R2U2… or ‘d’ or something…

so friday nite there was a U2 concert or something, apparently.. you wouldn’t know by being on facebook at all – hardly a person mentioned whether they were going or not going or hating everyone that was going and kept reminding them about it or throwing their Steve Hofmeyer (very pricey tickets) into the Jukskei river (my favourite one) in protest…

and it’s weird cos ever since i knew U2 were coming to South Africa i was super amped to go – they are one of my top four bands (3 now that Tree63 are no more altho have Snow Patrol knocking on that door cos really enjoying them right now) but then when the tickets were released tbV and myself had just bought plane tickets to KZN so we would drive up to Botswana with our good friends Dreadlock Mike and Nancy the Twin and we couldn’t really afford both (not knowing what 2011 held for us incomewise etc)…

so i should have been more bummed or jealous or over the endless stream of statuses counting down etc etc but to be honest i wasn’t – i had actually agreed to speak at a camp for Rondebosch/Rustenburg high school CU groups this past weekend and it was only after meeting with the leaders of the camp and the other speaker (who said he couldn’t do the evenings so i was down for fri and sat nite speaks) that i discovered that the Fri nite was the U2 concert… hm…

and the whole way leading up to the concert i was somewhat convinced in my head that someone would offer us free U2 tickets (happened all around me) for the nite so my head went to ‘”flip, how do i explain to the camp people that i can’t speak on friday nite?” when the tickets come… and then i realised that there was actually no way out of it… and then quite soon after that i realised that actually i didn’t want the tickets to come…

now this is not anything against anyone who went to the U2 concert cos i am flippin stoked for everyone that went and it sounds like it was an incredible show and i am sure i would have loved it – there are some people, like my buddy Craig who is the biggest U2 fan i know, who i am toyoda’ly overjoyed that he was there and still need to hear from him how it was, and my brother and sister in law who got tickets a day before the concert as well, just flippin happy for them… but it was just the realisation for me (as not the biggest live concert guy ever) that for me, i was very amped that my friday was going to be spent with those school peoples at rocklands campsite in simonstown.

i didn’t get offered tickets so i never had to turn them down or anything like that but i had not doubt afterwards that i was in the right place. i don’t think God or those young people particularly needed me there (God could definitely have used a bunch of other people) but i definitely believe He did use me being there and we saw four girls make a commitment to follow Jesus for the first time ever and that really sealed it for me.

i was really encouraged by my good friend bruce collins’ (who was at the U2 concert in Joburg) story of how he was able to have some profound worship moments (during ‘Magnificent’ for example, one of U2’s most blatant lyric’d songs) during the concert and also the story he shared of the girl who got pulled up on stage and so for me it really doesn’t come down to going to the concert was less spiritual than not going to the concert or anything like that – for those who went and had an amazing time whether just a rad time with a favourite band or a great time with a non favourite band (Joel) or a spiritual experience, that is toyoda’ly cool… and for me it was the same not being there.

good weekend all round it seems. hopefully it was for you… as well…

top 5 songs on my repeat…

i assume that this post will lose me a lot of respect and so it’s quite fortunate i don’t feed off that stuff – but there are a couple of songs that i have bought from ovi music store in the last couple of months that i keep sticking on repeat cos they make me happy…

they are the following in no particular order:

[1] bought this morning: ‘Techno Band’ by Lonehill Estate – what gets me is the pausing in the last line of the chorus – you’re. gonna. be. innit… slays me every time. i dig the rap sing style and the vibe of the song – it’s silly but it’s happy silly…

[2] Somebody to Love by Queen (2011 remaster) – the only thing that freaks me out about this song is i am singing the words “find me somebody to love” ad nauseaum and i am hoping tbV won’t take offence cos clearly i have somebody to love, but i just REALLY love that song and finally got round to buying it – my favourite is the chantlike buildup of the repetitive “find me somebody to love” and all the “somebody” “somebody”‘s at the end – perfect no-one-in-the-house-pump-up-the-volume-and-sing-with-full-vocals-and-possibly-a-broom-mic…

[3] No Robot’s by the Arrows – saw them live at New Year’s and had to i think to fully appreciate this music – they are a wacked out crazy psycho band of just two girls (and wacked out crazy psycho in the best way possible) and i just love the energy and freedom in this song plus the lyrics (which for me are generally the thing i look at) point wholeheartedly at Yahweh – “oh it’s poetry, it’s genius – You don’t want robots, You want our love – so You let us carry on like this, cos You don’t want robots, You want our love – and still we blame You and we call You names – You don’t want robots You want our love – and You go and give it to us all the same, all the same, all the sa-a-ame”

[4] That’s not my Name – The Ting Tings – do i even have to comment? in terms of catchy, pump up the volume, sing your pop idol audition to No_bob the stuffed dolphin judging panel… “everything considered they forget my na-a-a-ame”

[5] Crazy [and Going on] by Gnarls Barkly – thankx to the beautiful Val for directing me to this one (Going on) – i just love repetition but not Rihanna take-any-word-and-repeat-it-ten-times and then make 15 similiar songs style… i’m talking the “Going on” line “I’ve seen it with my own eyes, how we’re getting otherwise,
without the luxury of leaving. (leaving) The touch and feeling of free, is untangible technically, is something you got to believe in. (believe in)” and then “Crazy” i’ve just dugged for ever [yes, “dugged!”] because it’s about people thinking i’m crazy, and, you know… i just dig the beat and rhythm and his voice and the vibe…

and then special mention must go to Duck Soup and ‘Barbra Streisand’ [thankx to the Proteas cos they played it ALL the time when i was at the last game and i fell completely in love] – i really don’t dig barbra streisand (no offence) and so the fact that i love this techno beaty song about her just becomes all that much more surreal… and ‘Jump’ by Flo Rida which i absolutely absolutely dig and would be in the list if it was a top 6… “When i say jump you say “How high” – and ‘We no speak Americano’ (Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup) and

don’t get me wrong, the U2’s and Coldplays and R.E.M.’s and Snow Patrol’s will always be there, but for now these are the five and one that are getting me going… what’s your top 5 right now?