Book Review: Ben Elton - Dead Famous

Blurb:

One house, ten contestants, thirty cameras, forty microphones, one murder… and no evidence.

Dead Famous is a killer read from Ben Elton – Reality TV as you’ve never seen it before.

My thoughts:

I’ve not been a fan of Big Brother since I was about 12 years old so when I first read the blurb I thought it might be quite a tragic read, despite how many critics seemed to have loved it. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Yes, it’s quite heavily based on Big Brother but it has something that Big Brother’s been lacking for many a year now… The element of mystery plus the twists and turns we all love to watch that have been lost over the years.  

The writing style is laid-back and simple to read, making it easy to get through a hundred pages before realising you’ve spent a large chunk of time, sat in one position, reading. I will say straight away, if you don’t like the c-word, this book probably isn’t for you because one of the main characters, Geraldine, is quite the fan of it!

The story follows the murder of a housemate on ‘House Arrest’ a show that, like I’ve said before, is based almost entirely on Big Brother, with a few differences. One being that House Arrest is broadcast on the internet as opposed to television. It takes about 200 pages of the book before you find out which housemate was killed but Ben Elton writes in such a way that, whilst you’re dying to know who was killed, the suspense isn’t the kind that makes you get annoyed. It just spurs you on to read more.

Another clever thing Ben Elton does is to write about characters in such a way that you’re sure you know who killed it but, like the police in the story, you’re not so sure it wasn’t somebody else. The fact that there is no evidence for the police to work with further helps to draw the reader in the book. When you’re reading, every little decision you make about a character is based entirely on what you read, so what better than to read a book when the only way you can decide who the murderer is lays entirely on your ability to read between lines and work people out. It’s amazing.

The ending, and ultimate revelation of the mystery killer, is one of the most captivating I’ve read in a while. Chief Inspector Coleridge captivates the audience of the show but also the reader of the book in a speech that is full of twists and turns and smart ideas.

I know the book’s pretty old now; in fact, it was first published in 2001, I believe, but it’s a brilliant story and, given that so many people still rave about Big Brother, it’s clearly still relevant. It’s smart, it’s funny, it’s well-written, and it’s utterly captivating.

4/5

Review/Goodbye: Kid British - You Against The World

(Official Music Video)

One thing I’ve always loved about Kid British is that they manage to write songs that people can relate to time and time again. They had ‘Part Time Job/Shirt and Tie’ which, let’s face it, we can all relate to. Let’s not forget ‘Lost in London’ – a song that’s all about, well, getting lost in London. I live in London and I still find myself getting lost from time to time. I could go on but I’d rather you all just checked out their music and found elements to their songs that you can relate to.

This track is definitely something most people will be able to say they understand. We all have those moments when we feel like the world is against us and there’s nobody to help us fight back against it. It’s us against the world. This song takes that feeling and somehow makes it seem far more beautiful than it is. It takes that dreadful feeling and turns it into something inspiring. Clever lads!

Every song I’ve heard by Kid British, and I’ve heard a lot, is the kind of song you put on when you’re having an awful day. Y’know, the kind where you just want to get back into bed, crawl into a ball, and wait for tomorrow in the hope that it’ll, somehow, be better? All of their songs have the ability to make even the worst day seem somewhat more hopeful. That’s testament to just how talented the members (past and present) are.

The lyrics are, for me at least, part of what makes this song so uplifting. Okay, sure, it’s about a negative thing but Kid British have, like they always do, made it something that can help you. I’ll be honest, I was a bit sceptical about Dom singing – he’d always been the guitarist for me. Not just that, I was a bit nervous about how the band would sound after James went on to do his solo stuff. This track proves to me that any doubt I had was unjustified.

The vocals are incredible and Dom’s voice brings something to the track that I don’t think anybody else could have done. Adio’s part of the song is pretty immense. Great lyrics + his vocals = recipe for success. There’s something about his voice that gives off the feeling of vulnerability but also strength. It’s great.

The video also has the same kind of vibe as the song which is pretty rare these days. It seems like so many videos are about huge budgets and fancy sets but they never relate to the song in any way. I’m glad to say this one does. 

So now comes the sad news… Whilst I’ve just raved about how much I love this song (and believe me, I really do), Kid British have just announced that they’re going to part and go on to other things.

I remember when I first saw Kid British. It was at the iTunes festival in 2009. I was stood right at the front and had goosebumps the whole time they were on stage. Their vocals were brilliant on the night but so was their stage presence. Kid British don’t just go on stage, sing, and leave. They party on stage just as hard as everyone in the crowd is and I, personally, think that’s part of what makes a great band.

