Mmm (disgruntled face) After a tip off I tuned into later with that scallywag ivory tinkler, Jools. It was a great line up. Mika was a revelation. The magic numbers, the paddy whose name escapes me and the Gotan project. And then my darling Cat. Oh dear. What I loved about Cat was his individuality. As he said 'My name was Cat Stevens and my first song was, I love my dog' What I saw was a man who has become part of a collective and who, to me, has been trying to project a way of living on to others. It's about the music, Cat. In an interview I read in the Guardian he poured scourn over the old him who was living what he obviously saw as an evil life. So evil that he only could bear to pick up a guitar again when he read that a spanish muslim was responsible for it's existence, or something like that, and that is where I switched off. That is where Cat went from individual, charismatic performer to a charismatic performer. I've kind of lost my respect for him because I don't like people who allow others to dictate how they should live. And I like it even less when they try to gently 'force' their new found beliefs on you through an artistic medium. I love you still Cat and I love your music but let's just make it about the music ey? Don't try and tell me how to live, honey bunny, as i've been there and wore the t-shirt. I'm an individual. This brings us to Razorlight, heh. A guy who wears tight white pants and thinks to hell with it. Did anybody else notice that Cat/Yusuf was directly in eye line with Johnny? Johnny looked nervous as he performed and I concluded that it was for two reasons - 1. He can't ever be Cat when it comes to performing. I love Johnny but some people are effortless performers, Cat is one of them - born to play and 2. Cat renounced his old life as the 'pop/rock' star who binged away on drink etc and played the field and did what any healthy rock star does. Well Johnny is still living that life that Cat frowns upon and I could almost feel Johnny's embarrassment. Anyhoo sorry to go on but it's always a sad day when you come to the conclusion that somebody who you respect isn't who you thought they were. I'm a great believer in individuality. I wish Cat still was too.
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