This has nothing to do with music, but left me so flabberghasted I felt like I needed to rant it out... so I shall.

I was talking to someone yesterday who is visiting these fair isles as a tourist and found themselves in the vicinity of the town of Bakewell.  Not wishing to miss a proper slice of English culture they went to a tea-shop, and naturally asked for a Bakewell Tart.  I shant repeat the words of the shopkeep as recounted to me, but the cleaner gist was that there was no such thing and how dare anyone insinuate such... what my friend was looking for was a Bakewell pudding.

Can anyone back this up?  Are Bakewellians really that ignorant or resentful of the real reason anyone ever goes to their stupid little town?  Do they not realilse that their entire economy is based on tourists who want a damn Bakewell Tart and couldn't give a flying monkeys about a pudding?

Those people who know me well will know that I am a massive fan of low culture and I am willing to argue quite vehemently that Simon Cowell has actually enriched our lives.  For one he had the good grace not to run me over when I accidentally stepped in front of his car about 10 years ago... although in retrospect I should have tried a little harder to get clipped or at least a little bit maimed - Injury Lawyers 4 U would have had a field day.

but I digress...

X-Factor is one of my favourite shows, and especially the audition stage with it's endless cycle of Dermot, awful, awful, uplifting story, hugs and tears, montage, banter between judges and repeat... I sort of like that fact that it's as staged and manipulative as the "Cue the sun" moment in The Truman Show.  I like it. 

I buy into it.

Until this weekend.  When the 'scourge of modern music' reared it's ugly head.

Autotuning.  Yes, autotuning.

In the audition stage.

THE GODDAMN AUDITION STAGE.

Why?  It just makes no sense... why did they do it?

Now, I'm willing to argue quite vehemently that autotuning has actually enriched our lives as well.  And no, I'm not just playing devils advocate.  Autotuning has made many a ropey popstar's caterwauling vaguely listenable.  Even the best singers can't be spot on every day, so from a recording perspective a little bit of autotuning can be an absolute lifesaver if you haven't quite got the take that you wanted from a session.

But autotuning performances on an audition show to find new singers?  That just takes the ...biscuit.

I guess I only want to be manipulated up to a point... and I think that point has been found.

What could possibly be better than a beer festival I hear you ask?  Well how about a beer festival with ADDED MIGHTINESS!

Yes!  On August 19th - 21st 2010 our esteemed chums at The Old Anchor in Twickenham are having a weekend of real ale booziness and on Friday night (20th August) Mighty Matt will be further blurring the lines between performance, art, and inebriation with an acoustic sing song!

Who's Making The Tea...?

Seasoned Mighty watchers will know that Mighty Gary has often been known to wax lyrical at great length on the subject of Mighty Handful recordings (and many more subjects beside), but hasn't done so for a CONSIDERABLE amount of time.

Well good news Handfulites... the wait for PART 6 of these epic musings is finally over!!  

SWOON as you discover the hidden meaing behind the 'As Yet Untitled' album title...

GASP at the sheer unbridled verbosity!!

RELIVE the heady early episodes that came in at a mere more manageable 2000 words

PONDER whether part 7 will be ready in time for the London Olympics

You can do all this and more by clicking over to the new "Who's Making The Tea" section of the site using the main menu to the right... or by clicking HERE!