Desert Island Discs #6 – Mr Hockridge
Track 1 – Childhood: Steve Miller band – Joker
As a child, I spent most Saturdays accompanying my father to cricket or hockey matches depending on the season. I have a very vivid memory of a bar full of people drinking snakebite from watering cans and singing this song fairly late one evening; I am fairly sure that parenting practices have moved on since the 1980’s! When I got home I dug through my parents LP’s and found the album. Whenever I hear it now I am taken straight back to that smoke filled room on a Saturday evening a long time ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgDU17xqNXo
Track 2 – School: Placebo – Teenage Angst
In common with many teenagers, my school years were difficult. I withstood my fair share of bullying as I struggled to work out my place in a community that had values and ideals very different to my own. One of my female friends introduced me to this band, and listening to their music reminded me that I was not alone in the world.
Track 3 – University: Justice – Genesis
During my second year I made the trip to Denmark to attend the Roskilde festival. The weather at the festival was bad, it rained continuously for three days leading to knee deep mud everywhere you went. On the last night of the festival I was making my way back to my tent in preparation for my flight out of Copenhagen the next morning. Walking past a small gathering of people I noticed a barely clad lady singing opera from the inside of a human sized bird cage – obviously I stopped. Behind the cage there were two skinny men putting together the largest wall of Marshall guitar amplifiers I had ever seen. I hung around waiting to see what would happen, expecting some heavy metal. Everything went silent and suddenly lights pierced the air and this song started. What happened next can best be described as a post-apocalyptic rave; there was heavy rain, lightning and hundreds of mud covered people dancing like it was the end of the world. If only I could go back in time !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFMK33BynSc
Track 4 – Teaching: Pixies – Gigantic
The night I proposed to my wife we drank champagne, held hands and jumped up and down for hours listening to this. I hope we are still doing the same in fifty year’s time.
Track 5 – Saved from the waves: Johnny Cash – Hurt
This is a cover of a famous Nine Inch Nails song. When Cash covered it, he knew the end was near, you can hear this in his voice. I believe he is singing to his wife who had passed away sometime before. It speaks to me of my greatest fears and is such a sad and beautiful song that it never fails to bring a tear to my eye.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt1Pwfnh5pc
CWD – Y11
Post Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.