Musical Consequences

Consequences is never a game I enjoy. This is predominantly because it’s only come up as a possible activity at quite the direst parties I’ve ever attended (and quite frankly, on those occasions the only consequence I was interested in was a liquor-induced stupor), but also because the end product is so completely undesirable, particularly given the time and effort, and boring pen and paper finding that goes into it.

However, if you were to ask me to play a game of Consequences where the result, was not some stupid story with gratuitous filthy bits, but an actual credible song, and Graham Coxon was a willing participant, I’d quite happily join in. This may not be a fair example, I’d be inclined to join in a game of Russian Roulette if it meant I got to be within spitting distance of the Blur genius.

But, happily, such a game did occur, and luckily for you (since I can play even fewer guitar chords than Katie from The Ting Tings) I was not invited to make a contribution. Mr Coxon was in the rather more salubrious company of Beth Ditto, Paul Weller and assorted members of Babyshambles, Supergrass and The Smiths.
Basically they all trotted off to the studio separately and laid down some vocals, or guitar riffs, or drum beats, whatever it is that they make a living from, with no idea what the artist before them had come up with. Then the whole thing was packaged up together into a song by the lovely Paul Epworth, and as of Monday you can buy the finished product, with the proceeds going to Crisis, our national homeless charity.

I’ll be honest, I haven’t heard it yet, but given the quality of the people involved it has the potential to be pretty special. Or completely catastrophic, but hell, I’m choosing to put my money on the former just because I think it sounds like fun.

Anyway, I just thought I’d mention it, as a) it shows that the indie fraternity do occasionally venture into slightly more worthwhile territory than wearing their Wayfarers indoors and chain-smoking, and b) I’m rather relieved that the country has finally managed to spawn a charity record that involves neither auto-tune or a cover version.