Thankfully, someone did this, almost knowing that I needed something handy and quick:
And Ah Jesus. Is this quick…
The first 90 seconds are just normal, and then he checks over his shoulder and…
IT SUDDENLY ALL GOES REALLY MENTAL!!
I know that time is valuable and you can’t always find 19:19 to watch a whole video. But if that’s the case, please flick through to a few random points in the video and just watch for a few seconds.
It’s all going off on the Isle of Man. Or at least it was just 70 years ago, back in 1953:
For the record, MM started her attempt on the same day that the Korean War ended. But that’s nowhere near as impressive as playing the piano for 158 hours.
The amazing thing is – supported by spiritualists, brandy, seven hundred cigarettes, sixteen thousand visitors (at a shilling a head, nogal!) and seven gallons of tea – she succeeded!
Musical Marie continued to play marathon piano recitals in England, the Isle of Man, Wales and Ireland until 1960.
The ‘trainer’ seems there only to rub her wrists, slap her face and collect the cold, hard cash that just keeps rolling in. Tough job.
As for the ubiquitous mentions of her weight in every article, well, clearly 17 stone – it’s just under 108kg – was a thing back then. Sadly, these days I don’t think 108kg is that unusual for a Manchester housewife. Nor the 100 fags a day.
It’s been a whirlwind of school stuff, dodgeball, trips around SA and general life over the last month and a half. But we shouldn’t forget that we were here:
…far from the hustle and bustle of everything just six weeks ago.
I mentioned here that Sigur Rós had provided the soundtrack to the trip up North. Their new album, full of dramatic, orchestral soundscapes, was perfect for the moody mountains of Western Ireland, for the sunshine on the Manx hills against the dark, thundery clouds, and as an antidote to the frankly ridiculously busy London streets.
And the latest release, Andrá, is among my favourite tracks on there. But this is more than just a music post, and that is more than a music video.
“I wished to show how Sigur Rós is the soundtrack of our lives through happiness, pain, hope, grief, and love. The short documentary, Andrá, celebrates the way in which Sigur Rós captures and channels the humanity that unites us all.” —Katya Gimro
Brilliantly, the official video is a mini-documentary of the song fitting into people’s live, by tapping into and reflecting whatever emotions they may currently be feeling. I know that you don’t have 10 minutes to spare, but if you do, use them here. And if you only have 5, then start here and just watch.
And there is so much joy and sadness in this one song, you can absolutely see how it can – like a wily mind-reader – find the right answers no matter the subject. The people above are hearing the song for the first time, and their differing reactions are amazing.
