I just returned from a wonderful 6 days in London. I hadn't been since my visit as a student in 1998. It was a great week to be in London as the weather was rather decent for October, including a hot and sunny last Sunday. Here were the pop music highlights:Pink topped the UK singles chart for a second week with "So What." I got to listen to the chart show via FM rather than Web stream, which was a nice change. I was hoping the Sugababes would've been #1 with "Girls." There were advertisements everywhere for their new album Catflights and Spotlights, and the reviews make it sound like it's pretty good. Despite having held out when it released, I finally picked up a copy of their last album, Change.
The Virgin Megastore chain is gone, replace with Zavvi, which is a poor substitute. I was particularly disappointed by the store at Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road, which had been my favorite. When I asked where the singles where, the store clerk told me they'd stopped selling them just 10 days ago. Great. I did pick up Keane's new album, and it's fantastic. I popped over to HMV to get my singles (Leon Jackson, Boyzone, and Madcon).
Madonna announced her divorce from Guy Ritchie, which was big news in London. I have a knack for being in the right place at the right time when it comes to Madonna. I was in London when she met Guy Ritchie, and I was in Los Angeles (across the street in fact) when she gave birth to Rocco at Cedars-Sinai Hospital.
It was fun to be in a bar that played both Sugababes and Girls Aloud while I was there (briefly, as it was not that great a bar). The bar was G-A-Y, which used to be the gay dance night at the London Astoria, but has now moved into its own space on Old Compton Street. I felt a bit old for it, to be honest. Better was the Ku Bar, which used to be on Charing Cross road in a box-like space but has moved to a better multi-level location down a side street in Soho.
Finally, I got to hear the first play of Take That's new single, "Greatest Day," on Radio 1. I'm hoping it's a grower.
1 comment:
OMG! U CAME TO LONDON! while you were enjoying the streets of london i was stuck in school with tests and crap lol nice to see you enjoyed it here! why'd it take so long to come back, 1998!!
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