a Peel moment
Hello from Leeds, for I am indeed back in Blighty.
Whilst in France I read Mick Wall's interesting biography of John Peel . In it he describes the first moment when John Peel heard the music of Elvis Presley - after a cold upbringing, sent away to public schools, with emotionally distant parents, it was a revelation to him.
"Where there had been nothing, there was suddenly something."
I remember that kind of a feeling, too: I was thirteen and my life consisted mostly of school and homework, for it was that kind of school. Then, in the same week, I saw Cambridge Theatre Company performing George Farquhar's 1706 satirical play The Recruiting Officer and also Arnold Wesker's play Chips with Everything, about conscripts in the 1950s.
I still think it must have been a superb double-bill and the cast included a young Ian McKellen.
Watching both plays I thought wow! This is amazing! To be in eighteenth-century England, and then in a grim 1950s barracks, and yet with the red plush of the Leeds Grand Theatre all around. The same actors totally convincing in different roles in totally different styles of plays. Wonderful.
I can still remember the sets for both plays, and the music. Afterwards - and I wasn't really one for this kind of thing - I wrote a fan letter to the company, saying how much I had enjoyed both plays. Whoever opened it was a Good Thing - she wrote to tell me that the tour was now finished so there was no more need for the publicity photographs, so she was sending them to me. And there they were, enclosed, lots of big glossy 10" x 8" photographs.
That was it. I was hooked on theatre.
Did you have such a moment?
Whilst in France I read Mick Wall's interesting biography of John Peel . In it he describes the first moment when John Peel heard the music of Elvis Presley - after a cold upbringing, sent away to public schools, with emotionally distant parents, it was a revelation to him.
"Where there had been nothing, there was suddenly something."
I remember that kind of a feeling, too: I was thirteen and my life consisted mostly of school and homework, for it was that kind of school. Then, in the same week, I saw Cambridge Theatre Company performing George Farquhar's 1706 satirical play The Recruiting Officer and also Arnold Wesker's play Chips with Everything, about conscripts in the 1950s.
I still think it must have been a superb double-bill and the cast included a young Ian McKellen.
Watching both plays I thought wow! This is amazing! To be in eighteenth-century England, and then in a grim 1950s barracks, and yet with the red plush of the Leeds Grand Theatre all around. The same actors totally convincing in different roles in totally different styles of plays. Wonderful.
I can still remember the sets for both plays, and the music. Afterwards - and I wasn't really one for this kind of thing - I wrote a fan letter to the company, saying how much I had enjoyed both plays. Whoever opened it was a Good Thing - she wrote to tell me that the tour was now finished so there was no more need for the publicity photographs, so she was sending them to me. And there they were, enclosed, lots of big glossy 10" x 8" photographs.
That was it. I was hooked on theatre.
Did you have such a moment?
posted by Daphne at 12:30 am
2 Comments:
Here's another famous Elvis moment anyway - a quote from John Lennon: 'Elvis was bigger than religion in my life. Then this boy at school said that he'd got this record by somebody called Little Richard who was better than Elvis. The new record was Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally." When I heard it, it was so great I couldn't speak. I didn't want to leave Elvis, but this was so much better. Then someone said "It's a nigger singing." I didn't know Negroes sang. So Elvis was white and Little Richard was black. This was a great relief. "Thank You God" I said. "There is a difference between them."'
To be clear, John Lennon meant that at the time the fact that Little Richard was black automatically rendered him inferior to Elvis. And frankly this is ultimately explains why millions today still worship the King, despite his being dim, naff and dead. At least he inspired John, P. I suppose.
Incidentally, I just heard on the radio that a wealthy businessman has bought the rights to Elvis Presley. He is thereby actually attempting to prevent Elvis impersonators all over the world from performing. Thus ridding the world of a million cringes. What a hero.
ahem - yes, on the bus coming back from Chester Zoo probably
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