2009 – Ten Tiny Dan opinions
I was online the other day and thought – you know what this web thing needs? A list of stuff that happened during the past 12 months! Yeah!
Well, in order to provide one and thus complete the internet, here’s Tiny Dan’s sideways take on the lousy good-for-nothing complete and utter annus that is 2009…
A LIST OF TEN 2009 THINGS
10 Most unexpected bout of tears
Oh yeah, Tiny Dan is tough. I got locked out of my house once – didn’t even think about crying. At an Indian Restaurant, I’ll always go for the lime pickle. Drinks? ‘A half?’ ‘No sir! Tiny Dan will have a PINT!’ – that’s the sort of level we’re talking. A Tiny, Tiny condensed ball that will not yield – I am possibly the densest matter in the universe (apart from this).
All the more wonder then, that during that opening bit of the Pixar film ‘Up’, a watery substance – later diagnosed as ‘cry’ – began to leak from my eye ducts. If you’ve seen it, you’ll know why. Near the start of the movie is that incredible animated montage of two lives passing by – it’s so simple, yet utterly beautiful and totally heartbreaking.
9) Most complete demise of the final vestiges of any interest I retained in a particular genre of TV: Reality
Perhaps it was the horribly overblown coverage of the tragic death of Jade Goody that did it. Perhaps it is the ongoing media portrayal of Susan Boyle as some sort of ‘wacky celeb’, rather than a troubled woman struggling with an intense media spotlight which is utterly out of proportion with her talent. Perhaps I’m just jealous of Ant ‘n’ Dec. Whatever, I extracted no joy whatsoever from reality TV this year and couldn’t even tell you who won what.
Except the Apprentice. I bloody love the Apprentice.
8 ) Best hip-hop album you didn’t hear in 2009: Doom – Born Like This
Brother, I would like to know why all of you haters be sleeping on this one (kindly inform me with a comment at the end of the article). I’ve already bored most of my chums telling them how brilliant Doom (AKA MF Doom AKA Metal Fingers AKA Danger Doom AKA Madvillain) is. This album is by turns leftfield (Thank Yah), inventive (Lightworks), dubious (Batty Boyz) and intense (Cellz) – you basically need this.
7) Tiny Dan’s Glastonbury break-out moment: The XX
I’ll front up. I wasn’t there. I watched it on the telly.
Now, I was aware that there was some kind of ‘buzz’ around new music combo The XX and lo and behold, they were about to do one of those little backstage performances that you get on BBC Three. I dunno why but I expected it to be some overblown pompous load of old crud. Turns out it was all like early ‘80s Cure B-sides and New Order done gone be playing up in my head. Cue big Tiny Dan grin and XX on heavy rotation from thence onwards.
6) Best Me Nearly Getting Harry off of Stephen Merchant’s 6Music Radio Show into Big Trouble Moment of ‘09
It’s a toss-up. Either
a) Bumping into him at the Oval during the World Twenty20 cricket and discussing the event using some pretty robust and earthy language – only to subsequently discover that the older types nearby were in fact his girlfriend’s parents, or
b) Having a delightful summer pint at the Thames-side pub the White Cross in Richmond and using the exceptionally high tide which cut us off as an excuse to stay out for several more (even though, really, we could have escaped with little danger to life and limb despite claims to the contrary) when he was already overdue a return home to get the dinner on
5) Best hip-hop album you may have heard in 2009: Mos Def – The Ecstatic
Basically, when hip-hopsters start getting into acting, that’s pretty much the end of their useful musical output. Mr M.Def, who you might remember from such films as The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Be Kind Rewind, bucked that trend in style with this little beauty which featured thunderingly good grooves alongside some hefty messages. If you haven’t got this yet, go and get it now and come back and read the last four when you’ve done it.
I can wait….
Still waiting… Here’s a bit of the album to pass the time…
Got it… No? Then go back and get it….
Got it now? Good. Well done. Here’s number 4.
