On Pop
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.So, you missed the guy who was selling babysitter futures for the last night of 1999? It's telly again then.
Get in training this bank holiday, 30 May, 5.30pm, when BBC2 screens the Great Music Experience, a concert which will be recorded in Japan on 22 May. This is the first in a series of global gigs taking place annually until the year 2000, culminating with 'the greatest ever collection of talent, from all the world's cultures'. As yet undisclosed, of course.
This year's concert takes place in front of a 10-storey, eighth-century Buddhist temple in Nara, the original capital of Japan, and includes acts such as Bob Dylan (right), Joni Mitchell, INXS, Ry Cooder, The Chieftains and a choir of 150 Buddhist monks. The big idea, claim the organisers Tribute Management, is to create not an It's a Knockout-style sense of transnational co-operation, but rather, 'a tour de force of musical possibilites'. Hence, in the opening scene, kodo drums, celtic pipes and Toshinori Kondo's jazz trumpet will blend subtly with Michael Hutchence's vocals and a full Western orchestra. Where Bob will stand with his mouth organ has not yet been decided.
The sad thing is that, as a vision of the future, it implies that in six years' time, we probably won't all be in nightclubs on Mars doing cyber-drugs and wearing silver suits. Rather, we'll still be at home playing name-that-tune with Mr Zimmerframe again. Rock 'n' roll - who said it wouldn't last until the end of the century.
The Great Music Experience, 5.30pm 30 May, BBC2
(Photograph omitted)
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments