27 July 2009: About 5,500 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender men and women from 98 countries are gathered in Copenhagen for a nine-day celebration of gay sport and culture
Posts Tagged ‘Denmark’
Celebration of gay sport gets under way
July 27th, 2009 |
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• Event opens in Copenhagen with vibrant opening ceremony
• City’s openmindedness tested after three participants attacked
“Come on sugar daddy,” reads the sign on the entrance to a DIY shanty town erected next to Copenhagen’s royal library. This is One Love City, one of the many public art installations designed to coincide with the “Gay Olympics” running this week in Copenhagen.
The contest, formally known as the World Outgames, kick off today after a glitzy opening ceremony in City Hall square on Saturday night.
The director of the event, Uffe Elbæk, has hailed the games as a chance for the world to see Copenhagen as a progressive city and to send a message of hope to people living in homophobic countries around the world.
“We are trying to build a bridge between the LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] community and the rest of the city,” Elbæk says. “Our intention is to make this a celebration and a signal to the rest of the world that this is a tolerant city that we are proud of.”
But events over the weekend have already tested the openmindedness of Copenhagen and its people. Two men were arrested early on Sunday after three participants at the Outgames were attacked near the central square where the opening ceremony took place. The three participants – from Sweden, Norway and the UK – received hospital treatment after they were kicked and punched, police said.
“Obviously it’s scary,” a member of the Canadian curling team told Danish TV. “That fear will haunt you forever. Hate crimes go beyond bruises, go beyond broken bones and they affect you as an individual and it scars you for life.”
An editorial in the liberal newspaper Politiken criticised Danish ministers for not supporting the games by speaking at the opening ceremony. “In Denmark we don’t have a minister responsible for gay rights issues. We also don’t have a minister who wants to welcome all the activists and participants, even though it is an event that gives Denmark unprecedented attention … It’s embarrassing to have a government that doesn’t want to come out of the closet.”
Other sections of the media have been less supportive of the games. The 30m kroner (£3.4m) the city of council of Copenhagen used to fund the games has provoked the ire of some commentators, who have also been less than impressed with the number of participants. When Copenhagen was first announced as the host city four years ago, there were hopes for more than 15,000 people to take part – an estimate that is far off the 5,500 participants who have registered at the Outgames headquarters this week.
But while the opinion-makers slug it out in the press, the swimmers, dancers, wrestlers and footballers will have their mind elsewhere. Today, they will do the talking on the pitch, in the pool and on the bridge table when the sporting side of things kick into high gear.
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Alberto Contador wins Tour
July 27th, 2009 |
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PARIS (AP) — Lance Armstrong’s kids were dressed in yellow. He was not.
When the seven-time Tour de France champion returned to the Tour podium Sunday, his family was there. His fans were there. And so was rival and teammate Alberto Contador – wearing the coveted and hard-won yellow jersey.
Four years after his seventh Tour win, [...]
US military deaths in Iraq war at 4,329
July 27th, 2009 |
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As of Sunday, July 26, 2009, at least 4,329 members of the U.S. military had died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.
The figure includes nine military civilians killed in action. At least 3,464 military personnel died as a result of hostile action, according to the [...]
Alberto Contador wins Tour; Lance Armstrong 3rd
July 26th, 2009 |
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PARIS — Lance Armstrong’s children were dressed in yellow. He was not.
When the seven-time Tour de France champion returned to the Tour podium Sunday, his family was there. His fans were there. And so was rival and teammate Alberto Cont…
Terrible beauty and beautiful terror
July 25th, 2009 |
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(Cert 18)
What do you do if you’re a young film director seeking worldwide recognition, but live in a small country with a language spoken nowhere else? Well, you could emigrate to America as several Scandinavian directors have done. But Lars von Trier, at 53 the oldest enfant terrible in the business, has a phobia about travelling. So after he decided to stay put in Denmark, his basic strategy was to make most of his movies in English, becoming, as it were, the dark side of Abba, and then turning his modest productions into big events by attracting public attention, creating gossip, causing outrage, provoking discussion.
Following those earlier self-publicists, Erich von Stroheim and Josef von Sternberg, he awarded himself an aristocratic “von” (though he must have been furious when the latest edition of Ephraim Katz’s Film Encyclopedia included the entry “von Trier. Lars. See SWEDEN”). He created news when he launched a cinematic movement Dogme 95 and he changes style with each movie: the last one released here, the business comedy The Boss of It All, was shot with a computer making decisions about lighting and camera movement.
In May, his latest picture, Antichrist, was called the most shocking movie ever to be shown at Cannes. When it opened in Stockholm last month, he gave an interview to the glossy Swedish magazine Filter in which he calls Ingmar Bergman a stupid pig (“ett dumt svin”). Well, Antichrist certainly isn’t a uniquely shocking film (Oshima’s Ai No Corrida, for instance, and Haneke’s The Piano Teacher were more troubling in their time).
It is, in fact, a gripping poetic allegory that follows Coleridge’s Kubla Khan and such pictures as Buñuel’s Un chien andalou and Louis Malle’s Black Moon in drawing directly on its author’s subconscious. Von Trier wrote it as a way of dealing with a deep depression and it’s clearly based on the mental turmoil of being brought up by parents committed to communism, naturism and atheism and his recent conversion to Catholicism. It’s also much influenced by the austere, deeply religious movies of Denmark’s greatest director, Carl Dreyer, whose Gertrud von Trier helped restore, and the mystical films of Andrei Tarkovsky, who made his final film in Swedish exile and to whose memory Antichrist is dedicated.
Shot on location in the forests of North Rhine-Westphalia, the film is set, so one infers from an address on an envelope, in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and it unfolds in four chapters, framed by a prologue and an epilogue. In the prologue, shot in slow-motion black and white, a married couple played by Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg make passionate love in the bathroom of their fourth-floor apartment. Their little son, Nick, opens the gate of his cot, sees the primal scene as he passes the open bathroom door and climbs on to a table beside a window, knocking over three figurines stamped “Grief”, “Pain” and “Despair”. It’s snowing outside and he falls from the window to his death in the street below, his woollen rabbit falling with him. The only thing on the soundtrack is an aria from Handel’s pastoral opera Rinaldo and the sequence has a terrible beauty.
