The Kennedy's, King & A Democratic Dream

You know, I've been watching with fascination and hope, and real optimism, the current US Primaries of the Democratic party. For myself, and others, listening to Barack Obama has evoked something we haven't felt in politics in quite some time. A feeling of optimism, hope for the future, that in these dark times of the 'war on terror' the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, the Israel-Palestine conflict, in these dark times of wars in so many places, there is a chance for that most influential of nations and of peoples to empower themselves and subsequently the world, in order that these dark times may have light shone upon them.

It is a light of democracy, a light of truth, a light of freedom and a light of liberty. Somewhere out there, a small piece of light appears. We see a Democrat, a man who can change the world for the better, a man capable of sitting in the seat of the Presidency of the United States, with a fine mind, and a fine heart, who can put together those two great qualities and lead the world in finding peace, in finding solace, away from the cruel and horrible theatre that is war.

One of the wonderful things to have seen, is that we who believe in the message of change from Barack Obama, are not alone. There is a man, recovering from brain surgery today, who knew two of America's finest leaders, John and Robert Kennedy, as his brothers. And even while in recovery, his message to the world is that he wants to be strong enough as soon as possible to continue supporting and rallying for his friend, Barack Obama. Teddy Kennedy is the last of three great brothers, the last of three knights of our own modern-day Camelot, a Camelot where they could send men to the moon, pull back from the brink of nuclear holocaust with the Soviet Union, and work on the streets with black and white people towards a better understanding of who we all are and how we can and must share this precious earth with one another in the cause of peace, love and respect. Teddy Kennedy, I know you can't read this, you're too busy. But hopefully, one or two of your supporters will read this, and join with me, a man not normally religious, a man who is not even American, a man who has never met you and never will, in praying for your health, your happiness, and thanking you and your brothers for trying to make the world a better place.

With your support Senator Kennedy, Obama's dream of the Presidency feels a lot more like the restoration of Camelot in the White House. You see, your Camelot wasn't a monarchy of a family, it was never that. It is a meritocracy, that has sat and waited over 40 years, for the right minds, the right hearts and the right souls to come along, to rise to power and to reclaim what is by right, the noble destiny of the American people. All of the world waits in hopeful anticipation that your vision, the one you've held for so long, that you are bringing back to life with Barack Obama, will survive the cruelties, the brutalities and the political horrors of an ever more modern, an ever more cold, and ever more fascist world.

I watched a beautiful montage of Senator Bobby Kennedy's speech in Indianapolis in 1968, when Martin Luther King was assassinated. His words saved 1 American city in 100 from going up in flames of hatred. For those of you who doubt the significance of 1 city being saved while 100 burn, I ask you to only think of a million families not being as badly affected by violence, not being as badly affected by rioting, and not being destroyed by the misery and pain of finding that a loved one died, in a street, in the night, at the hands of unknown killers in a mob. We hope for Obama's and the Kennedy's vision to finally come to pass, for while even if 100 cities burn, we know that these men have the power, and the desire to start building piece, 1 city, 1 society, 1 country and 1 world at a time. God bless Barack, Obama, JFK, RFK, and Teddy Kennedy, who we hope will be well again very soon.

Video - Bobby Kennedy's Speech In Indianapolis

Tuesday 19th February 2008 - The Von Bondies

After a short break, following my 5 gigs in 5 nights effort, I was feeling thorougly refreshed and ready for more of the live. And what better band to go see than The Von Bondies, who having kept a lower profile than Lord Lucan in recent years, are making a glorious return to the British music scene, sounding tighter, brighter but definately not lighter.

