I don’t want Richard Armitage to play James Bond.I think I've made that more than clear in the past. Would he do a wonderful job? There’s no doubt! Would it be a smart choice? Unfortunately, I don't think so.
Yes, he'd look fantastic as James Bond, I know... Still don't think it's right for him, though!
Picture from Glamour magazine photoshoot January 2013
www.richardarmitagenet.com
I’m sorry if you’re a James Bond fan. I’m not. Ian Fleming’s stories are OK, but the films have never been my cup of tea. Honestly, the only really good thing about these films, is the music. James Bond theme songs really do belong to a separate genre, a unique style. I love the glamour of it, the constrained sensuality, the threatening passion beneath the surface. And although there have been some failures – Madonna’s Die Another Day still makes me cringe – most of these themes have become timeless classics. Here’s my personal top 5: 1. Sheena Easton – For Your Eyes Only (1981) James Bond = Roger Moore
2. Tina Turner – Goldeneye (1995) James Bond = Pierce Brosnan
3. Garbage – The World is Not Enough (1999) James Bond = Pierce Brosnan
4. Gladys Knight – License to Kill (1989) James Bond = Timothy Dalton
5. Adele – Skyfall (2013) James bond = Daniel Craig
Do you agree? Disagree? Have I forgotten a fantastic gem of a song? What’s your favourite? What about the man himself? Who will always be James Bond to you? If I had to make a choice, it would have to be for the man with the most adorable accent: Sean Connery!
This song haunts me. How does he do it? I'm talking about Paul Freeman's beautiful performance of his song 'The truth' on some old piano, somewhere in a basement in Copenhagen.
Paul Freeman managed to find a way into my brain (and get stuck there!) once before, and I'm absolutely amazed that he's managed to do it again.
I must have watched the video about a hundred times in the last few days and I keep going back to it. For some reason, it calms me, alleviates the choas in my head and gives me peace. Sounds very much like an addiction, doesn't it?
What's so wonderful about this song? The lyric is beautiful. I love a man who's good with words. I tried to find the exact words online, but they don't seem to be available anywhere, so I've written them down here for you. I hope I got it right!
Paul's voice sounds lovely in the stillness of that basement. You can almost hear that this room is somewhere underground. The piano is in tune, but its age just sounds through the music, giving the song a rough edge. Paul adds to that rough darkness by the way he glances into the camera to emphasise certain phrases. The jeans jacket and ruffled hair enhance the effect. And all of that takes place against an almost immaculate white wall. The result is unique... well done, Paul.
Oh, and please continue to haunt me for a little while longer. Thanks!
The Truth - by Paul Freeman
I’m never gonna call you back
‘cause I never really liked you much
Is it fun to watch me sabotage
Everything I’ve ever loved
Everybody looks for something
But something by the very definition is fake
So take your pills
Get busy getting laid
‘cause everybody knows the truth
It’s so hard for you to say
The truth
It’s deceitful in its own way
The truth
Building bridges every day
But the truth is we’ll break them down… again
Love is such a simple word
So why d’you find it hard to say
I never have the money
But she always seemed to make me pay
And I don’t care what you’re callin’ me
I don’t have your insecurity
So raise your glass
But at least you’ve got your past
‘Cause everybody knows the truth
It’s so hard for you to say
The truth
It’s deceitful in its own way
The truth
Is building bridges every day
But the truth is we’ll break them down… again
You say that you won’t miss me
I just occupy your time
But you’re not fooling anyone
I can see your blood-shot eyes
Oh everybody knows
The truth is so hard for you to say
The truth is deceitful in its own way
The truth
Building bridges every day
But the truth is we’ll break it down again
The truth
It’s so hard for you to say now
The truth
I was looking for a reason to bring some music into this blog and, as always, my muse provides me with the inspiration I was looking for...
So Richard Armitage does not sing in the shower... But if he did (I will be eternally grateful to Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis for pressing on and making RA answer this question) he would sing this: Love In An Elevator by Aerosmith! :-)
What a great choice! There's a ride in Disneyland Paris by the name of The Rock 'n' Roller Coaster which features Aerosmith and, more specifically, this song. The ride is a great thrill, taking you from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 3 seconds. It's one of my favourite roller coasters!
But back to music, and singing in the shower. As RA's been so good as to give us a sneak peek into his shower (oh no, it's going to take me hours to get THAT mental picture out of my head...), I thought I'd return the favour and share a song that I sing in the shower.