The first chapter, “Grief”, begins with Nick’s funeral, the one time we see anyone other than his parents – who are never named, so I’ll call them Dafoe and Gainsbourg. Dafoe is a psychotherapist and he attempts to allay his wife’s guilt over the boy’s death by more or less taking her on as a patient. He tries to trace the roots of her fears and discovers that chief among them is the dark forest that surrounds their holiday cabin, which they call Eden.
She’d been there with Nick the previous year, working on a historical study called “Gynicide”, a word new to me and apparently used in the States by feminist critics to mean the destruction of women both by themselves and through the influence of men. She’d abandoned this book and later, when the couple arrive at Eden, Dafoe discovers the text with its medieval illustrations of witches being executed and dismembered.
The film opens like Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now. When the couple get to Eden for the next three chapters – “Pain (Chaos Reigns)”, “Despair” and “The Three Beggars” – it starts to resemble those eco-horror movies that followed in the wake of Hitchcock’s The Birds. Nature itself turns against the couple: animals (a fox who utters a couple of words as creatures do in fables, a miscarrying doe and a raven) and the very forest become a source of palpable terror.
The woman is suspicious of the therapeutic games her husband devises and even of therapy itself. We sense she feels she is a victim of both society and nature. The tension mounts in the confined, decaying cabin and escalates into terrible violence that involves the much publicised scenes of an attempted emasculation and a self-inflicted clitoridectomy. Starting with the title, which suggests some titanic conflict between forces of good and evil, Antichrist is full of religious symbols and biblical references. Central is the notion of Eden, of original sin and feminist problems with this creation myth, but there’s also the grindstone that Gainsbourg bolts to Dafoe’s leg (far more painful than hanging it round his neck) and her statement that “nature is Satan’s church”. And, of course, Dafoe is famous for playing Christ in Scorsese’s controversial The Last Temptation of Christ.
Like the films of Dreyer, Tarkovsky and Bergman, Antichrist is something to be experienced rather than understood, at least at a first viewing, and it concludes in the visionary epilogue on a tone of tragic tranquillity. It’s a solemn work perhaps, but forceful rather than hectoring, and is performed with an involving commitment and moral conviction by Gainsbourg (who won the best actress award at Cannes) and Dafoe. The cinematography is by Anthony Dod Mantle, the Danish-based British cameraman who did a remarkable job on a couple of Dogme movies, and received an Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire. Antichrist confirms that he is a cinematographer in the class of Sven Nykvist.
Vox pop
Roxy Holman
23, project manager
I was expecting a psychological drama, but it turned out to be more psychotic. I thought the elements of history woven in were interesting. But it’s quite hard to work out – I’ll still be thinking about it for months to come.
Ramir Oliveira
28, film-maker
I really liked it. There were some beautiful shots, and great performances from the two actors. I’d heard there was controversy over the violence, but I thought it all made sense within the film and wasn’t gratuitous.
James Cherry
27, projectionist
It was bewildering, but compelling. I’ve seen a lot of von Trier’s other films and this has the same vision – a really lucid dream world full of symbolism.
Joseph Harvey
32, teacher
It was beautifully filmed – very painterly. It was horrendous in parts and I had to look away a few times, but overall it was really interesting. I’m not quite sure what it all meant though.
Matthew McKinnon
38, film editor
The images were amazing but the characterisation was a bit weak. Von Trier’s scripts are normally very deliberate but this seemed more chaotic. It was well acted, and Charlotte Gainsbourg was incredible. Interviews by Philippa Lewis
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Greenland comes in from the cold
July 25th, 2009 |
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As world leaders grapple with the perils of climate change, there are parts of the globe where warmer temperatures are welcomed. Hardtalk presenter Stephen Sackur has just returned from Greenland where he found plenty of people eyeing opportunities amid the melting glaciers.
The musk ox steak on my plate was seductively dark and succulent. One of my dining companions was eyeing a slab of reindeer flesh big enough to feed a pack of huskies, while the other was drooling over scallops harvested from the clear cold waters of the Baffin Sea.
But never mind this traditional, and sublime, Greenlandic fare, I really want to tell you about my side order of leeks. Without wishing to sound immodest I know a thing or two about vegetables – it comes from being the son of a Lincolnshire farmer – and I can tell you the Rowing Club in Kangerlussuaq has few peers when it comes to fresh, home-grown vegetables.
That last phrase bears repetition, home-grown vegetables, in Kangerlussuaq, north of the Arctic Circle where the summer sun never sets and the winter darkness lasts for half a year.
Arctic thaw
I summoned restaurateur Kim Ernst from his kitchen. "You must have grown these fine vegetables in a glass house," I said with a sceptical frown.
"Not at all", he replied, "they’re all from my garden. If you don’t believe me come and see." So I did, and he was right. Greenland, is finally showing signs of living up to its name.
The last decade has brought with it markedly higher summer temperatures in the arctic North.
In southern Greenland farmers have planted fields of potatoes as the growing season has lengthened.
Plans are afoot to establish forests of Siberian Larch on this windswept and treeless island.
For Greenlanders, all 56,000 of them, the long-term prospect of being able to "grow their own", from tomatoes to timber, is little short of intoxicating.
Eighty percent of Greenland is covered in ice. For thousands of years Inuit peoples have eked out a precarious living along the coastal fringe, reliant on the sea’s bounty: fish, seals and whales.
But now the climate is changing, and so too are the traditional rhythms of Inuit life.
Nowhere is this more obvious than the small fishing port of Illulisat perched above an ice fjord on Greenland’s west coast. A generation ago the waters of the surrounding Disko Bay would freeze thick and hard every winter.
