Radio 2/Jackson RIP

Well, Ben wrote the blog entry for today, a brilliant piece about the sad departing of Michael Jackson last night - however before we get to that, some really good news about the band.

On Wednesday night, our track Clear Your Conscience was played by the great Steve Lamacq on his BBC Radio 2 show. We're stupidly chuffed and owe a huge thank you to David Scott who put us forward after buying the album and liking what he heard. Thanks mate - we all really appreciate it.

You can hear the show again for the next few days by using the BBC iPlayer on the main BBC Radio 2 site - www.bbc.co.uk/radio2 and selecting Steve Lamacq's show.

Anyway - on to todays post.


Well, when I volunteered to do today's blog posting I didn't expect this. In case you have been living under a rock for the last 12 hours, Michael Jackson has died aged 50. I'm sure one or two of the others will chuck their own views in on him, but I just want to say this.

Michael Jackson is a musical genius. He came from an era of pop music where artists weren't just people who turned up for a half day of vocal recording on songs that their management had already signed off on. He was a true musician, writing parts and pushing boundaries. He was was the first black artist widely played on MTV when even that media behemoth was still heavy with racism. He wrote some of the most loved songs in the modern era. He was a genius.

On a personal note, I can't imagine music without Jackson. Its just not something that I can comprehend. I was excited about his run of concerts this summer. I was excited about seeing Jackson's redemption. I was excited about seeing this spectacle put on by one of the few geniuses of popular culture. Two of his songs are within my all time top 20. That is double that of anyone else. Same way my folks may remember where they were when Elvis died, I will be able to tell my kids where I was when Jackson died. To those who said he couldn't manage it, he physically dwarfed Dermott O'Leary, who is no small chap, and has been a dancer for 40 years. If the Rolling Stones can do it at nearly 70, he could do it at 50.

What I have noticed, though, is already the press are determined to tarnish his memory. I've been flicking between CNN, BBC and Sky News and what I've seen so far is a collection of people who have all claimed they were in his “inner circle” but ended their interviews “but I haven't spoken to him in a few years.” Uri Geller is the worst offender, and while I don't doubt his friendship to Michael he hung up on BBC News claiming to be too upset while about 8 minutes later he appeared live on Sky News doing an interview. Then an hour later he was back on the Beeb telling the same stories. Unsurprisingly, there is a direct correlation between the celebs which have been on the news tonight and their reputation as self promoters.

Lets not let the public spectacle of his later years tarnish the 40 that preceded it. The man was a genius, he created amazing music and has sold more records than anyone else. In every feasible measurable category, he is top. I hope that the morbid surge in record sales that will accompany his death mixed with the release of any new material he allegedly has worked on will push him over the 1bn records sold threshold. I also hope that all of his dates at the O2 aren't canceled and a fitting tribute is put on.

But, I fear, although his musical skills are winning at the moment, someone will make a quick buck off of his recent reputation. For someone who has survived two child molestation charges, changed skin colour and has his personal trainer as The Incredible Hulk someone will. I actually had a sizeable amount of money on Jackson not completing all 50 gigs at the O2. I burned the betting slip. I fear that the media, eventually, won't be so kind.