Day 86. I see no joy, I see only sorrow (27/3/19)

Honest to god, I'd love there to be a point this year where I can write about something that isn't either of the following:

Idiots playing roulette with the entire future of the country so that they can increase the personal fortunes that they already possess and the majority of us can't even dream of.

The continuing terrible losses of musicians who simply made the world a better place one song at a time.

I mean, personally, I'm having a great year. I'm having one of those 'dreams coming true to a level I can't even tell you about yet' level. It's just the rest of 2019 that seems to have decided to be continuously shit.

I've just got back in. Slight detour to allow Matt to buy a new bike to replace the one he had stolen. Long story, won't trouble you with it.

And in the 80 minutes I've been out (would have been about 45 but there's reports of a major crash by the local Asda, hopefully nothing serious but traffic at a standstill) soft girl has announced that she's standing down. Standing down as soon as her Brexit deal has gone through.

Which means that every Tory that voted against her deal is now far more likely to vote for it because it means she'll sod off and leave the field open for the fluffy haired buffoon and the honorable member for the eighteenth century to step in with all those lovely jobs they've promised for their mates. May has basically just sold the country out completely. Brought us to a precipice, hurled us into it, happily walking away in the belief she has done something noble.

Moronic.

More personally though, more importantly to the psychic health of the world, we've lost another musician at far too young an age.

I won't make any claims that The Beat changed my life. We long ago established that I wasn't a mod during the late seventies revival. But the singles that I warmed to then I continued to warm to for decades.

And I warmed to The Beat with Mirror In The Bathroom. Then Hands Off She's Mine and Save It For Later. They had something that wasn't as orthodoxly ska as others. They had a pop edge. If you're ranking these things (and the pun is intended) then you probably go: The Specials, Madness, The Beat, all the others. They had energy and vigour. They all did but The Beat seemed to be that bit faster in their tunes.

A major part of that was Ranking Roger who passed away yesterday. You look back at that era and he's as sharp as it gets. Immaculately dressed, hat perfectly in place, bouncing at the front, leading the band alongside Dave Wakeling.

He was eighteen/nineteen and at the top of his game.

He's passed away at 56. Which is hideously young. I know this because I'm 55. Our generation hasn't grown up. We're convinced forever that we're still as young as we were 40 years ago.

Diagnosed in January with two brain tumours and lung cancer. Gone in March. That's terrifying.

That's the world saying, "Create. Create now. Achieve things. Do the things that make you happy because it's all too bloody short."

That's what it's saying to me, anyway. We only get one go at this so let's make nice things that create some happiness in other people's lives.

Ranking Roger did that. The work lives on. The albums are always here, we can always hear him. I hope that's a comfort to his loved ones. The idea that others are saddened by the loss of somebody we didn't know because we enjoyed what he did, what he represented.

And here's one of the things he represented:

There's a clip on Youtube. Hold on, I'll get it for you, see if I can make it stick here:

<iframe width="1068" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zFaFVhyjb5Y" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>


If it doesn't work (and remember, I'm 55, technology isn't a strong point) then go to YouTube and search Beat OTT Stand Down

This is Saturday night TV in 1981. This is the moment that Tiswas went to Saturday nights to make their anarchic kids' show much more adult. This is what we rushed home from the alehouse for.

And that clip is The Beat closing the show one Saturday night with what may be their most important song. 'Stand Down Margaret'.

That's right. There was once a time when the TV channels were brave enough to criticise the government directly as entertainment.

Imagine being that band. Imagine being that twenty year old man live on TV with this fantastic sound behind you, imploring the serving Prime Minister to just pack it in because she was vile.

Singing "I see no joy, I see only sorrow, I see no hope for your bright new tomorrow, so Stand Down Margaret."

While looking that bloody sharp.

Top of your game, that's the way to be remembered. More class than most people ever manage.

RIP Roger


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