The local Inuit would hitch their dog teams to their sleds and make long excursions onto the ice, to hunt for seal and to fish, but in recent years the winter ice has been treacherous or non-existent.
Fishing boats have been able to put to sea in the months of darkness, leaving Illulisat’s huskies chained to their posts, forlorn and useless.
Redundant huskies
"I used to have 25 dogs," one fisherman told me. "Now I have nine."
"What did you do with the others" I asked. "The dog catcher came round," he replied with cold detachment. "With a gun."
The giant glacier in Illulisat’s fjord has retreated more than 10 miles in the last decade. For international climate campaigners it has become a graphic symbol of our planet in peril. But Greenlanders have a different take on the changes they see.
"We understand that this is a global issue," Greenland’s softly-spoken premier Kuupik Kleist told me in the capital Nuuk, "but we see opportunities as well as challenges. I want a Greenland that is open to those opportunities."
This summer Greenland was granted self-rule by Denmark, the old colonial power. Crucially, the new settlement puts control of potentially vast resources in local hands.
Oil, gas, a host of industrial and precious metals – even diamonds – are believed to be present in commercially significant deposits.
And the recent warming has made long-term exploration and mining a less daunting proposition. To see for myself I took a boat from Nuuk deep into the neighbouring fjord.
We passed whales blowing and diving, icebergs sparkling in the low sun and after two magical hours we reached our destination, a tent camp pitched above a natural inlet.
New goldrush
This is where a Greenlandic goldrush may be about to begin. Geologists from Nuna Minerals showed me their best prospect, a run of craggy rock where they have already extracted core samples from hundreds of metres down.
"This vast island, rich in resources, is coming in from the cold"
"So far, it looks promising," Nuna’s geologist Rasmus told me, as we swatted a thick cloud of mosquitoes. "Twenty years from now if all goes well, there could be a port facility here, infrastructure, a profitable gold mine."
And what would that mean for this unsullied Arctic wilderness Rasmus paused. "Look, I appreciate this place. I work here. I have no intention of ruining it."
On my return to Nuuk harbour, I watched British tourists disembark from a cruise ship. They were serenaded on to shore by a party of Greenlandic schoolchildren in traditional Inuit dress.
"How adorable," one woman said.
Yes, traditions are held dear in Greenland but do not be deceived. This vast island, rich in resources, is coming in from the cold.
Stephen Sackur begins a three part Hardtalk on the Road, starting Tuesday 28 July 2009 for transmission times seeHardtalk.
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Radio Four: Saturdays, 1130 BST. Second weekly edition on Thursdays, 1100 BST (some weeks only).
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Jay-Z Subs for Beasties at APW
July 23rd, 2009 |
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JAY-Z CONFIRMED AS FRIDAY NIGHT HEADLINER OF ALL POINTS WEST MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL
SHOW TO MARK HIP-HOP SUPERSTAR’S U.S. FESTIVAL DEBUT
 Jay-Z |
ALL POINTS WEST MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL organizers have just confirmed the U.S. festival debut of Jay-Z. The hip-hop superstar and pop culture icon will sub for the Beastie Boys who had to cancel all tour dates due to Adam “MCA” Yauch’s cancer diagnosis. Jay-Z will take over the headlining slot for the opening night (Friday, July 31) of the critically acclaimed annual event.
This show will mark the U.S. festival debut of Jay-Z, who last year performed at a variety of overseas festivals including the U.K.’s Glastonbury, Denmark’s Roskilde Festival, Norway’s Hove Festival and the O2 Wireless Festival in London. In a review of a recent show, the LOS ANGELES TIMES‘ Ann Powers said, “Jay-Z shows are fun because the rapper is so adept at spinning liquid gold; his mouth is one of the most nimble in the genre’s history, and he uses it to present thoughts that are sharp, funny and resonant.” (July 4, 2009)
Grammy winner Jay-Z joins Tool (Saturday) and Coldplay (Sunday) as headliners of the three-day, multi-stage music and arts festival. ALL POINTS WEST will also feature performances from Echo & The Bunnymen, My Bloody Valentine, Vampire Weekend, MGMT, MSTRKRFT, Gogol Bordello, The Black Keys, Fleet Foxes, Neko Case, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arctic Monkeys and more than 65 artists appearing throughout the 80-acre historic location that has panoramic views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the Manhattan skyline.
ALL POINTS WEST MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL organizers would also like to extend their best wishes to Beastie Boy Adam Yauch as he undergoes treatment for throat cancer. For those requesting refunds based on this news, ticket refunds are available at point of purchase for Friday single day tickets only.
Complete lineup, tickets and more info available at www.apwfestival.com.
Check our coverage of APW 2008 here.
Thom Hartmann: The Great Tax Con Job
July 21st, 2009 |
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High top marginal tax rates on rich people actually stabilize the economy, prevent economic bubbles from forming, prevent economic crashes, and lead to steady and sustained economic growth.
Roskilde Festival | 07.02 – 07.05 | Denmark
July 21st, 2009 |
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Words by: Lindsay Colip | Images by: Steven Walter
Roskilde Festival:: 07.02.09 – 07.05.09 :: Copenhagen, Denmark
 Roskilde Festival 2009 |
What a wonderful time of year! Big fields, loud rock, sunblock, sweaty tents; yup, we are smack-dab in the middle of summer festival season. I, alongside music photographer Steven “Walt” Walter, have dedicated our summer to covering the best of the best music festivals in Europe. We’re letting you know which ones are worth the trek overseas, which are the top international headliners for the summer, which of our favorite artists have made the leap across the pond, and any and all highlights from the festivals we attend. Our first stop was Roskilde Festival in Denmark, a few miles outside of Copenhagen. First off, I have to say this is the most people and planet friendly festival I’ve ever seen. The fact that Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Dr. Muhammad Yunus had the full attention of 100,000 people the last night (before Coldplay no less) when he spoke about peace, helping the less fortunate, global warming and how we can help, is astounding in itself. Additionally impressive, the festival teamed up with climate project Green Footsteps this year as their charity and between audience participation and festival donations, amassed well over $480,000 to the cause (read more on the website here). They also had fun things around the grounds, including a huge Ferris wheel powered by audience members riding bikes below, updates on how much we had recycled per day and specifically how that amount will help. The security guards and 25,000 volunteers were ridiculously nice and even handed out water to dehydrated fans (um, what?). They also had signs up all over the grounds saying, “Take care of your neighbor,” and, “Is the person next to you doing okay?” These simple, honest gestures were really appreciated and made me want to see a more compassionate vibe come to the States.
