There are very few things in my life that are as omnipresent as football and music. And, as it’s the time of year to jump upon bandwagons, here are my best things in football and music from 2012*.
NB *Some are not of 2012 but were very much in 2012
8. Footballers | Music
Footballers and music, rarely happy bedfellows. Luther Vandross. Phil Collins. R&B. Occasionally one guy steps out of the shadows and shouts “HEY, LOOK AT ME, I LIKE KAJAGOOGOO”. No? Yes! This exact thing happened in March as can be witnessed here, where Alexi Lalas extolled the virtues of ‘White Feather’. And he’s not wrong. What a man. Hero of the year number one.
7. tubalr
In October I discovered tubalr, a quite splendidly simple idea by Cody Jack Stewart that enables you to use youtube as a jukebox. It’s just a shame I can rarely get it to work.
6. Joachim Low.
Euro 2012. Two things follow. One is someone injecting a little fun back into football, the other is unexpected punditry that is almost the polar opposite of no.10, above. Firstly, here’s the enormously cool Yogi Love (I know) flirting with all the men in the world and one innocent ball-boy. Hero of the year number two.
5. Sinitta
The second Euro 2012 themed moment was when, during England’s draw with France, one 80s pop star (Sinitta) upstaged Alan Shearer’s MOTD match analysis in four short words, “England sitting too deep”.
4. The Snapdragons
22 year old songs brought to my attention for the first time by author and journalist Phil Ascough. I’d never heard of them so immediately ‘youtubed’ and found a solitary track called “Closer”. The immediacy of the chiming guitar transported me back to all the Wonderstuff gigs I should have gone to while James Taylor’s vocal was Steve Mack but more Old York than New York. Best thing of 2012 4b: Phil, for sending me two albums worth of Snapdragons. Hero of the year number three.
3. Restored Pride in ITFC
April saw the 50th Anniversary of Ipswich Town becoming champions of England, be still my beating heart, and in November Mick McCarthy started restoring some much needed civic pride in the current team.
2. Rob Rickets
Rob’s ‘Program Your 808’ Posters are one of the most beautiful things I’ve discovered this year.
1. Saint Etienne
Not only were Bob, Pete and Sarah BACK BACK BACK with ‘Words & Music’ a montage of experiences and recollections about, and emotions triggered by, popular music, but Bob started following therealfacup. Hero of the year number four.
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