4) Show I slept on until 2009 then couldn’t get enough of – The Inbetweeners
I smashed down both series of this on DVD over a handful of very enjoyable days in autumn. It’s tremendo. You either already know this ‘cos you watched it or you don’t because you haven’t – in which case go out and get it immediately and watch it. Done it? Good.
Am worried for the future though (no spoilers, don’t panic). The main characters are at that difficult age – surely the show will quickly need them to leave school (but we don’t want them to mature or grow up) or it will look increasingly unrealistic and go a bit Luke Perry Beverly Hills 90210. Hey! Why not Twitter how you think the show should continue?
3) Best song from the second series of Flight of the Conchords: Sugalumps
Also the best song Prince never recorded.
2) Most unexpected emotion/event combination of the year (apart from crying at a kids’ film (see number 10)): Medium pleasure/England regain the Ashes
Back in 2005 I went what is commonly referred to as ‘nutbag’ for the Ashes. This time around it was ‘meh-bag’ at best. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, it just wasn’t quite as, you know, vital. Why? I’m not even motivated enough to tell you. Just google it (surely ‘googly’ it – cricket pun ed).
1) Most premature cancellation of a radio show just when I thought the hilarious ‘posse’ behind the main star were really hitting their stride: Stephen Merchant’s 6Music show on Sundays 3-5pm (latterly 3.30-5.30pm)
It was a sad day indeed when the mics were hung up on this broadcasting instiution in May. If I was capable of writing emoticons I’d probably do something like this :O( here.
Mind you, I was never really all that into the deservedly-unpopular Dan. His attendance was appalling and his contributions perfunctory. Still at least there’s this website, where you can log on and abuse him.
Did anything happen to you in 2009? Why not let a very, very small percentage of the world know about what happened to you in 2009, by writing about it underneath here! It’s the perfect way to pay tribute to 2009! It’s what 2009 would have wanted. 2009! 2009!
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My 2009 “Most unexpected bout of tears” would be frighteningly similar to yours. Although I (probably) cried at the first few minutes of “Up”, more surprising was that I cried at the credits. That has to be the only time in my life I’ve cried at a film’s credits.
In the “Users who bought X also recommend Y” column, based on your hip hop recommendations, it sounds like you would like “Blue Flowers” by Dr. Octagon. If you’ve never heard it you can hear it here:
It also has the bonus of having possibly the strangest lyrics of any song ever written.
I’d composed myself by the credits Bret – ya big softy.
Nah, kidding, it was surprisingly weep-inducing. Although I’ve always felt that the simplicity of emotion in kids’ films makes many of ‘em all the more poignant – I nearly went sniffly at a bit in Toy Story 2 where a toy realises it’s no longer the child’s favourite. Perhaps it’s due to some inbuilt subconscious sense of a loss of innocence, of a moving away from a simpler time? Or mebbe I’m just a pathetic human man?
As for the Dr Octagon, I’m feeling that big-time. Was a massive fan of that album and Blue Flowers was a real stand-out track. Kool Keith, the brains behind it and a man of even more hip-hop pseudonyms than MF Doom, has an album under the Dr. Dooom title (no relation to MF Doom, confusingly – look for the three ‘O’s in the middle). It’s called, unoriginally enough, Dr. Dooom 2 and it’s proper good.
Check out the track ‘RIP Dr Octagon’ for confirmation that there’ll be no more work under that name – and a sly dig at the remix/repackage culture afforded to some dead hip-hop legends. It’s a veritable rap take on the Smiths ‘Paint A Vulgar Picture’ if you want an 80s indie classic equivalent.
I just want to clarify for anyone who hasn’t seen the film or doesn’t remember… I didn’t cry at the credits per se. I don’t well up at the sight of “Directed by” or suddenly feel a bit melancholy every time key grips are mentioned listed. I meant that the filmmakers did something specific *along side* the credits that I found very heartwarming. Obviously I don’t want to give anything away so I’m being (and was being) vague. Another 2009 first: not giving away what happens during the credit sequence.
I should have known you would already be aware of Kool Keith. I think you even talked about him on the Steve Show if I remember correctly. I’ll try to search out “RIP Dr Octagon”. Thanks for the recommendation.