The setting, just in terms of size alone, is unlike any other festival in the States. The grounds are massive. The crowd reached near 100,000. There are seven stages, including the Orange Stage (past performers include Radiohead, The Stones, Dylan, Talking Heads, U2), Astoria Stage (tented venue that feels like an underground club in London), the Cosmopol Stage (designed to look like a grimy, graffitied NYC – complete with hot dog stands and tagged skate parks – where more hip-hop/funk/underground artists play), the Odeon Stage (the hip-hop/dance tent), the Arena Stage (an enormous Barnum and Bailey tent), the Pavilion Stage (smaller space where newer acts play) and The Lounge (where you could cool off and chill out). There were plenty of other things to keep us entertained as well including the aforementioned Ferris wheel, hot air balloons, a swimming pool and lake, art installations covering the grounds, encouraged graffiti areas, chairs/benches/seating areas that look straight out of The Standard Hotel (white square seating blocks included) and round the clock shops and restaurants. A nice bonus is that they not only sell beers (Tuborg) in these nifty 6 pack carrying cases if you’d like to drink in larger quantities but the food is really tasty – veggie options (if you go, you have to try the falafel), organic options, and, of course, Danish specialties. Another cool thing to mention is that the pits are emptied and filled per performer so that fresh audience members are in the front each set. The enormous crowd is diverse (however, there’s a 90-percent chance if you throw a pebble you’ll hit someone with blond hair and blue eyes) and everyone is genuinely really happy and friendly. Okay, onto the music…
Thursday, 07.02
 Roskilde Festival 2009 |
The first show I stumbled upon at the Orange Stage was Volbeat, a native (Copenhagen) metallic-pop band whose influences include Elvis, Social Distortion, J.R. Cash, Iron Maiden and Fats Domino. They describe themselves as metallic pop with a side of ’60s melodies but I describe them as deliverymen of power anthems. If you were a WWE wrestler, this would be the catalog of music you’d flip through for your walk out into the ring jam. Every song was powerful and heavy, supported by numerous fist pumps and call-responses from the crowd. In fact, almost every song had the lead singer/guitarist Michael Poulsen chanting something to the audience and getting enthusiastic remarks back. Now, nothing was in English, so I can’t really tell you what the commotion and upheaval was about, but I was enthused nonetheless. The language barrier didn’t exist here. And, to be fair, I am not really a head banging, guitar slashing, scream metal kind of gal, but man, I was in. Poulsen was accompanied by Jon Larsen (drums), Anders Kjolholm (guitar) and Thomas Bredahl (guitar), everyone covered in tattoos and wearing 45 shades of black. It rocked. I appreciated when Poulsen did an Elvis impersonation and then followed up by telling a Johnny Cash story. He was definitely emulating the swagger of the King and had an enormous crowd to prove his skill. Great opener.
Another random highlight during the day was experimental electronica DJ Rumpistol, aka Jens Berents Christiansen. When I walked into the Astoria Tent, he was unfortunately finishing up his set, but what I did catch was that he would first set the tone at the board and then once the jam was going he’d come out front to play various instruments throughout. In the short time I was there, I saw him play guitar, flute and melodica. He had a cellist and violinist on stage with him as well, filling out his ethereal sound. It was definitely soothing, dreamy, synthy pop, with an added beat to occasionally encourage your head to bop. Not particularly dancing music, but just really cool “if I were a music supervisor I’d get on this immediately to score a scene” music. He had a screen behind him with floating clouds, colorful triangles and other dreamy peaceful images. A nice compliment to what we were hearing. Having no clue who this person was before I stepped in there, I’m intrigued now to check out his work. That’s what these festies are all about! New music, wahooo!
 Kanye West :: Roskilde Festival 2009 |
Returning to music that isn’t new, but is still impressive, enter Kanye West, headlining Thursday night at the Orange Stage. I have nothing new to report on Kanye except for he’s still Kanye. He’s a really talented performer, hate him or not. I was impressed with the show, enjoying songs like “Flashing Lights,” “American Boy,” “Heartless,” “Gold Digger,” “Lock Lockdown” and a lil’ “PYT” for the first of many Michael Jackson nods. West had performed here in 2006 and was definitely welcomed back. The crowd was really excited to see him and equally as jazzed when he finally came out on stage. People knew every word, danced their faces off and threw lots of cups full of water into the air. Why does the audience do this? The nice security guards hand people cups of delicious Danish water and then they chuck them into the air and laugh wildly. I spent half of the show helping Walt shield his camera. Overall, it was fun(ny) watching 30,000 blond haired, blue eyed 20-year-olds rapping alongside West.
To close the Orange Stage, we were treated by the super talented Copenhagen-based DJ Anders Trentemoller. What an amazing producer! I would like to know how many people showed up for this show to rock out from 12:30 – 3 a.m. It seemed like thousands and thousands of people. They’d show shots of the crowd and it was beyond overwhelming. I can’t imagine what it must’ve looked like and felt like for Trentemoller. He had a huge raised platform out in the middle of the massive crowd, where he started spinning songs and then finally ended up on stage with various special guests. Besides the music, he had a Cirque du Soleil vibe going, including masked figures, floating sacks of light, enormous blinking eyeballs, and a giant caterpillar. The music flowed from one song to the next like one cohesive story. It was moody, sexy, heart pumping, familiar (we heard a snippet of “Billie Jean”), completely mesmerizing, hand throttling, body flailing, entertaining and exhausting. Well done, Trentemoller. You are hands down the best DJ I’ve ever laid eyes/ears on.
