A wasted weekend in front of the TV

We watched a depressing amount of the Glastonbury broadcasts that were carelessly sprayed over the BBC channels at the weekend, and what became clear as we watched more and more was just how dire modern "alternative" music has become. Actually the mainstream edge of alternative music has probably always been a bit depressing but I can't believe it has ever been as woeful as the dire ordinary rawk music that was churned out by the likes of The Killers or Maxïmo Park or The Kooks or The Fratellis (or most everything else)- a duller bunch of ordinary rock music you'd be very hard pushed to find.



It made me sad but we kept watching - like the ghouls slowing down to stare at the Motorway accident on the other carriageway - we just wanted to see how badly damaged things were...and things were in a pretty sorry state.



The thing that always bothered me about festivals is just how it clearly isn't really about the music - if it was, you'd certainly choose somewhere that suited - and a muddy field wouldn't be anywhere near the top of my list. So it must be about something else, something that I don't get. For so many people to bond over dull rock music and comedy acts like Iggy Pop/The Stooges or Shirley Bassey there has to be something that makes it work but it's beyond me.



Maybe this side of music - the bonding, the mass hysteria, the tiresome chunky blah - is built for different people...



Highs (and mediums): Björk, Bat for Lashes, The Arcade Fire.

Lows: Pretty much everything else.



That's a pretty poor return for a weekends TV viewing.