Nick Triani

Where are we now? #2

There’s been a lot going on since I last posted. Death. Poverty. Joy. Cruelty. War. Life. I pretty much ignored The Queen and all that stuff. I could write something rambling, instead I’ve decided to post some of my social media posts of the last month (possibly rambling too.) In some cases they relate to the 50 track playlist titled Where are we now? #2.

“It’s one of the best stories of 2022 (and god we need them) – a new audience are discovering Kate Bush. Haven’t really given Stranger Things any time – but might have to do some serious binging after watching this very moving scene….” Kate Bush returns to #1. 31.05.2022

“I think people seem to have forgotten the state of this team pre-Southgate; Joe Hart fumbles, a past it Rooney in midfield, Kane on corners and humiliation by Iceland. It wasn’t that much better before that. Gareth managed for a moment to make an England team likeable and unite the country behind them. He overachieved with this England side who apart from a couple of players are genuinely mediocre. It’s one thing doing it for your expensively assembled club side, it’s another doing it in an England shirt. We need to enjoy the close season – a break from football – and hope Gareth can re-motivate this group of players for the World Cup. On the whole, Southgate has been good thus far, reliable even – I trust him to get England back on track for the finals.” England lose 4-0 to Hungary. 15.06.2022

“I always had a soft spot for Macca even well after I wore out my Beatles albums. When I was getting seriously into music as a teen and the post-punk wars were raging he used to get a really bad rep. in the serious music press. It wasn’t cool to like Macca at that time and John Lennon was the cool Beatle. Of course, hindsight reveals that Yoko was the coolest Beatle and all that other stuff was white male posturing.
Anyway, I digress – we had the Goodnight Tonight single at home and I remember we did a family summer trip to Italy by car from England, this was around 1979. One of the only cassettes we had in the car was the Back to the Egg album. It’s a strange album, can’t really say it’s a good one bar a couple of tracks (don’t remember it so well though it seems Harry Styles does) – but like so much of Macca’s music post-fabs he retained not only the gift of incredible song craft and melody, but a sense of music adventure to go with it. This is a great example of subversive pop music performed by a band so straight you miss how genuinely weird the track is with it’s outrageous bass line. Recommend listening on headphones. Happy birthday Macca.” Discussing Paul McCartney’s 80th Birthday and Goodnight Tonight. 18.06.2022

“The do’s and don’ts of industrial action. Focus group redux has won the day whilst in reality, people in full time employment rely on food banks. A lot of people expect moral leadership from Labour on these key issues (like industrial action)- but Keir Starmer has not only lost the moral compass – he’s charting his own course into sour, mild conservatism. We really should be asking why- and who is this for? The Tories will always beat him at this game. As soon as they ditch Johnson (and they will) and appoint any half competent cun* – they’ll zoom ahead of Starmer in the polls.
By Labour not officially, 100% backing the strikers leaves little between their stance and the Tories. Of course, we’ve come to expect that from Starmer – but boy do labour need a leader of principle who could actually make the argument as to why the nation needs to back the strikers. Instead, Starmer is trying not to be associated with the strikes (and even more fence sitting.) What a pathetic sorry state of a leader he is. The excuses people make in defence of this wet blanket are a joke. When does the LP leader display, you know, some leadership? Doing well at PMQs is really covering up most of the sizeable cracks Starmer’s Labour are creating.” The British Labour Party leader fails to endorse the Rail strikes in the UK.  21.06.2022

“Can’t recommend enough Andrew Rossi‘s and Ryan Murphy‘s The Andy Warhol Diaries documentary series. Found it moving and thought provoking, this really does (perhaps) reveal another side to Warhol. Also does a good job of reclaiming a lot of Warhol’s less celebrated work which is only now really getting the recognition. This doc. captures a mood you know…” 27.05.2022

“So sad to hear about Cathal Coughlan passing. Was such an inspiring vocalist and lyricist for me – formative stuff and all that.” 23.05.2022

Nick Triani is an editor and contributor to One Quart Magazine.