Continue reading for Friday’s coverage from Roskilde…
Friday, 07.03
 Robin Pecknold – Fleet Foxes :: Roskilde Festival 2009 |
Fleet Foxes! Fleet Foxes! That was the cry I heard in 90-degree heat as people ran to the Arena Stage to see the Washington natives. I have seen Robin Pecknold and company several times and was excited to see them in such a different venue. Under an enormous dirty blue circus tent with people crammed all the way to the front and spilling well out of the sides of the four-posted tent into the grass, this certainly was a different local. The guys started slow and precise, as they usually do, to show off their vocals and immediately shush anyone who doubted their skill. The crowd was getting a little antsy (Did I mention the heat? Where were the cup of water throwers when you needed them?) and sensing it, the boys really started cranking it up. “White Winter Hymnal” and “Ragged Wood” were perfect back-to-back sing-along songs for the crowd to get behind. Once the flow started, the Foxes started to have some fun with the long time slot they’d been given. “Should we do it?” asked Pecknold. That meant, should we play Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams?” Answer: “YES!” Fleetwood Foxes, what? For the first time ever, the guys played this old school gem and everyone loved it. They were laughing through the whole song, commenting that they had officially become a ‘jam band’ and that they were taking over for Phish. I don’t think that translated to the crowd, but I appreciated it. Speaking of appreciation, I have to say that Pecknold’s beard has gone to a new length of amazingness. He was sweating profusely up on stage and it’s no wonder. Between the excess hair and the long flannel and jeans, there was bound to be some water works happening on this blazing hot afternoon. All in all, they had a really great time on stage, kept talking and laughing with the crowd, commenting on the bizarre flags that people were waving (as Walt pointed out, it looks like we’re either off to war or to a soccer match), thanking everyone over and over. The first lines they sung perfectly summed up this day, “What a life I lead in the Summer.” Amen to that.
 The Mars Volta :: Roskilde Festival 2009 |
The Mars Volta was another highlight of the day. These progressive rockers annihilated the Arena Stage just when the sun was starting to set and the pre-stay-up-all-night energy was being released. I had never heard them play before and my overall impression was simple: these guys are crazy talented. Read Kayceman’s recent feature on the guys to get a better feel for what they are about. I couldn’t keep my eyes off the drummer Thomas Pridgen (just check this clip out), with his dreads flailing around and his ripped arms beating the crap out of his instrument. Lead singer Omar Rodriguez Lopez was in perfect form, extremely energetic and wildly spirited. A sound that fits in no genre, these guys are worth seeing live for sure.
I left Mars Volta before the set was over and ran to the Orange Stage just in time to hear, “Hi ya cock-lickers.” That was Liam Gallagher‘s warm welcome to the huge crowd Friday night. Ahhhhhh, Oasis. This was the show I was most looking forward to Friday and I was not disappointed. In fact, they blew me away. I’ve seen them before and I’m used to the tantrums, the drama, the lack of enthusiasm. This was not the case tonight. Liam and brother Noel had played Roskilde back in 1995 when they had just put out Definitely Maybe, the fastest selling record in U.K. history. Tonight, they got an upgrade to center stage at prime time and they rocked everyone silly for over two hours. “Live Forever,” “Wonderwall,” “Lyla,” “What’s the Story Morning Glory?,” “Slide Away” and “Roll With It” made the crowd go nuts and at one point Liam said, “Are you having a good day? Well, it’s about to get better.” He might’ve even smiled when he said it. No, strike that. He did, however, stick his tongue out and put his tambourine on his head. He did this repeatedly as he blankly stared out into the audience, which apparently meant he was having a grand old time. “It’s been a real joy to play for you. It takes a lot to put me in a good mood, but you’ve fuckin’ gone and done it.” He put us in a good mood, too. Noel was left on stage alone a few times to serenade us with acoustic gems, the highlight being “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” where he stopped singing and let the audience carry the entire song. Chills. Many people singing at once is pretty amazing but 100,000 people singing at once is… wow. Tears were flowing all around me. They ended the energetic set with “Champagne Supernova” followed by “I Am the Walrus.” All in all, the highlight of the festival to this point. They’re cocky, but they have reason to be – they’re really fucking good.
 Oasis :: Roskilde Festival 2009 |
I caught only a little of NIN because I wanted to get a prime location for Röyksopp in the Arena tent. Trent Reznor, although older and now engaged, can still rock his audience into an absolute, mad frenzy. People were going bananas as per expectations. Röyksopp, however, was a musical collective I had never seen, yet have been enjoying for a while now, so I wanted to see what they were like live. For newbies, they are an electronica duo from Tromso, Norway. Torbjorn Brundtland and Svein Berge have been producing underground electronic music since 1998 and have amassed a major following (hence the enormous crowd for a 2:30 a.m. set). You might’ve heard their song “Remind Me” in that annoying Geico caveman commercial? Let it be known they are much better than that one song. Tonight they had special guests join them on stage (including Euro star Robyn) throughout their very theatrical, high energy performance. Costume changes, power punching, dance moves and moody smoke waves coupled with high octane, sweat-producing songs made for a wild set. When translated, Röyksopp means “smoke mushroom” and I can see why after watching their hallucinatory performance.
