Now Playing: Danger Mouse - The Grey Album
Topic: Stephen Says
Last night:
I left my jacket at work and we had to stop off there to pick it up which meant that we were nearly on time for the show and not ridiculously early which, naturally, made me spaz out.
I don't like the Barbican or at least, the Barbican crowd. I can't imagine a place (Other than government) that gathers so many pompous people with their heads so firmly up their collective asses. I mean, there's a very fine line between pretentious-art-fag (One of which I reluctantly consider myself)and holy-Mary-mother-of-God-what-kind-of-a-pretentious-freazazoid-of-an-art-fag-are-you and the Barbican crosses that line.
Metropolis, accompanied by the Brandenburg/German Film Orchestra Babelsberg (Yes, that's their real name) was pretty intense. I'm not going to get into it because it really was a you-had-to-be-there kind of event but I will say that, for the 1st time ever, I got completely swept into the emotional whatever of orchestral music at the end of the intermezzo.
And then we headed home and got delayed just outside of Weybridge for 35 minutes due to 'signal difficulties.' A dubious reason if I've ever heard on. I imagine it's train-speak for 'I dunno.'
Anyway, what evolved over that 35 minute period was a fascinating societal breakdown: As people grew resigned to being stuck indefinitely in the train, they started to chat with their friends, not at a whisper but at a regular volume; they talked on their mobiles at a regular volume; some people stood up and meandered around 'for exercise' (Not to walk off nervous tension, naturally). Other people played video games on their phones.
It was so weird. My proposal to anyone out there who cares: A movie about a bunch of British people trapped on a train and, over time, everyone becomes normal. Obviously, it would have to be an experimental/surreal kind of thing (Think: Bunel) but I think it could work. Just give me credit for the idea.
I would love to have known what would have happened if we had stayed put longer. Would people have started talking to stragers? Maybe there would have been a sing-a-long. I am very amused with the thought that all it takes for years of social indoctrintion to fall apart is a half hour in a stationary train car.