Dublin Opinion

Strictly speaking, it’s Modest Mouse featuring Johnny Marr in the line-up, but really, who cares which other guys are on stage at the same time? It could be Boyzone featuring Johnny Marr for all I care; I’ll be in the knot of Smiths fans plonked in front of The Coolest Guitar-Slinger Alive.

Check out this picture…

Even when doing charity work (limited-edition signature sneakers in this case) - an area of endeavour not noted for making musicians look cool - he still makes Joey Santiago seem like a chess player.

I saw him once doing his journey-man guitarist thing with The The in Stuttgart during one of my student summers. I remember a long section of one song without guitar parts. A roadie offstage throws him a football, Johnny passes the time doing keepie uppies before chipping the ball back to the roadie and returning to the task at hand.

The Pantheon of Cool backstage area looks like it’s going to be pretty packed at Electric Picnic this year - The Jesus and Mary Chain, Spiritualized, Sonic Youth, and Iggy & The Stooges all chilling their beers just by looking at them.

At the opposite end of the ‘aloof, staring at my shoes’ spectrum of cool lie some other excellent bands. In ascending order of exuberance I’ll be nodding enthusiastically to The Jimmy Cake, tapping my toes to Kila, bouncing along to The Aliens, and trying to hold it together for The Go! Team, but more than likely losing the plot at Bjork. Here’s a clip of her doing Pluto at Glastonbury - note the ice-hockey table music machine thingy, it’s called a ReacTable, apparently:

There’s also Beastie Boys, yer man from FourTet, Rilo Kiley, Final Fantasy (strings guy from Arcade Fire), and Hot Chip. The Fall are playing at a ridiculous three in the afternoon. That can’t bode well; better tell your gran to bring her bongos.

Here’s my list of bands to go see if they don’t clash with others and to check if they’re as good as that one song they keep playing on the radio: Deerhoof; Patrick Wolf; Bonde Do Rol; Si Schroeder; The Good, The Bad & The Queen; Clap Your Hands Say Yeah; and Fujiya & Miyagi.

Here’s the excellent video to the excellent Ankle Injury song by the aforementioned Fujiya & Miyagi - I hope they have more as good as this:

If I don’t see you at Johnny Marr’s feet, I’ll see you at the Pieminister stall…

More live music…

The Go Team: FIB; Benicassim, Spain 2007.07.22. Courtesy of Ohmpark.

 Go! Team 1: Hide Player | Play in Popup

 Go! Team 2: Hide Player | Play in Popup

 Go! Team 3: Hide Player | Play in Popup

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