Continue reading for Saturday’s coverage from Roskilde…
Saturday, 07.04
 Roskilde Festival 2009 |
The Dodos were high on my list of must-see shows this weekend. Even though I had seen them at Sasquatch! and was completely under-whelmed, l love their music and wanted to give them another chance. They played at the Pavilion Stage, where most newcomers played, but they sure as hell didn’t sound like newcomers. They were absolutely on point. Meric Long (guitar/vocals), Logan Kroeber (drums) and Joe Haener (xylophone/toy piano) absolutely blew the audience away. If you don’t know these guys yet, you at least might know their song “Fools” (currently in a Miller Chill commercial). The folk-indie rock group opened with this song to a pumped up crowd. From there they kept it going fast and strong for the whole set. Long has this clean, buttery smooth voice that coasts on top of hard hitting drum beats and xylophone notes. They go from sweet and melodic to playing their instruments so hard you think strings will break and drums will burst – a head banging moment and then right back to the sweet goods again. I know they’re categorized as ‘folk indie’ but it’s important to say that you hear a little ska in them, with a slight hint of a marching band touched with rock. Their performance was really fun to watch, not because of theatrics or special effects, but because each of the guys are really good at their craft. Each instrument plays a vital role in these songs. The crowd was yelling so loudly at the beginning of each song that they guys looked a little taken aback. Either everyone over here really, really likes their music or they just recognized that a song was going to be great based on the first couple of notes. Either way, they were right. The band kicked ass today. Tight, fluid, catchy, heart hitting, and foot stomping, The Dodos are back for me.
 Roskilde Festival 2009 |
I wanted to check out a show at the Odeon Stage, so I headed over in time to see the beginning of Klovner I Camp. There was so much commotion before the show that I thought I was in for a real Norwegian treat. Then finally, a hip-hop band came out in tracksuits and started playing what seemed a complete rip off of the Beastie Boys. When I noticed they were all older white men, I got outta there. Sorry! From there I went over to the main stage to see Slipknot, which I was sure I was going to hate. I looked up at the big screen to see nine men dressed in red and black jumpsuits with the scariest fucking masks I’ve ever seen. Then it hit me. THIS is why I can’t sleep at night. Seriously, check out this picture of them before reading further. I had an immediate core shake upon seeing them. So scary, oh my god! However, I wanted to see what the fuss was all about so I stuck it out. Holy amazing show! I repeat, holy amazing show! Besides the insanely addictive visual lure of the masks, they had pyrotechnics, guys climbing on equipment, some of the best head banging I have ever seen and tons of energy. The part I wasn’t expecting was that the lead singer Corey Taylor couldn’t have been more moved and appreciative to the audience, constantly talking to us between each heavy metal head swish. “I’ll tell you what Roskilde, there isn’t a festival like this in America!” I wanted to scream, “Maybe not, but it’s Independence Day, Corey, cut us some slack!!” But that would’ve meant I’d have to look at that mask close-up and no thank you. I digress. Every song was beyond loud and wild and the audience from front to waaaaaaaay back was jumping up and down in unison. “You have no idea what this means to us. Thank you so much. We fucking love you guys. Best crowd ever.” I can’t say I’d ever buy an album, but I’d see them live any day. These guys are really great, scary as shit showmen.
I went back to the Odeon to catch German hip-hop/electro group Deichkind. Jumping gyms, trampolines, garbage bag costumes covered in neon tape, weird structures on stage, all fantastic! And with their dance funk jungle beat, I was in. They make what they call ‘tech-rap’ and it makes total sense. They mixed songs like “Thriller” with “Satisfaction” and then would go super amped up reggae on us. A really fun dance atmosphere.
Continue reading for Sunday’s coverage from Roskilde…
Sunday, 07.05
 Crazy Danes… Roskilde Festival 2009 |
This day started off really slow. Sunday’s are tough days for both festival-goers and performers alike. However, there were four shows I was amped to see. First off, White Lies, a four-pack of 21 year olds from London, absolutely blew me away. Lead singer/guitarist Harry McVeigh is a treat to watch. Although he is much younger, he sounds a lot like a combo of Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal from Tears for Fears, Tom Smith of The Editors and Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand. McVeigh, along with Jack Lawrence-Brown (drums), Charles Cave (bass) and Tommy Bowen (keys) play really ear friendly, dance friendly, lyric catching indie rock. Moody and dramatic, but completely appropriate, I can see what the hype is all about. They came out and absolutely killed their set, and the audience sang along to every word and danced wildly while McVeigh bellowed out his dramatic lyrics. He’s a fist-clencher and I totally subscribed to it. Not only did they play all of their hits but they treated us to a Portishead cover as well. I will 100-percent see these guys again. A great performance and really great songs.
Whitest Boy Alive surprisingly turned out to be a great dance party. I love these guys, but think of them more as a relaxing summer day, chilling by the pool, cocktail in hand, kind of band. Not so. Well, yes they are, but they’re also really fun to dance to. The crowd at the Arena was huge and everyone was feeling these guys, who by the way look like the nerdiest, whitest boys alive. I was not expecting lead singer/guitarist Erlend Øye (also of Kings of Convenience), a tall, skinny guy with glasses, to have a major stage presence. He did. Although they described their sound as being an electronic dance music project in 2003, they are currently happy to be a band with no programmed elements. Their music is jazzy, funky, jamband-like, dance provoking, sing along friendly and laced with synths. Øye interacted a lot with the audience during the performance as well, making for a really fun show. They’re playing several festies this summer so I’m eager to see them again.
 Roskilde Festival 2009 |
Next up at the Arena was the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They definitely put on a high energy, exciting and visually stimulating show (the giant eyeball is a nice touch). Lead singer
Karen O is a ball of fire and rocks OUT on stage. I felt like I was watching the Pat Benatar performance I never got to see growing up. From what I saw, Miss O is a dramatically fantastic performer and if you like the alternative, garage punk scene, this is the band for you. I only caught a couple of songs because the lines to Coldplay were literally 1000 people deep and I was not about to miss being up front for that show.
