Things that cheer you up

[gmoney]

I took part in a little thing at work recently where we put together playlists of our favourite songs and shared them, the one restriction being it can't be any longer than 74 minutes (the length of a CD). It was really fun to do, though obviously impossible to satisfactorily whittle down. My longlist was 10 hours long. Anyway, one thing it made me realise was loads of my favourite songs have really prominent bass lines, regardless of genre. So I've decided to learn how to play the bass. Bought one, booked lessons. Not expecting to change careers or anything, but I've got that warm glow you get when you start a new hobby. 

[Chili]

3 minutes ago, gmoney said:

I took part in a little thing at work recently where we put together playlists of our favourite songs and shared them, the one restriction being it can't be any longer than 74 minutes (the length of a CD). It was really fun to do, though obviously impossible to satisfactorily whittle down. My longlist was 10 hours long. Anyway, one thing it made me realise was loads of my favourite songs have really prominent bass lines, regardless of genre. So I've decided to learn how to play the bass. Bought one, booked lessons. Not expecting to change careers or anything, but I've got that warm glow you get when you start a new hobby. 

Lovely stuff, bass is the only instrument I can play, and I started because guitar was weirdly difficult for my fingers. Plus Phil Lynott played bass and he was infinitely cool. Have fun learning.

Edited April 30 by Chili

[Carbomb]

Learning the mandolin during lockdown is one of the best things I've ever done in my life, to the point where buying a hand-made, actual left-handed mandolin for £800 has not ever at any point felt like a waste of money to save up for.

And learning new songs to play/sing on it has become a genuine joy - whenever I'm down (and that's a lot these days), getting a new song under my belt really does cheer me up again.

[SuperBacon]

I love that @gmoney I want a video of you jamming ooouuuutttt with you slapping da byaaaassss man. 

Edit: forgot to add I'd like to see your playlist. Not the 10 hour one obviously, I barely have enough time for the music I listen to.

Edited April 30 by SuperBacon
SLAPPA DA BYASS

[Gus Mears]

And just think how much easier it is to cut vegetables now too.

[gmoney]

42 minutes ago, SuperBacon said:

I love that @gmoney I want a video of you jamming ooouuuutttt with you slapping da byaaaassss man. 

Edit: forgot to add I'd like to see your playlist. Not the 10 hour one obviously, I barely have enough time for the music I listen to.

More than welcome. I've probably posted every single one of these in the song of the day thread. More than once, in the case of one...

Edited April 30 by gmoney

[Statto]

Great stuff lads, it's a proper buzz learning something new, particularly if you've had an ambition to do it for a long time.

I've sung with bands on & off since my early teens and had always wanted to be able to accompany myself/perform songs I liked without relying on other people, but never properly committed to learning guitar. I finally did in early 2023 and started playing/singing in public about 2 years ago. Here's me (on the left) and my mate Paul (who taught me to play) doing our little Johnny Cash set last Sunday (as mentioned in the death thread):

[ReturnOfTheMack]

Not music, but I started a stand up comedy course this week. Im enjoying it, up to now.

[Tim Healys Chutney Spoon]

Was trying to settle my daughter at bedtime earlier and she was playing up a bit. Eventually she began to settle but it was then I realised the windows were open and we both lay there for about 5-10mins not saying much but just listening to the birds singing and enjoying the still and quiet. So glad we have a lovely quiet area to live in where we have moments like that and at almost 6 she still wants to have daddy cuddles to go to sleep with. 

[Frankie Crisp]

Had the absolute honour to meet and be in the company of Bob Latchford on Saturday. I know that immediately wipes out 90% of readers, but bear with me.

Bob was and forever will be one of Everton’s greatest players; a dream for the club and his season of scoring 30 goals is part of their folklore.

Anyway, our local boozer has regular ex-players doing a turn to a very small audience. Me and my old man started going when they first kicked them off years ago and I’ve been carrying that on with my Uncle and Dad’s mates over the last 18 months or so.

It’s basically a bit of food, an ex-Blue getting asked questions by the host, a raffle for a local charity and then the audience get to ask questions. We’ve seen a load of the 80’s boys over the years, a few 90’s players and some more recent. But when Latchford was announced they had to split it across two days between them and their sister pub, such was the demand.

Bob was wonderfully humble during the first half of the afternoon with his stories and answers to the questions and we assumed it was just another great afternoon in the company of an Everton legend.

But, at the end of the first half of the gig, the host asked Bob if he’d received his England Legacy Cap. I wasn’t overly aware of what this was until that point, but it’s an honorary cap/award that’s been given to everyone who’s played for the national team since day one. Loads have been given out but most of the lesser-known or non-headliners have been shoved to the back of the queue.

Bob dismissed the question saying he thought he’d be low in the pecking order and hadn’t had any contact from the FA about it.

At that moment, Derek Mountfield was asked to step up and present Bob with his cap. This was in a small boozer in town and I think it meant more to the fella than it being on some high profile show or setting.

That’s not Derek Mountfield with him, that’s Cocky who flogs all the memorabilia. He can sort anything Everton-related. Old shirts, boots, autographs - anything. He can get you a used pair of Daniel Amokachi’s undies if you needed them. DM me for a price.

Anyway. Bob lost his wife a while back and moved to Germany to start a new life, and has only recently started to come back to do some talks and sportsman’s dinners; he’s a very quiet and emotional bloke and this honestly floored him.

As Mountfield presented this, he gracefully accepted it and then completely burst into tears, with it clearly meaning the world to him. 

The second half of the session was written off and instead, Bob went around the room chatting to everyone in attendance, getting photos with fans but mainly just gabbing about his playing days, his life and his family. The man had tears in his eyes throughout that last hour or so and we could see what it meant to him.

It was just a gorgeous experience that all of my Dad’s mates and my Uncle took in with the biggest smiles on their faces, seeing one of their heroes getting his flowers.

Edited May 6 by Frankie Crisp

[air_raid]

Went to Bolton stadium car boot with the Old Age  In-laws yesterday and it warmed my heart to see everything you want from one - rusty tools, extension cords, mysteriously cheap factory sealed goods, Hawk Hasbro with broken spikes. And it looks like DVDs of Mrs Browns Boys are becoming the “VHS tapes of They Think It’s All Over” or Scream 2 of their generation.

Also this ;

Never knew you used to be able to buy it by the tin! You can’t these days. Political correctness gone mad.

[SuperBacon]

Asked my eldest how her English Lit paper 1 went today, she told me she "absolutely cooked" 😆

[Carbomb]

If this is in the Eurovision thread, sorry for bringing it back up. RTE are boycotting it because of Israel, and broadcasting an episode of Father Ted in its place, prompting an accusation of antisemitism by the moral windsock. 

This is a wonderful thing to find out.

 

[gmoney]

I think this is the third thread it's been brought up in, which might be a record. 

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

https://www.facebook.com/mikefshaw/photos/i-think-its-wonderful-that-yaxley-lennon-is-helping-to-raise-funds-for-refugeesi/27805759222346530/?set=a.186869561328868

I don't have Facebook but my sister just sent me this. People are raising money for refugees by turning Tommy Robinsons' rally tomorrow into a sponsored walk. For every mile they drag their knuckles more money gets raised to help the people they hate. 

Wonderful.