice allsorts in a bottle of vodka overnight and I’m sure you’ll have ostensibly the same thing. Also I don’t like the attitude that goes with drinking Absinthe.

    PURPLE: 8/10

    A strong, unique colour. Whoever thought of mixing red and blue was a bit of a genius, if you ask me. When I was 6, I made a Beatles compilation tape, and I called it “The Purple Album” because I liked “The White Album” and I liked Purple. What an anecdote.

    I know nothing about Skiing or Four Lions, though I very much want to experience both (at the same time, preferably).

56. Posted by Steph on July 8, 2010

    GRAHAM NORTON (person). Well, I didn’t always like him but lately I haven’t found him as insufferable as usual. He has this weird laugh that makes him screw his face up and so altogether I find him strange. He does quite well at the Eurovision lark.

    PURPLE (colour; this is for the people who complained there was nothing here that they knew anything about). I myself prefer purple but I do like it. The thing is there are so many different shades! Could confuse kids…

57. Posted by queenie on July 8, 2010

    Skiing – I never really got over the instruments of torture that are ski boots, really is it right for you to be crying with pain in the minibus on the way to the slopes on days 1? needless to say I didn’t last long, in a weeks ski holiday I spent roughtly 35mins on the slope and 24hrs in the bar. Apres ski – 10/10. skiing 0/10 you can definately have the apres without the ski so why bother with the ski.

58. Posted by Misha on July 8, 2010

    An early one!
    Wow.

    Ok, so, review.

    Sigh No More
    Personally I adore this allbum, but only as an album whole. The tracks themselves are good, and all stand up nicely on their own, I just couldn’t pick a favourite. (Interestingly the same can be said of the Zutons, my favourite band since the age of 13) I can totally understand the not quite thereness of it. Takes a few repeat listens to really get into I think. If you’ve got a big enough speaker the best thing to do is put it on eardrum burstingly loud and then lie on the floor next to the speaker. (the speakers are Dad’s not mine, my CD player still has a tape deck) Anyway, to sum up. I personally love it, although there aren’t any single stand out tracks. Definitely worth spotifying on repeat, and then it’ll invade your brains. For ever. (a bit).

    9/10

    Graham Norton
    Largely annoying, probably a nice bloke, spoiled Dr Who.

    5/10

    Absinthe
    Never had it myself, but I have seen the effects on other people. Memorable occasions include having to leave a friend face down in the grass in town because of our curfew (I was only 15) with another friend until he could walk again. Other memorable occasions involved a very odd bloke called Fang pretending to be a cat. 24 hour show goers may remember this, I can’t remember who ended up playing Fang, it might have been DOD.

    Not sure I can see the point in it myself, I think it was briefly outlawed throughout europe at one point. Might be fun to try though.

    6/10

    Purple
    An excellent colour, and one of my favourites. I have two purple walls, and had purple hair at one point. Also have various assorted items or clothing that are of a purple nature. May or may not have a rhyme, depending on whether you believe Qi. (Curple) Anenome’s are purple, and my favourite cardi is purple too.

    10/10

59. Posted by Carl on July 8, 2010

    Four Lions: 10/10

    I don’t even want to give any of it away, just see it. Smartest comedy for a long time.

    Of I’m first comment and this thing is still in
    place, fancy chatting you’re live for Swindon Town Football Club?