Coldplay. Holy Coldplay. So, there is a reason they are insanely popular. I think people love to hate this band because of their success, but I think they are 100-percent worthy of it. They’ve been popping out amazing song after amazing song since 2000 (remember “Shiver,” “I’ll See You Soon,” “Trouble,” “Yellow”?) and they haven’t slowed down. Viva La Vida, their latest, was at the forefront during this performance, but they pleased everyone with older hits. They actually opened with “Clocks,” which immediately put everyone in a great mood. They also played “Green Eyes,” “God Put A Smile Upon Your Face,” “The Scientist,” “In My Place” and “Politik”… not that you could hear anything Chris Martin was singing since the crowd was so loud. They did a couple of songs off stage as well, including a five-song set in the middle of the audience. The highlight of this journey to the center was when they played an acoustic “Billie Jean” and had everyone singing along, accompanied by a cell phone light wave from front to back. The moon was full and stunning, which might have something to do with the restless, enthused crowd. Every time there was a quiet moment, the audience would chant the middle part of Viva La Vida – “oooooh ahhhhhooooowaaaah” – and throw their hands into the air. It was not lost on the guys and they kept amping it up more and more for us. Confetti flying everywhere, huge bouncy balloons floating above us, a rousing encore, a solo song by drummer Will Champion – it was unreal. Nobody left after the show was over, just more and more chanting both towards the stage and up towards the full moon. What a way to end our first festival overseas!
This was an absolutely stunning festival, any way you slice it. It will be really hard to beat this one, in terms of size, energy, friendliness, performances and green awareness. Denmark has done it right and I will be back again. Mange Tak!
Continue reading for a few more pics of Roskilde Festival 2009…
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Lindsay and Walt are finishing up at Germany’s Melt Festival right now, check back soon for coverage.
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Chris Weigant: I’m Sick Of Hearing About The Poor, Poor Millionaires
July 21st, 2009 |
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Conservatives and corporate-owned Democrats are in a tizzy. The House is moving its version of healthcare reform forward, and it (gasp!) raises money by (double-gasp!)…
US and India agree defence pact
July 20th, 2009 |
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US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is due to meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, as part of her five-day visit to the country.
Indian relations with Pakistan are thought to be high on the agenda, along with education and technology.
The countries are also expected to sign deals on arms sales and the building of US-funded nuclear plants.
Correspondents say the visit aims to show the US is committed to Delhi, and to broaden ties between the countries.
As well as Mr Singh, Mrs Clinton will hold talks with her Indian counterpart, SM Krishna, the head of the ruling Congress Party, Sonia Gandhi, and the leader of the opposition, Lal Krishna Advani.
The BBC’s Kim Ghattas, who is travelling with Mrs Clinton, says the secretary of state hopes to come away with tangible agreements on trade between the US and India.
She is particularly keen to open doors to lucrative US deals in arms and civilian nuclear energy, says our correspondent.
India’s relations with neighbouring Pakistan are expected to feature prominently in discussions.
The BBC’s Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says that publicly Mrs Clinton has insisted that what Pakistan and India do is completely up to them.
However, he says that everyone in Delhi is clear that it was pressure from Washington that pushed the countries to hold talks in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt last week.
Pakistan-India relations dominated Mrs Clinton’s visit to Mumbai, in the wake of attacks on the city last November that left more than 170 people dead.
India blamed Pakistan-based militants for the attack.
Much of the US focus in the region has been on countering militancy in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Climate disagreements
Mrs Clinton spent the first two days of her five-day visit in Mumbai.
Then in Delhi on Sunday, talks focused on climate change, which remains a sensitive subject for developing countries such as India and China, who have so far refused to commit to carbon emissions cuts in a new treaty.
Mrs Clinton also sought to assure India the US would not try to impose conditions that might affect India’s economic growth.
But Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said his government could not accept targets that would limit economic growth.
India argues the US must do more as it has been historically to blame for the emissions.
Mrs Clinton later told reporters she was optimistic a deal on climate change could be reached.
"It’s part of a give-and-take and it’s multilateral, which makes it even more complex," she said, during a tour of an agricultural research facility.
"Until proven otherwise, I’m going to continue to speak out in favour of every country doing its part to deal with the challenge of global climate change."
The key date for climate change is December – when a summit in Copenhagen, Denmark will look to forge a new international treaty that will replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.
Are you in India What do you hope Hillary Clinton’s visit will achieve Send us your comments using the form below.
<p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Clinton in US-India climate plea
July 19th, 2009 |
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US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has arrived in Delhi, with climate change set to top her agenda.
Mrs Clinton has sought to allay fears the US will press India on carbon emission cuts but will also argue they do not contradict economic development.
Mrs Clinton is on a five-day visit and spent the first two in Mumbai.
She will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other officials, with relations with Pakistan also sure to be high on the agenda.
Mistakes
Carbon emissions remain a sensitive subject for developing countries such as India and China, and they have refused to commit to cuts in a new treaty.
They argue that the cuts restrict development and that countries like the US must do more themselves as they have been historically to blame for the emissions.
Mrs Clinton, however, will argue there is no contradiction between economic development and low carbon emissions.
The BBC’s Kim Ghattas, who is travelling with Mrs Clinton, says the secretary of state accepts that developed countries made the mistakes that led to the current environmental problems, but that countries like India could lead in a different direction.
Our correspondent says the talks in Delhi promise to be spirited, although there is no indication of what outcome is expected.
But she notes that the belief in the travelling US team is that governments are often more willing to take action than publicly agree to proposals or requests.
The key date for climate change is December – when a summit in Copenhagen, Denmark will look to forge a new international treaty that will replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.
Another key issue on Mrs Clinton’s agenda in Delhi will be India-Pakistan relations.
The BBC’s Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says that publicly Mrs Clinton has insisted that what Pakistan and India do is completely up to them.
However, he says that everyone in Delhi is clear that it was pressure from Washington that pushed the countries to hold talks in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt last week.
Pakistan-India relations dominated Mrs Clinton’s visit to Mumbai, in the wake of attacks on the city last November that left more than 170 people dead.