The Von Bondies, in case you haven't heard of them, are a band out of Detroit, Michigan, who initially received some excellent exposure of their mad talents back in the year 2001 (yes, it really was nearly 7 years ago!), when they toured with little known obscure outfit, The White Stripes (who?! lol). Well, the world went Jack and Meg White nuts, and quite rightly so. But in all the hoo-har of those halcion days when The Stripes and The Strokes were conquering all, when freedom reigned, in the before-time, before 9/11, before government by terror, before smoking via hypothermia, before Orwell and Huxley's fancyful tales of tyranny became the pathetic reality we all live through today, in 2008, this foul year or Our Lord, we managed to almost forget about this band. The Von Bondies, if you ever pull your finger out and attend one of their shows (they're playing The Wigan Tavern on 29th February btw, which is in erm...Wigan, funnily enough), will remind of that long-forgotten musical genre known as 'grunge' (see Nirvana, Hole, Neil Young for a brief moment, and er, Nirvana - did I say Nirvana - yeah). But worry not, they all appear to know where to point their shower nozzles and actually smelled quite nice.

All joking and mockery-based humour aside, The Von Bondies are back, with old music, and new music, and it all sounds at least as good as it did back in the summer of 2001. If you wanna remember the days of freedom, of excess, heck, of good old-fashioned FUN, then well, watch 'em while they're hot - The Von Bondies. That's V, O, N, space, B, O, N, D, I, E, S, people. And I must make a special, much deserved mention of Leann Banks, the band's bassist. I was blessed to be 1 inch away from her throughout the show, and in spite of her having the hottest pair of legs I've seen in some time on a stage, I did manage to direct my eyes upwards every so often, to watch her absolutely blow ten bells out of her bass guitar. She is a bassist with immense talent and natural ability who plays those thick metal strings with the finéssé of a flemenco guitarist.

Moving on; there were two support acts as is the norm in The Night & Day Café, where you really get your money's worth on a gig night. Both supports were very cool, but a special mention must really go to a Blackburn (with Darwen of course!) band called The Sugars. Not been around long, but with a voice like Matt Bolton's on lead, a true blue wailer of the old tradition, and the sweet but strong dulcits of the majestically named, majestically talented and majestically beautiful Anna Greenaway, I know I'll be watching them again, and again and again at many fine venues in the future (not to forget their new drummer whose name I don't know yet, but will know shortly, cos anyone who can still pull of playing the drums in a knackerdy old vest like he had on has got to be worth his salt!). And that future includes venues near you, and venues near me - specifically, The Dry Bar (next door to The Night & Day Café on Oldham Street in Manchester) on Thursday, April 17th. Be there or be a manic depressive with no stereo. Also be there because I had the pleasure of talking to Matt Bolton after his set and he's a genuinely nice guy with bags of enthusiasm and a passion for singing his heart out, and you don't get that every week.

Another night of giggery, another write-up of buggeringly long proportions. Thanks for reading, keep on rockin' and if you're a Yank, vote for Obama or fear my wrath forever...just kidding. I think. Vote for him. Do what you want. No, vote for him and then do what you want, but only because I say so. Thankyou.

Victory in South Carolina - now on to Super Tuesday!

It's been a while since I posted, but I was really picked up last night by Barack Obama's stunning victory in South Carolina. With all the votes in from yesterday's Democratic Primary contest in this diverse state, made of loosely of 50% black people and 50% white people, the scale of Senator Obama's victory cannot be underestimated. The raw numbers:

Barack Obama: 295,091 (55%); Delegates Gained = 26.

Hillary Clinton: 141,128 (27%); Delegates Gained = 14.

John Edwards: 93,552 (18%); Delegates Gained = 8.

Yep, Hillary could have had twice as many votes and still lost! 8 of 10 black voters prefer the message of Barack Obama. And he picked up a quarter of all white votes, with Edwards and Clinton sharing the rest. Another amazing fact from this contest is that Obama won a majority of all the votes cast in the age range 18-64. Yep, working Americans believe in this man, young and old alike. It really represents a cross-generational message for change in the USA.

But it is the articulate nature of this desire for change, so ably personified in Barack's message that is frankly shocking and inspiring after watching 8 long years of banjo playing down on the farm idiot politics from the Bush regime. I keep saying it to everyone I know - look at Barack Obama and listen to him. If you can't see the Robert Kennedy in him, or the JFK in him, then I think you're not looking at the same guy I am. It is certainly evident enough to members of the Kennedy family. Last night, he picked up the endorsement of Caroline Kennedy, President Kennedy's daughter.