They were supporting Mr Hudson when I saw them but I decided to leave as soon as their set had finished. Partly because I thought I was going to pass out but partly because I really had only gone to see them. I wasn’t interested in Mr Hudson – I wanted to go and see the band whose music always made me want to dance and put a smile on my face.

When I left, I was lucky enough to meet the bassist at the time, as well as the drummer. I also managed to get everyone's autographs which I’ve kept all this time. I figured when they hit the big time, I’d sell them, ha. I’m kidding. I kept them because even though a lot of people didn’t know about Kid British, they were one of my favourite bands, and still are. 

The second time I saw them was eventful to say the least. Pretty sure I remember the police being called. It’s all one big massive party when you see Kid British and what good’s a party if the police aren’t called at least once, eh? I spoke to the lads that night and I remember going home thinking that they were probably one of the most down-to-earth bands I’d ever known of. They were just a bunch of people making music they loved for the fans they loved. Simple as that.

I don’t know exactly why they’ve chosen to go their separate ways. Their website says it’s because they “have seen some changes in the band and also a wider media/industry perception of what Kid British is which have led us to much debate”. All I can say is I look forward to hearing what each of them get up to.

Here’s to the great things to come for all of them! 

Taylor Swift's 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together' Review.

Before I start talking about the song itself, let’s talk about the video. It starts with Taylor wearing some of the coolest pyjama’s I’ve ever seen. If anybody knows where they’re from or where I can get similar ones, please let me know. She then fights with her ‘boyfriend’ and tells him to leave the flat that looks like she’s rented it from someone with retro taste or an elderly person. The interior design is definitely not to my taste, that’s for sure!

Next comes something I can’t understand… She starts dancing around with people playing instruments whilst dressed as animals. Why? Okay, so the outfits are pretty cool but that’s not the point – I don’t understand their relevance at all. Anybody care to enlighten me?

When she’s stopped dancing, she finds herself sitting at a table in a café, sarcastically telling her ex about how much she’s going to miss him picking fights. You go, Taylor! Then she goes to the payphone and is suddenly talking to her ex who, on the split screen, is at a club. Boy, he truly does get around, doesn’t he?

Anyway, more video goes on. Taylor remains looking absolutely beautiful throughout. Whilst this video may not be flawless, she certainly is! What I like most is when she’s in the cardboard car like some kind of recyclable Flintstones-esque contraption.

Right, onto the song…

I was put off listening to it for a while because everybody had said it was really catchy and the last thing I wanted was for a song to be stuck in my head for days on end. Eventually, though, I found myself caving into temptation and YouTubing it. (Obviously I only did this for research purposes.) It turns out everybody was right – the song is catchy. The never-ending title might not be but the song is. Admittedly, I don’t know much of Taylors’ back catalogue but it’s clear, even to me, that her sound has changed somewhat over time. Personally, I preferred when she had a bit of a country twang to her music because it gave her something that nobody else really had.

The story behind the song is pretty relatable, I guess. We’ve all had at least one ex who we wanted to make sure knew we weren’t ever going to be together again. Here’s the issue I have though: the fact that she says it so much in the song makes me think it can go two ways. 1) She’s trying to convince herself, her ex, and everyone else around her that she doesn’t want them to be together again – classic symptoms of denial. Or 2) she dates silly people who really can’t take the hint so she has to repeat it to them about a billion times.

The vocals of the song are really good but then I’m yet to listen to a track by Miss Swift whereby the vocals sounded anything but good. I don’t exactly understand why she felt the need to put the bit in the song where she’s pretending she’s on the phone into the single because it just disturbs the flow, if you ask me. That being said, she’s clearly doing well so who am I tell her what to do? The lyrics aren’t exactly ground-breaking and she’s definitely had better but most catchy songs have pretty basic lyrics. I guess that’s part of what helps to make the songs catchy in the first place.

So, in conclusion, this is one of those songs that I don’t want to like because they’re quite lame but then I end up finding myself listening to it a lot because it’s really fun to sing along to, plus it’s upbeat so I can dance around my bedroom to it. It might not be the best thing she’s ever released but it’s obviously going to do superbly well. 

Crazy World?

I'm living in this crazy world
where nothing much goes right.
Where nothing seems distinguishable
and each day blurs into night.

Yet even in this crazy world
there's light within the dark.
There's something pretty peaceful there,
like a crisp walk in the park.

It's easy, in this crazy world,
to forget what makes you glad.
To forget the things that make you smile
while you focus on the sad.

So next time that this crazy world
begins to feel too small.
Begins to feel too constricting for you,
just smile and stand tall.

Remember that this crazy world
is full of brand new days.
Yes, it's full of different paths to take
and can become a maze.

This maze we call a crazy world
is something we all know.
So never forget the joy of a maze;
we choose which path to go.