To be honest, I always sing in the shower, mainly because I love the way my voice echoes in the bathroom :-) Although that does not necessarily mean that my singing is any good :-§
The songs that I sing tend to change according to my mood or the radio station that I've been listening to, but there are certainly a few songs that I keep going back to. I love film and musicals, so this is a definite favourite: Let's Go To The Movies from the musical Annie. When I was young, we had this film on VHS tape and I'm sure the film is now completely ruined from the very many times my sister and I used to watch it and sing along to all those wonderful songs.
What about you? Any favourite bathroom ballads or shower soundtracks?
Though they sink through the sea they shall
rise again;
Though lovers be lost love shall not;
And death shall have no dominion.”
(From: And death shall have no dominion by
Dylan Thomas)
If you know
me, you know that I’m not easily impressed. I tolerate a lot of things, I’m
open-minded about changes and new ideas and I always give people the benefit of
the doubt, but once you’ve lost my regard (or my attention, or even my respect),
it’s incredibly hard to get it back.
Imagine
this: My sister and I are at our third Chris Isaak concert. This man’s concerts
are some of the very best live experiences I’ve ever had, apart from *Live* and
maybe Metallica (yes, my taste in music is very diverse). So we usually don’t
really pay attention during the opening act. We simply want whoever it is to
keep it short, stop trying to be funny (nobody’s interested in your jokes, get
over it!), sing a couple of songs while we wait and please do take our polite
applause as an encouragement – for you to get off stage as soon as possible.
On walks
some guy with a guitar… “Hello, my name is Paul Freeman, I’m Welsh.”
Well, the
Chris Isaak concert was brilliant. We had so much fun, there are no words that
would do it the justice that it deserves. The man, the music, the band… even
the silly dance moves – I loved every second of it!
So, I wake
up the day after this brilliant concert and I’m still feeling great about this
wonderful night. I’m singing in the shower and while I’m having breakfast it
suddenly dawns on me: I’m not singing a Chris Isaak song! The song that’s been
in my head all morning is called Tightrope
and it’s by Paul Freeman…
“There's no way back if I let go
You’re where I’ll land
So here I go
Cause I just want to live
And I just wanna feel it”
(From: Tightrope by Paul Freeman)
Yes, I enjoyed
his five-song mini concert, and so did the rest of the crowd, judging from the
louder-than-average applause after, and the attentive silence during the songs.
But only the morning after do I realise exactly how much of an impression this
man has made. I HAVE to know more!
I am
absolutely certain that I had never even heard his name until about 2 weeks
ago. And now, I just want him to come back to Belgium and play for me again – I
feel as if I didn’t pay enough attention the first time and I’d like to
experience it again to see if he can impress me a second time.
So what is
it about Paul Freeman that made him able to wipe away a wonderful Chris Isaak
concert and make his way into my subconscious? His boyish good looks and
radiant smile? Although he definitely has those, it’s the music that impressed
me.
First of
all, it all seems so very genuine. That’s the biggest cliché ever and it could
very well be an act, but his words really spoke to me. His lyrics are smart
without trying to be complicated or clever or heavy-hearted. They are
intelligent without pretending to be the greatest thing ever written. I love
simplicity, but I love intelligence even more!
“It's easier to compromise when everything has
gone
And it's hard to make amends when all the
damages are done
And to everyone I've ever hurt, I'm sorry
But I was wrong”
(From: That’s how it is by Paul Freeman)
When I got
a chance to meet Paul after the concert, he was just as sweet and genuine as he
seemed to be on stage and he’s as intelligent as his lyrics. He won my undying
respect a few days later when I found out that he likes Dylan Thomas. Thomas
was known to be a great admirer of William Blake which almost makes us kindred
spirits. (Hey, can you believe I just found a link between Paul Freeman and
Richard Armitage? I knew there was a reason I liked this man!)
Right back at you, Paul!!
Another
thing that caught my attention is the way Paul sings his songs. Every time he
started playing, it was as if he went into a world of his own. There was such dedication
and joy in the way he performed; it makes me smile to even think about it. But
don’t take my word for it, here’s the proof. This is Paul’s performance of
Tightrope at the concert that I attended in Brussels.
It’s that joy that woke the room up and Paul
managed to grab the attention of people who would usually just see him as the
reason why the main act of the evening wasn’t there yet. By the third song, he’d
won them over. When he finally walked off the stage, I felt a sense of loss…and
the applause continued longer than I have ever seen it last for an unknown
opening act.
