Laying the smack down

[The Roofdog]

Are those Nicky Wire quotes supposed to be witty or something? How that insufferable sixth form poet has the nerve to slag off Billy Bragg is beyond me.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

None of the Beta Band's albums lived up to their initial promise, but I'd still sooner listen to one of those than spin "Know Your Enemy" again.

What makes a band 'promising'? Judging by their work, surely they either are good or they aren't, have either done something good or haven't. Do you mean 'all The Beta Band's albums were disappointing'?

From what I heard, The Beta Band were easily the dullest, hardest-to-understand what all the fuss was about band of any of the many hyped bands from that period.

[The Roofdog]

Except the Three EPs were/was ace, which is what raised expectations for their debut album and gave them 'initial promise'.

[Tiny Poster]

And they recorded The Beta Band Rap, which is a joyous testament to being in a band and music itself.

And their live shows were fantastic fun. No po-faced scissor-kicking rock cliches nicked off The Clash there, I can assure you.

[23 Daves]

Except the Three EPs were/was ace, which is what raised expectations for their debut album and gave them 'initial promise'.

This. There's almost an album's worth of good songs in those three EPs, they didn't sound like many other bands who were around at the time, and it didn't seem unreasonable to expect far better things from them.  Plus, I tend to appreciate bands who are obviously channeling a vast array of influences.

Where Nicky Wire is concerned, I think the success of "Everything Must Go" and "This Is My Truth" really went to his head around this point, and he became utterly insufferable in interviews, just delivering sub-Gallagher slap-downs rather than the intelligent commentary he was previously famed for.  Even a lot of hardcore Manics fans jumped on his case.  There was a period when I couldn't bear him.  In retrospect, and in his defence, I think he was trying to bat away a lot of criticism at the time from both fans and critics and Billy Bragg alike, which may have sent him peculiar.

[Spiteface]

Are those Nicky Wire quotes supposed to be witty or something? How that insufferable sixth form poet has the nerve to slag off Billy Bragg is beyond me.

No, Wire was just butthurt that Billy Bragg pointed out to everyone that the Manics brought their own toilets to Glastonbury.  Anyone who says they wouldn't have done the same thing if they thought they could get away with it is a cock-shitting liar.

And I'd rather have a battery acid enema than listen to the Beta Band.

[Tiny Poster]

You could always listen to Django Django instead. They're the same, minus the sense of humour but with added Ian Brown.

[23 Daves]

You could always listen to Django Django instead. They're the same, minus the sense of humour but with added Ian Brown.

I think they're the band The Beta Band could have been, actually.  But each to their own.

[rudi]

Those EPs were fucking great, btw. And I'd rather listen to Billy Bragg pissing in my ear than any of the turgid shite crapped out by the Manics.

[Vodka Margarine]

No, Wire was just butthurt that Billy Bragg pointed out to everyone that the Manics brought their own toilets to Glastonbury.  Anyone who says they wouldn't have done the same thing if they thought they could get away with it is a cock-shitting liar.

That whole "Crappergate" thing is an urban myth. Apparently someone, for a (very good) prank, put the notice on some portaloos that were backstage and the whole thing snowballed from there.

[Serge]

I liked the interview James Ellroy gave a few years ago, where he was asked about Guy Pearce, and was very effusive in his praise, calling him 'the finest actor of his generation.' He was then asked about Russell Crowe and replied, 'Guy Pearce is the finest actor of his generation.'

[doppelkorn]

This isn't laying the smack down very viciously but Greg Proops said on a podcast:

How did working with Drew Carey compare to working with Clive Anderson? Clive is one of the funniest, cleverest, wittiest men I know and Drew is[nb]Minute yet perfectly timed comic pause[/nb] a very dear friend.

[QDRPHNC]

Fat Chance, by Simon Gray. A book-length laying of the smack down on Stephen Fry over the whole Cell Mates going-to-Belgium thing.

The dedication - "To Rik" - became so much more poignant after I had finished reading the whole thing.