The Guardian Music Blog ponders that ‘Great British Institution’, BBC2′s “Later With Jools Holland”.
It’s unashamedly part of what you might call the middle-age-ification of rock music, light entertainment aimed squarely at people who don’t do gigs any more. Thus it doesn’t exist in order to be shocking or challenging or life-changing, hence the weird, fusty atmosphere that emanates from every edition.
Ah. That explains why I don’t like the programme; I am in the minority of my age group that still goes to gigs.
For all the artists are playing live, there’s a distinct lack of spontaneity about the show, which may explain why, if you were to compile a list of legendary moments in music television … not one of them would come from Later. You watch it safe in the knowledge that nothing untoward or unforeseen is going to happen.
The only spontanious moment I can ever remember was when Justin Hawkins of The Darkness frightened Sam Brown by jumping on the Steinway right behind her to play a not-terribly-good guitar solo.
Then they pose this question:
Which leads me to ask: if you had control over the show’s booking policy for one programme, which six acts would you chose to fill the coveted slots?
Two rules:
- You can’t bring anyone back from the dead – so no James Brown, John Lennon or, indeed, jam session featuring Joy Division and Jeremy Beadle.
- Nominate one of your guests to take part in the deathless trial-by-boogie-woogie that is the inevitable live collaboration with Mr Holland.
I considered this one for, well, at least five minutes, and came up with the following list, based on artists I’ve seen live in the past couple of years.
- Porcupine Tree
- Mostly Autumn
- Marillion
- The Reasoning
- Anne Marie Helder
- Opeth
A well-balanced list, I think. Prog, metal and prog-metal 
. Of course, I’d fall of my chair in shock if anyone on that list ever got on to the show.
I’ll nominate Opeth for the trial by boogie-woogie, on the grounds that they’ll play so loudly you won’t actually be able to hear Jools’ Steinway.