So Paul,
when exactly are you coming back to sing for me?
My thoughts on Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James (2011) DISCLAIMER: 1.It’s impossible to review this book without revealing some of the details of the story. So if you have not read the book(s) and you don’t want to be disappointed, stop right here. Go read Fifty Shades of Grey first. On the other hand, if you want to know exactly what you’re getting yourself into before you decide to read the book, keep on reading. I hope I can help you make up your mind.
2.The below text is about my thoughts on this story and nothing more. In no possible way is this text a reflection on or a suggestion of my own likes or dislikes when it comes to sexual relationships. For the very simple reason, my dearest reader, that my sexual relationships are none of your business ;-)
*********************************
“Just say yes Just say there’s nothing holding you back It’s not a test. Nor a trick of the mind, only love Just say yes ‘Cause I’m aching and I know you are too For the touch of your warm skin as I breathe you in” (Just say yes – Snow Patrol)
I had to read this book. For months now, both positive and negative reviews of it had been coming my way and I just had to see for myself what all the fuss was about. So, on the hottest summer weekend of the year, I started reading Fifty Shades of Grey, the first installment in E.L. James’ Fifty Shades trilogy. And just over 24 hours later, I finished it. I don’t think I’ve ever read a complete novel in less than at least a complete weekend, so this was definitely a first for me.
Cracking Christian Only a few pages into the story, I remember thinking: “She’s too young”. And a few pages later, when Christian Grey appears, I thought the exact same thing: “I wish he was older”. Of course, I would very soon discover that Ana’s age is a specific choice of the writer, as is the fact that Christian is only 27 and I think it fits the story very well. Anastasia Steele is not even 22 years old yet; she’s immature, insecure and inexperienced. About halfway through the story, Ana makes the typical female mistake in relationships: she thinks she can change him. And, to my surprise, for a long time, she seems to be succeeding! She’s the perfect antidote to Christian’s carefully constructed life of wealth, confidence and strict rules. The only one who could create cracks in his perfect exterior and make everything he’s ever held true come crumbling down.
Fifty shades of fucked up? Fifty Shades is a brilliant character study: A character study of the elusive Christian Grey, through the eyes of Ana Steele. We discover Christian together with Ana, we see only what she sees, we only experience events the way she experiences them. It’s that particular choice of making this an eye-witness report by Ana that has allowed many readers to characterize Christian as the devil incarnate: we deal with this girl’s discovery of a man and a lifestyle that she has no idea of, and it’s not always the greatest experience. I’m sure that, if some of the story had been written from Christian’s point of view, people would have reacted much more favorably towards this character. But that’s the whole point of this story: trying to find out what’s going on inside the head of Christian Grey. Is he really fifty shades of fucked up, or not?
Sexual revolution? I’ve read many reviews of this book, and the one thing that surprised me is that some reviewers did not simply discard the story as badly written and lacking substance or even as insulting filth, but they were actually angry that a book like Fifty shades of Grey could be so very successful. I wonder why? I mean, I personally think that the Twilight books are a collection of nonsensical dribble, but that simply means that I don’t read them. Why would I be angry that they exist? Why would I be angry at the fact that some people tend to compare Christian Grey to some of the most loved romantic heroes such as Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy or Charlotte Brönte’s Rochester? If that’s your opinion, that’s fine. I may not agree, but that’s not the point; what makes these people so angry? Could it be the sexual nature of this book? If you’ve read this book, you’ll know that the sex scenes are extremely explicit. Is that what makes people angry? Is there a certain sense of shock about the brutal honesty and lack of modesty in this story? Are we not as open-minded and sexually liberated as we proclaim to be? I wonder…
Who is Christian Grey? I personally believe that the explicit sex scenes are part of what makes this a good story. They are frequent, but never vulgar, and they add something to the characterization of Christian Grey. One reviewer said it perfectly: “It is different, exciting, out of the box, off the wall. You must have an open mind to understand how great this book is. It's not porn, it's specific and sexual but the psychological factors are endless.”
With every sexual act that they share, Ana receives little pieces of information about this man that she cannot seem to get away from. If she thought about this rationally, she’d run like hell, but she can’t. She’s intrigued by him, by the world that he’s guiding her into and by the complex personality that is slowly revealing itself to her. I’m sure you too have fallen for the wrong guy at some point in your life – when all your friends said that he was not the man for you and he was not treating you right, you still wanted him.