That endorsement says it all. Part of what is so inspiring about this man's campaign to become the leader of the United States is a very real sense that he could carry the flame of Camelot back into the White House, over 40 years after that flame was so cruelly extinguished in Houston, Texas. This is a chance for Americans to say to themselves and to the wider world that the ideals they voted for in JFK so long ago still stand and mean something important within the psyche of the American Dream. This is a chance for Americans to say, no more lies, no more slash 'n burn politics of the 90's and of this decade. No more Clinton-Bush monarchies, 20 years of two names, two families, running their country is quite enough. No more immoral wars, no more economic mismanagement, no more painful stories of not being able to pay medical bills because you don't earn upwards of $50,000 a year.

South Carolina said it. Barack Obama's saying it. I'm saying it. And a lot of my American friends are saying it: The time for change is now. Barack Obama is an agent of change you can believe in. And all you have to do is hold onto the audacity of hope.

I think and I hope, that America is waking up today to the fierce urgency of now.

For great coverage of this election campaign, I strongly recommend: CNN's Election Center 2008

New Hampshire...did I not make myself clear?!?!

Only kidding N.H. As long as you voted, and you voted for who you belived would be the best leader for the USA, then while I disagree with the 40% of you who voted for Hillary, I would be a arrogant fool to say anything other than well done and good luck.

South Carolina. You really do know what you have to do. It's simple. Vote Barack Obama for a stronger, safer South Carolina and for change and a better nation in the United States of America. Barack Obama is the future. Your future, my future, everyone's better future. Change is coming and change's new name is Barack.

Keep on rockin' the vote.

C'mon New Hampshire!!!

Well, it's Barack fever in my house this week! He won Iowa - beautiful (which I predicted way before it become fashionable to be a Barackista), which is serving as a great springboard for him to get the message out that he is the bright hope for American government and politics.

New Hampshire - the world is watching and hoping you guys will see what we see in Obama - a politician, a leader of the highest calibre and integrity. This is a man who can bring peace and prosperity to both the USA and the wider world. He is also the only politician I know of who I can watch speak for hours at a time. Possibly the finest mind to ever run for the White House.

Good luck Barack - as well as millions of Americans, there are plenty of Brits, Europeans and others around the world who are willing you to victory! From a Labour Party member in England - go kick some ass man!

Obama For America...And Britain...And Everywhere Else...

America faces a decision in the next year, the most important decision it will face as a nation in generations. Who will be their next President?

Usually, for most people, this thought is followed by a long yawn and the sad realisation that yet again, even in the greatest democracy in the world, the only two people on the list are unrepresentative, corrupt blowhards who will guarantee four more years of the same old left-right, pointless, negative politics.

Well, not this time. A wonderful chain of events, not least of which is the fact that neither George Bush, or Dick Cheney are running for the Presidency means that we can breath one hell of a sigh of relief. Eight years is all the world could possibly cope with from these two warmongering evildoers.

American Democrats have the most wonderful opportunity of all, especially Iowans tomorrow, to make the cleanest break from the last 40 years of US politics. They have the chance to choose to support Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton or John Edwards. Any of these three will of course be a vast improvement.

I ask Iowans, and Americans however, not to vote for Clinton or Edwards. Vote for Barack Obama. He would be a President with more intellect than anyone since Roosevelt's 4-term spectacular, a President with more vision than even the great JFK, and a President who could heal the scars of American domestic and foreign policy as well as Lincoln did in the 19th Century. America - Iowa - you have heard what this man has to say. Don't vote for him because of the shallow reasons of race and image. Vote for him because he is truly the person best equipped to do the job of leading the United States back to a era of peace and prosperity.

A vote for Obama is the just plainly and simply the right thing to do. The rest of the world is watching and hoping you guys get it right this time!

OBAMA FOR AMERICA