I was listening to the Adrian Chiles show on Radio 5 yesterday. His guests were comedian, Mark Steele, and Tory adviser/commentator, Salma Shah. As political opposites they found themselves somewhat confused that they were agreeing on most things (such a Boris Johnson being a bumbling clown).

So, it was kind of odd that the one thing they did disagree on was the ability that singer, Adele, had to make people weep in ecstasy at the sound of her voice. Chiles asked Mark Steele whether, because Adele was a South Londoner like him, he she was one of his own.

Bless Her For That

“Yeah, bless her for that…but that’s where my interest ends”, Steele replied, in a manner that made my mind’s eye see him shrugging in a nonplussed manner. Chiles tried to press him further, somehow thinking that because they both came from South London there should be some shared beliefs or feelings. “Yeah, I suppose…music is a passion for me, and Adele leaves me…I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but it just feels contrived”.

Shah, an otherwise engaging guest, went into predictable sycophantic blubbering about Adele and the talk of how she can have such a propound effect on the soul. Steele was refreshingly honest, and I found it quite remarkable that Tory woman and Chiles were quite taken aback by his apathy. It’s like being unenthusiastic about Adele is a crime against humanity.

Charlie Brooker

A few years ago, comedian and writer Charlie Brooker (Black mirror, Newswipe etc) penned an article about the Kate Bush comeback gig sending people into a state where, “all the molecules in their bodies were disassembled and temporarily rearranged into a pulsating jellyfish of pure enjoyment”. It was not acceptable go to that gig and say, “yeah it was pretty good”. If something is not a hedonistic experience, it’s deemed as awful.

The same applies to Adele. You can’t just say her songs are okay. You must weep, or you are not fully appreciating her talents. There would have been people disgusted at Mark Steele yesterday. Being a ‘LEFT-WING FIREBRAND’ is one thing, being apathetic to Adele is off the scale madness.

Restaurants & Pies

We have somehow drifted into a world where being okay just won’t do. I went to a Turkish restaurant last week and one of my friends (I do have a few of them) asked what it was like. I found myself thinking that I might have to tell him it was ‘awesome’ rather than ‘not bad’. When I said, without much authority, “yeah it was alright’ nodding my head in rhythm with my words, I could see he was suspicious.

Mad, isn’t it? On another recent occasion the same friend and I were walking our dogs, when we got chatting to a local chap. The conversation drifted towards the local pubs, one of which serves pies that are the best pies you will ever eat. They are so good; they are beyond explanation. “You wont getter a better pie, anywhere”, he claimed.

Now, who am I say he is wrong but there are 47,000 pubs in the UK and 85,000 restaurants. If not one of them serves a pie that is better, or at least on par with, a pub on the outskirts of Andover, I will be surprised and impressed in equal measure.

I suspect the pies in question are a bit like Adele’s new single.

Not too bad, I suppose.