Article Response: Top Of The Pops

I enjoyed this - good article!! Didn't Metallica play? They were on the programme - maybe pre-recorded. They're my new worst band ever. Heavy? Black Sabbath would, even now, leave them sounding like Pram. The sight of James Hetfield's piggy eyes and sweating bloated countenance ruined my evening too.

I have decided I like The Darkness, but the singer is too Indie. He cannot do a full-throated falsetto scream (like B. Dickenson, Ozzy, Halfors, Plant etc), he just sounds like Morrissey when he goes for the high notes. I think for full-on metalness this is a major weakness.

When he switches to those high notes I noticed the fey quality but I thought it was intentional. Perhaps not. It reminded me more of prog or early Queen or something (or even Marc Bolan ie not heavy rock as such). Intentionally a bit camp in other words.

.... but but but he's rapidly going bald, how can you take any rocker seriously who's bald?

I hate the way the BBC uses programmes now for cross-promotion. TOTP was always about what was in (going up) the charts that week. This has been stretched recently with 'new' and 'exclusive' performances but the absolute nadir was when they had Fame Academy contestant Alex on a week or so ago (performing a Coldplay cover). Apart from being sick of promotional slots for Fame Academy popping up everywhere in other programmes I thought this was an insult to viewers who had tuned in to TOTP for highlights of the week's chart AND NO OTHER REASON.

yeh i think the show has suffered because the condition of the chart has changed (although i do maintain the quality is fairly constant - ignoring this week's abysmal list!) so they have to bring in these new ideas to keep it interesting because there are no climbers - I wonder if Rachel Stevens will be on again this week (pre-recorded or otherwise)?

the Metallica bit was pre-recorded so we didn't see any of that - the presenters just did the link. i'm not sure if this was to replace Britney or it was Electric 6 who were in place of her. They should be on next week and possibly on TOTP 2 with the 'Radio Ga Ga' cover the same week or week after. Look out for me then ;)

liked the piece, stevem, but i thought the saturday morning edition of TOTP for the under 8s was the place to be these days ... they lip-sync, and no hairy guitar bands allowed!

Yeah, Emma [Bunton] and The Darkness were very entertaining on TOTP. And Emma's single (Maybe) is the best post-Spice song any of the Girl's have released. Great backing dancers too - the guy in the horn-rimmed specs is the one to watch - quite manic-a-go-go on TOTP but more tightly controlled on TOTP Saturday, the early-morn, sleepy-eyed offspring.

Yes I think I prefer TOTP Saturday now to the original. The appointment of Fearne Cotton as sole presenter was a master-stroke.

TOTP Saturday seems like a pretty cynical attempt at combatting CD:UK i figure

I agree that it's trying to combat it but not necessarily that it's cynical. I find Cat Deeley a bit tedious these days (actually has she been replaced? I haven't watched CD:UK for a few months). I just like Fearne Cotton and the way she acts as a bridge between the young pop fans and the pop stars*. OK it's a bit contrived (all that 'ooh Justin..' stuff) but her 'older sister' thing works and she manages to project enthusiasm for the music (I suppose that could be fake but it seems genuine).

* Cat Deeley used to be like that but she seems to come across a bit snooty and bored nowadays.