Why women love Fifty Shades The success of this book has been attributed to the existence of e-readers like Kindle, making it possible to read a book on a handheld device that does not show the people around you what you’re reading. That’s possible for some, but I have absolutely no issues about reading this book on the train to work. If that’s embarrassing for the person sitting next to or in front of me, than that’s their problem, not mine.
Why did I enjoy Fifty Shades? Because it’s honest, well-written and not trying to be something that it’s not. Oh, and the most delicious main character ever! Christian Grey is mister perfect: the body of a god, a self-made man, intelligent and richer than Oprah. He plays the piano (which, to me, is right up there with a man who plays the cello!), he knows his wine (“I’m not knowledgeable, I just know what I like”), he’s trained to fly a helicopter, has an excellent taste in music (Frank Sinatra! La Traviata!) and he can dance *faints*. And he gave Ana six orgasms in two days!
Oh yes, and he’s an insanely jealous control freak whose preferred way to show affection is by beating the object of his desire with a cane… Nobody’s perfect.
You need to read this book. Put your embarrassment aside, and just go for it!
We're at day 17. Armitage Day is almost upon us. I don't know about you, but I can't wait! I haven't quite figured out what I'm going to do on the 22th, but I'll definitely be sure to have a glass of wine to toast to the good health of a certain Brit we all know and love :-)
So why don't we take it easy for a change. We bow our head and think of all those things we love about Richard Armitage. Personally, I love him because he's genuine and humble (and incredibly talented and extremely handsome as well!). He once mentioned that he loved this song by Keane, and I love this beautiful picture - and they fit together so very well!
The originalof this picture can be found at www.richardarmitagenet.com It's from the 2011 photoshoot for Project Magazine
I don't wanna be adored Don't wanna be first in line Or make myself heard I'd like to bring a little light To shine a light on your life To make you feel loved
No, don't wanna be the only one you know I wanna be the place you call home
I lay myself down To make it so, but you don't want to know I give much more Than I'd ever ask for
Will you see me in the end Or is it just a waste of time Trying to be your friend Just shine, shine, shine Shine a little light Shine a light on my life Warm me up again
Fool, I wonder if you know yourself at all You know that it could be so simple
I lay myself down To make it so, but you don't want to know You take much more Than I'd ever ask for
Say a word or two to brighten my day Do you think that you could see your way
To lay yourself down And make it so, but you don't want to know You take much more Than I'd ever ask for
(Hamburg Song by Keane. From their 2006 album Under The Iron Sea)
What's a
birthday without a birthday present? But what do you get the man who's living
his dream? This year,
consider donating to one of Richard's selected charities (Shelter, The Salvation
Army, Childline and Barnardo's) - visit his Just Giving
page. Thank you!
I know this is a few days after the facts, but I had to write about it.
Rock Werchter in Belgium has been celebrated as the best festival in the World for several years in a row. Its organisation, security and musical line-up are unparalleled and an example for other festivals. For 4 days in the first weekend of July, the festival welcomes visitors from around the globe to enjoy music from the best bands and the greatest new artists.
A few years ago, the organisers of this festival decided that it was time to branch out and give more and different audiences a chance to enjoy their favourite music at Werchter. They came up with 2 new concepts: TW Classic and Werchter Boutique.
TW Classic brings the greatest music of all time to the stage. Bryan Adams, Lenny Kravits, Simple Minds, The Black Eyed Peas, Depeche Mode, Moby, The Police, Elton John and Sting are just a few of the amazing artists that have graced the audience of TW Classic with their greatest hits.
And then there’s Werchter Boutique – the person who came up with this concept is an absolute genius! Werchter Boutique changes every year and the line-up is adapted to suit a specific audience.
In 2008, a dream came true for thousands of screaming young teenage girls and their families when Tokio Hotel was the headliner and Santana and Dutch band Doe Maar provided the necessary impulse for parents to want to accompany their sons and daughters to the festival.
In 2009, Madonna brought her Sticky & Sweet tour to the stage at Werchter and in 2010 Prince was the headliner, again bringing completely different audiences to this small town in Belgium.
Werchter Boutique then skipped a year, only to return with its greatest stunt to date. This year, Werchter Boutique catered to fans of metal music: the festival headliner was one of the greatest metal bands in the world: Metallica. And I was there.
