2020 – Think Bensonium

Day 459: Jurassic Park, Stand Atlantic

Roderick Benson — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 16:25:31 +0000

OK so today I went for my first swim at Grand Central. The last time I swam there was the same week Covid Island Disc started as this was the last time the pool was open before the UK went into lockdown. Although the pool opened again in 2021, I have been back until today

During my swim however I struck up a conversation with a bloke who was in my lane called Matt and it turned out he managed different bands. He picked up on my Australian and then told me about some of the Australian bands he managed. One of them apparently is quite big in Australia and appears regularly on the alternative Sydney rock station Triple J. Anyway, the band is called Stand Atlantic and this is one of their Youtube hits.

Day 329: Conundrum, Robert Vincent

Roderick Benson — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 00:00:18 +0000

Time for another song from this great little entertainer I met who was the lead act to a Paul Kelly concert that my daughter and I attended in the Northern Quarter or Manchester (see Covid Island Disc Day 206). Such a talented musician.

Day 286: Do they know it’s Covid Time, Joe

Roderick Benson — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Staying with the comedy, I think this is the song to finish the year on as it summaries the UK Tory government nicely. Let’s hope 2021 is a better year but it feels like an impossibly long time to wait before this current crop of cabinet charlatans (I mean ministers) are finally prised from the levers of power. I think humour is about the only defence we have against those in power who care nothing about those they lead.

Happy New Year Everyone

Day 275: Hope Christmas Gets You To Me, Lapwing

Roderick Benson — Sun, 20 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Well it’s the beginning of Christmas week so I thought I would start with this little song. I have a good friend who helped me when I was writing my book The Wormwood Deception and his son has released this very pretty tune for Christmas. I think a lot of people will be able to relate to its sentiment especially given that as I write these words, we have just learned in the UK that a new tier 4 has now been introduced for some areas of London — meaning that folk in those areas now must cancel their Christmas plans. Even more shocking given that London was in tier two up to a few days ago, although this classification was more for political rather than scientific reasons.

Day 248: Shame, Shame Foo Fighters

Roderick Benson — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

First for this band in Covid Island Discs. Like the way they combine the word shame with the guitar.

Postscript March 2022: RIP Taylor Hawkins.