India blamed Pakistan-based militants for the attack.
Much of the US focus in the region has been on countering militancy in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Mrs Clinton will also be looking for other tangible agreements, mostly related to nuclear energy and weapons, deals that would pave the way for more business for American companies.
Are you in India What do you hope Hillary Clinton’s visit will achieve Send us your comments using the form below.
<p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Indigenous prospects
July 17th, 2009 |
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The growing political and economic clout of Arctic peoples
LAST month Greenland celebrated the devolution of more powers from Denmark but translating nominal political power for the mostly Inuit population into real independence will take a long time, and economic clout. The Inuit of Canada won some powers a decade ago, while the Sami, Komi and Sakha peoples also have some autonomy. Climate change, oddly, may boost Inuit bargaining power. Thinner sea ice is making it easier to drill for oil and gas in the region: the United States Geological Survey estimates that the Arctic could hold 90 billion barrels of oil and 47 trillion cubic metres of gas, much of it off Greenland (though other surveys are more modest). But would-be extractors will also have to take into account the determination of local people to claim a share of the action, as well as heeding the state interests of Canada, the United States and (for the time being) Denmark. In northern Norway the Sami, having won legal rights to some local resources under a 2005 law, are pushing for more compensation from firms exploiting minerals and oil and gas.
…
Michael Strong: The Most Progressive Movement on the Planet
July 16th, 2009 |
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What if we could apply the power of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship to the problem of poverty reduction?
Armband Won’t Weigh Heavy On Him
November 12th, 2007 |
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While shocked at Aide’s retirement, Indra says it’s time to focus on
Tajikistan
Cubby Leong
cubby@mediacorp.com.sg
JOHN Wilkinson limped away after the first tackle, but when Gombak
defender Precious Emuejeraye steamed into the SAFFC midfielder the second
time, both players squared off with each other at a Lions’ training match
yesterday at the National Stadium.
While some Singapore fans would be alarmed to hear of the confrontation,
so near the second leg of their Asian Zone World Cup second round
qualifier with Tajikistan, new Lions’ captain Indra Sahdan (picture) was
unconcerned.
“I don’t foresee any problems. They are all good boys in the team,” the
Home United striker said. “They are not hard to manage and are easy to
talk to.
“This team is focused on playing as a unit and it’s not just about the
captain or anyone else in particular. That’s a good sign.”
Indeed, minutes later, both Precious and Wilkinson were already speaking
to each other on the touchline and looked a little sheepish.
After the shock retirement of veteran defender and long-time Singapore
captain Aide Iskandar last Friday, national coach Radojko Avramovic has
named 28-year-old Indra as team skipper.
Which means besides scoring goals, Indra will now have to deal with such
issues as team unity and player bonding.
While some have blamed a rift between Aide and Avramovic for the
defender’s retirement, other members of the public have blasted the
Geylang player for the timing of the submission of his letter – hours
before the crucial home clash with Tajikistan.
The new captain just wants to move on.
“It wasn’t just me, we were all surprised and disappointed by Aide’s
decision to leave,” said Indra. “But we have to move on. There’s a very
important game coming up in Tajikistan and the team must come together and
concentrate on that.”
The Lions leave for Tajikistan tonight and they will take a 2-0 advantage
into the second leg, which will be played at the Central Stadium, in the
capital Dushanbe.
Besides using common sense and instinct, Indra will draw on what he learnt
from watching how Aide performed as captain between 2003 and 2007, to lead
the team.
“I liked how Aide led the team,” said Indra. “He was a very nice man to
begin with. If anyone had any problem, they could speak to him and he
would always be very supportive.
“He never faulted anyone, in any situation. In fact, he was always very
encouraging, especially when things were not going well.”
Indra has always risen to the occasion, coming up with goals against the
likes of Denmark, Uruguay, Japan, Kuwait and Premiership champions
Manchester United.
Could the armband restrict him in any way?
“Of course this is a new experience for me, but I don’t see it as extra
pressure or me having extra responsibilities,” he said. “When I was a boy
watching from the stands, all I wanted was to play for the national team.
Being captain never crossed my mind.
“Now that I am, I will still approach the game the way I have always
done.”
Gay ‘Olympics’ kick off in Copenhagen
Celebration of gay sport and culture with a focus on human rights in homophobic countries begins this weekend
There will be triathlon and handball – but also bridge and line dancing. Copenhagen is preparing for thousands of gay people from dozens of nations to descend this weekend for the Outgames, a nine-day sporting and cultural olympics for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
When the 5,500 participants are introduced on a catwalk in Copenhagen’s central square today, it will kickstart nine days of sport, arts and political debates with almost 100 nations represented in more than 30 events, traditional and improvised.
But the event is about much more than podium places. The Outgames has launched itself under the banner of sport, culture and human rights. Participants from a host of cities, including Tel Aviv and Mexico City, will take over public spaces throughout Copenhagen to showcase artists and performers.
At the centre of the political programme is a human rights conference, where speakers include the British basketball player and sports commentator John Amaechi, the first NBA player to have come out.
On the fringe of the games, the people of Copenhagen have been encouraged to embrace the event and play an active role. At the main library you can “take out a gay” for a half-hour chat after you’ve scanned his or her barcode, while many of the participants are staying in private homes throughout the city.
The director of the Outgames, Uffe Elbæk, hopes the Copenhagen event will attract people from countries where gay people still face imprisonment and the organisers have funded the journey to Copenhagen for 250 participants from Asia, Latin America and Africa.
“The world is coming to Copenhagen, and we have worked towards our goal of ensuring that participants from places such as Africa, Asia and not least the Middle East have the opportunity to come to Copenhagen for the Outgames,” he said.
Elbæk sees the games as not just a celebration for the LGBT community, but a global event, highlighting that gay people are still criminalised in a third of the countries represented.
“We want to make this top priority and put the focus on human rights,” he said.