Let me be extremely clear: I am not a metal fan. The music is too loud, the songs are usually just a blur of guitars and drums and people screaming into a microphone in ways that make me want to chop my ears off. But I have never seen a more amazing live act than Metallica. I must have seen them perform for five or six times by now, and I’m blown away every time.
We bought tickets to this festival months ago, when the only band confirmed to play was Metallica. In the months that followed, the following ‘supporting acts’ were announced: Ghost, Gojira, Channel Zero, Mastodon and Soundgarden. All great bands of the metal genre, but they were clearly no more than that: a way to pass the time before Metallica would take to the stage. I can’t really say very much about them: I didn’t like Ghost (to much like a fancy dress party), Gojira was simply too loud, I appreciate Channel Zero as they are a Belgian band and they used to be really good (used to be, that is, now…not so much), I skipped Mastodon and they were just background music to us while we were having dinner in the back of the festival grounds and I can see why Soundgarden was the second greatest grunge band after Nirvana… 20 years ago. I do still love their song Black Hole Sun, that was the only thing that got me up off the grass with my hands in the air.
At about 21:00, when the sun was setting behind the stage, it was finally time for Metallica to make this day worth the money. And by god did they ever deliver!
Metallica performed their legendary Black Album in its entirety, with The Unforgiven, Enter Sandman and Sad But True as my personal favourites. The band celebrated the 20th anniversary of this album that meant their worldwide breakthrough and made them the greatest metal band in the world, and they have not lost any of their enigmatic charisma. The lights and fireworks were perfectly in tune with the surprisingly beautiful melodies and clever lyrics of their legendary songs. I thoroughly enjoyed the concert, was screaming from beginning to end, trying to keep up with James Hetfield’s powerful vocals and incredible energy.If you’ve never seen this band, you should. I promise that you will not regret it!
I wonder what Werchter Boutique will come up with next year – it will take another stroke of genius to top this year’s overwhelming success!!
“Baby I’m not scared of this world when you’re here"
(From ‘Silenced by the night’ by Keane)
Dear friends of RA, today we have exactly 200 days to get through before the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on 14 December 2012. Also, we've got 86 days to prepare for the next Armitage Day on 22 August 2012 when our favourite man celebrates his 41st birthday (or maybe he'll just sleep through it like he did last year!)
To mark this milestone, I have decided to take my blogging efforts to a next level, and I will (hopefully) be blogging much more often than I have over the last couple of weeks.
The 13 dwarves from The Hobbit, with RA as Thorin Oakenshield Picture kindly borrowed from http://www.theonering.net/
A very long time ago, Richard mentioned in a message to his friends (as of this moment, I refuse to be called a ‘fan’, I’m going to use the word ‘friend’ instead) that he was very much enjoying the music on the album Under the Iron Sea (2006) by English band Keane. He listed ‘Hamburg Song’ as his favourite song on the band’s second studio album and I can certainly see why…
“I don't wanna be adored Don't wanna be first in line Or make myself heard I'd like to bring a little light To shine a light on your life To make you feel loved” (From ‘Hamburg Song’ by Keane)
Keane have been off my radar for a few years, but they have recently released a new album. Their fourth album (not counting EPs and recordings of live performances) entitled Strangeland has catapulted them right back to the centre of my attention. I am captivated by the richness of the music, the simple ad genuine lyrics and the hint of mystery and melancholy that tends to linger in the background of every single song.
“Well it's OK to be scared whenYou're stuck behind a door that won't openThe shadows in your dreams that are chasing youThey're not true” (From ‘It’s not true’ by Keane)
Tim Rice-Oxley has once again written some incredibly beautiful melodies and I think Tom Chaplin’s voice has finally matured enough for me to be able to thoroughly enjoy every single song on this album. My favourites? The first single ‘Silenced by the night’ takes my breath away although it’s one of those songs that I love to sing myself and it always manages to lift my spirits and put a smile on my face.
Keane performs 'Silenced by the Night' live
‘Sovereign Light Café’, ‘Starting line’ and title track 'Strangeland' will also be spending quite some time on my iPod thanks to their complexity in striking contrast with the genuine simplicity and honesty of their lyrics.
“ You drove across the border as the winter rains ran dry And only fitful birdsong filled the sky You threw your head back, screaming As we raced across wet sand And leapt into the waters of the Strangeland” (From ‘Strangeland’ by Keane)
I wonder if RA still likes Keane and if he’s enjoying their new music as much as I am?
